From September onwards, museums, theatres and leisure venues across Greater Paris will be rolling out a rich programme of events to mark the start of the new cultural season. Exhibitions, musicals, ballets, operas, concerts, festivals ... the choice is vast! Discover a selection of major events to look forward to this autumn.
Autumn is here with its seasonal abundance of great cultural outings and top events for a wonderful and memorable stay in the French capital. Highlights of course include the European Heritage Days, on 21 and 22 September 2024. On this occasion, some of the most secret, mysterious and unusual places open their doors to the public. Some are freely accessible; others require pre-booking. Think about booking online!
Also on the calendar is the reopening of the world-famous Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral on 8 December 2024. Visitors will be able to enjoy a completely new visitor path within the building.
Another leading event is Paris Fashion Week, the capital's fashion event from 23 September to 1 October 2024, presenting women's ready-to-wear for the spring/summer 2025 season.
In September, the Centre Pompidou hosts (du 4 septembre au 13 janvier 2015) a major retrospective on Surrealism, to mark the movement's centenary. Another highlight of the month is the reopening of the Musée Jacquemart-André, after a year of renovation, with ‘Masterpieces from the Borghese Gallery’ (du 6 septembre au 5 janvier 2025). From 28 September 2024, the Jeu de Paume presents an exhibition tracing the 40-year career of the American photographer Tina Barney.
Exhibitions to note on your calendar for October: the new exhibition ‘Arte Povera’, running from 9 October 2024 at the Bourse du Commerce, retraces the history of this artistic movement which started in Italy in the 1960s. From 8 October to 19 January2025, the Musée d’Orsay presents an exhibition devoted to the Impressionist painter Gustave Caillebotte. Finally, the Fondation Louis Vuitton showcases Pop Art in ‘Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann &…’, from 16 October 2024.
Musicals are back in the capital in a big way, with ‘Hello Dolly’ starring Caroline O'Connor at the Théâtre du Lido, from 7 November to 5 January 2025, and the blockbuster musical ‘Les Misérables’ at the Théâtre du Châtelet, from 22 November to 31 December 2024.
From 10 October to 10 November 2024, La Seine Musicale will be hosting a new event: a stage adaptation of Mathieu Kassovitz's film ‘La Haine’, combining music, dance and rap. From 6 to 10 November 2024, the Accor Arena welcomes ‘Corteo’ by cirque du Soleil, which celebrates its 40th anniversary. Finally, the sound and light shows ‘Aura’ at the Musée de l'Armée from 22 September 2024 and ‘Paris, Cœur de Lumières’ at the Eglise Saint-Sulpice from 16 October to 23 November 2024 explore Parisian heritage in a whole new way.
Experience the emotion of Giacomo Puccini's opera ‘Madame Butterfly’ at the magnificent Palais Garnier from 14 September to 25 October 2024. The autumn season also features contemporary dance, with the prestigious American company Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performing from 18 to 26 October 2024 at the Palais des Congrès de Paris, and Benjamin Millepied's new creation ‘Grace, Jeff Buckley Dances’ from 5 to 8 November 2024 at La Seine Musicale. Choreographer Blanca Li presents ‘Didon et Enée’ at the Espace Chapiteaux in the Parc de la Villette, from 17 to 31 October 2024.
Hip-hop, pop, rock, folk, international stars, young talents … Parisian concert venues have something for everyone! The most hotly anticipated performances are undoubtedly Mylène Farmer from 27 September to 1 October 2024 at the Stade de France and Paul McCartney on 4 and 5 December 2024 at Paris La Défense Arena. Other dates to note: Janet Jackson on 25 September 2024 and Ms. Lauryn Hill and les Fugees on 18 and 19 October 2024 at Accor Arena, plus Bob Dylan on 24 and 25 October 2024 at the Seine Musicale.
The Philharmonie de Paris opens its season on 11 September 2024 with the Orchestre de Paris, conducted by Klaus Mäkelä, then heads to Mali (from 20 to 22 September 2024) and Armenia (from 26 tp 29 September 2024) for a unique musical journey.
Jazz à la Villette and Paris Jazz festival at the Parc Floral run until 8 September 2024 while classical musical takes centre stage at the Festival de l’Orangerie de Sceaux until 29 September 2024.
The Fête de l’Humanité from 13 to 15 September 2024 takes place at La Base 217 at Plessy-Pâté and the Festival de Marne, from 27 September to 19 October 2024, features a series of concerts throughout the département. From 8 September 2024, the Festival d’Automne brings theatre, music, dance, visual arts and cinema to numerous venues in the Greater Paris region.
The autumn is also marked by trade fairs and shows, with Paris Design Week showcasing creation and design at various venues in the capital (from 5 to 14 September 2024) and Art Basel Paris dedicated to modern and contemporary art (from 18 to 20 October 2024) and Paris Photo (from 7 to 10 November 2024) at the Grand Palais. And the Salon du Chocolat will be at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from 30 October to 3 November 2024 for the delight of gourmets.
The new season is also the time for family entertainment. On the bill: an immersive journey into the world of Asterix from 18 October 2024 at the Atelier des Lumières, the return of the ‘Lion King’ musical from 27 September 2024 at the Théâtre Mogador, thrilling rides and attractions at the Fête au Bois de Boulogne until 13 October 2024, and the Kidexpo trade show for families at Paris - Montreuil Expo, from 24 to 27 October 2024.
