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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.
Every autumn is punctuated by unmissable cultural outings and major events that leave visitors with unforgettable memories of their stay in Paris. Among the highlights are undoubtedly the European Heritage Days, taking place on 19 and 20 September 2026. On these days, the most secret, mysterious or unusual venues open their doors to the public. Some sites offer free entry, whilst others require a booking. Don’t forget to book online!
This season, two icons of Parisian culture are joining forces: the Comédie Française and the Louvre, from 6 November 206 to 25 July 2027. This unique partnership will combine theatre, readings and new works linked to the museum’s major exhibitions, notably the Zurbarán and the exhibition Sculpting Colour, which showcases masterpieces from the National Sculpture Museum of Valladolid. Events to look out for!
Another highlight: Paris Fashion Week, the capital’s fashion event which, from 28 September to 6 October 2026, will showcase women’s ready-to-wear for the spring/summer 2027 season.
Head to the Palais de l’Élysée for the 6th edition of the Grande Exposition du Fabriqué en France. Around a hundred exceptional products from the industrial and craft sectors, representing all regions of mainland France and its overseas territories, are on display. In short: iconic products, sustainable innovations and companies that showcase French manufacturing! A free and unique event: registration is essential!
And for some truly original outings, head to the Paris Sausage Walk 2026 - a dachshund walk along the Champs-Élysées on Sunday 4 October 2026 – and the AOP Festival 2026 - a festival of cheeses, creams and AOP butter at the Centquatre-Paris from 13 to 15 November 2026 - or even at the Cinéma Paradiso, from 24 to 27 September 2026, which this time takes place on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower!
After a two-year hiatus, the Techno Parade is making a grand return this year on 19 September 2026. Around ten floats, over 300,000 festival-goers, musical discoveries and, above all, a vibrant atmosphere! Follow the parade through the streets of Paris.
A major event of the autumn 2026 season: Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Paris on 25 and 26 September 2026 (before continuing on to Lourdes, then Metz). In the capital, Pope Leo XIV’s itinerary includes Notre-Dame de Paris, the Stade de France, the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées.
A little later - and on a sporting note this time - the Stade de France will host an American NFL regular-season match for the first time in France. The New Orleans Saints will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on 25 October 2026!
The European Heritage Days, on 19 and 20 September 2026, are a unique opportunity to discover Paris’s hidden gems.
Iconic monuments, unusual places, free guided tours, the reopening of the towers of Notre-Dame: this major cultural event at the start of the autumn season allows visitors free access to heritage sites some of which are not usually open to the public.
Autumn 2026 promises to be a particularly rich season for art lovers, with a succession of major exhibitions at Paris’s leading museums. The Musée d’Orsay kicks off the season with two highly anticipated exhibitions: Auguste Bartholdi. Liberty Enlightening the World, from 15 September 2026 to 31 January 2027, which traces the career of the creator of the Statue of Liberty, and Mary Cassatt. The Independent, from 6 October 2026 to 31 January 2027, dedicated to one of the leading figures of Impressionism.
Meanwhile, the Grand Palais is presenting the major exhibition Cézanne and Us, from 23 September 2026 to 17 January 2027, which explores the considerable influence of the Aix-en-Provence-born painter on modern art through nearly 180 works by Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian, Joan Mitchell and Bridget Riley.
The year 2026 also marks the centenary of Claude Monet’s death. Several institutions are paying tribute to him, notably the Marmottan Monet museum, with From Monet to Hockney (1893–2026) and Monet / Soriano, from 24 September 2026 to 31 January 2027, as well as the Musée de l’Orangerie, which is presenting Monet: Painting Time alongside an immersive virtual reality experience.
Among the season’s other highlights, the Fondation Louis Vuitton is bringing together, from 9 October 2026 to 8 March 2027, more than 500 works in Gustave Fayet: Collector - Creator. Icons of Modern Art, an exceptional insight into the private collection and works of this great patron and artist. The Jacquemart-André Museum is dedicating a major retrospective to the Venetian master Tintoretto, from 11 September 2026 to 24 January 2027, whilst the Musée du Luxembourg reveals a more intimate side of the pope of pop art with Andy Warhol: Line and Image, from 16 September 2026 to 10 January 2027, featuring over 150 drawings, silkscreen prints and photographs.
Finally, fashion takes centre stage in the capital, as always, notably with Gianni Versace at the Maillol Museum, running until 31 October 2026: a spectacular retrospective bringing together over 450 designs, accessories, photographs and archive material dedicated to the Italian fashion designer.
Paris’s theatres are set to be particularly lively this autumn with the return of numerous major productions. As for musicals, the Théâtre du Lido is hosting the new adaptation of Singin’ in the Rain from 17 September 2026, whilst Le Roi Soleil returns to the Dôme de Paris from 12 September to 18 October 2026. From 25 September 2026 until 8 August 2027, The Lion King roars back onto the stage at the Théâtre Mogador. Families will also be able to enjoy Shrek the Musical at the Folies Bergère from 2 October 2026 to 17 January 2027, ahead of the grand return of Les Misérables at the Théâtre du Châtelet, from 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. Finally, La Cage aux Folles, starring Laurent Lafitte, will be performed at La Seine Musicale from 30 October to 14 November 2026.
Theatre lovers are also in for a treat. Le Père, Florian Zeller’s smash-hit play, returns to the Théâtre Édouard VII from 24 September 2026 to 3 January 2027, starring Pierre Arditi and Isabelle Carré. At the Théâtre Fontaine, the psychological thriller 2:22 – A Ghost Story makes its Paris debut from 15 September 2026 to 3 January 2027, whilst The King’s Speech, starring Francis Huster and Philippe Torreton, is being staged at the Théâtre du Gymnase from 17 September 2026 to 3 January 2027. Finally, Dead Poets Society, adapted from Peter Weir’s famous film, returns to the stage at the Théâtre Libre from 11 September 2026 to 10 January 2027, confirming a new theatre season marked by great works and powerful emotions.
The new opera season promises to be a rich one at the Opéra Bastille, which opens its season with Rossini’s The Barber of Seville in a modern and colourful production, from 12 September to 5 November 2026, followed by Hamlet by Ambroise Thomas, from 18 September to 9 October 2026. Wagner’s Götterdämmerung will then take to the stage from 8 to 18 October 2026, ahead of the major Ring Cycle Festival from 6 to 22 November 2026, which brings together all four operas of the tetralogy. At the Palais Garnier, Perle noire: méditations pour Joséphine, a lyrical tribute to Joséphine Baker conceived by Tyshawn Sorey, can be seen from 9 to 19 September 2026, whilst Mozart’s La Clémence de Titus, directed by Peter Sellars, runs from 24 November to 25 December 2026.
As for dance, the Palais Garnier is hosting L’Histoire de Manon by Kenneth MacMillan from 28 September to 30 October 2026, followed by Paysages intérieurs from 11 October to 7 November 2026, before Pulsations, from 4 December 2026 to 2 January 2027. At the Opéra Bastille, the ballet Rituels brings together three major works from 2 December 2026 to 2 January 2027. The Palais des Congrès, meanwhile, is focusing on the great classics with Swan Lake from 1 to 16 October 2026, The Four Seasons from 24 to 29 November and The Nutcracker from 23 December 2026 to 10 January 2027.
Hip-hop, pop, rock, folk, international stars, young talent... There's something for everyone in Parisian concert halls!
The start of the new musical season in Paris promises to be exceptional, kicking off with the grand return of Céline Dion, who will be taking to the stage at the Plénitude Arena from 12 September to 17 October 2026 (and then from 8 to 29 May 2027) for a series of landmark concerts. The venue will also host Muse on 27 November and Gims on 16 and 17 December 2026. At the Accor Arena, Vanessa Paradis will perform on 17 November 2026, whilst Orelsan will take to the stage from 9 to 28 December 2026. On the pop front, the phenomenon KATSEYE is set to perform on 9 September 2026. Meanwhile, the Stade de France will host Jay-Z on 10 September 2026 for what promises to be a particularly spectacular show. At the Olympia, Ronnie Wood, the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist, will share the stage with Irish singer Imelda May on 5 September 2026.
The new season kicks off on the rooftops with the Paris Rooftop Days at the end of September 2026, a unique weekend to explore the most beautiful terraces in Greater Paris through workshops, performances and outdoor entertainment. Jazz à la Villette and the Paris Jazz Festival at the Parc Floral continue until 6 September 2026, whilst classical music takes centre stage at the Festival de l’Orangerie de Sceaux from 10 to 27 September 2026.
The Fête de l’Humanité, running from 11 to 13 September 2026, will be held at Base 217 in Le Plessy-Pâté, whilst the Festival de Marne is organising a series of concerts across the whole department from 29 September to 17 October 2026. From 11 September 2026, the Festival d’Automne will be showcasing theatre, music, dance, the visual arts and cinema in numerous venues across the Greater Paris area.
For video game enthusiasts, Paris Games Week, taking place from 22 to 25 October 2026 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, offers visitors the chance to discover the latest releases, competitions and events from the world of gaming.
The new season is also kicking off in the world of fairs and exhibitions with Paris Design Week, which celebrates creativity and design at various venues across the capital (10–19 September 2026), and Paris Photo (12–15 November 2026) at the Grand Palais. The Salon du Chocolat will take place from 28 October to 1 November 2026 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles to the delight of food lovers. Finally, the new edition-sponsored by Alain Ducasse and featuring Italy as the guest of honor-of the International Village of Gastronomy will take place from September 10 to 13, 2026 at the iconic Place de la Concorde.
On the arts front, autumn is a season packed with art fairs. From 18 to 20 September 2026, the Porte de Versailles will host the latest edition of the international contemporary art fair in Paris, art3f. This contemporary art fair brings together around a hundred artists and galleries and offers a wide range of events and happenings for all ages.
A little later, Art Basel Paris takes place from 23 to 25 October 2026 at the Grand Palais, complemented by off-site installations (Place Vendôme, Hôtel de la Marine, Petit Palais).
Furthermore, Le Carreau du Temple is hosting AKAA (Also known as Africa). Art & Design Fair, a major contemporary art and design fair dedicated to Africa, from 23 to 25 October 2026. During the same period, from 20 to 24 October 2026, the Monnaie de Paris will host Asia Now, a contemporary art fair featuring works by Asian artists and those from the diaspora. A little later, the Salon d’Automne, founded in 1903, showcases the very best in art to highlight the major artistic trends of the time. This extraordinary event will take place from 28 October to 1 November 2026 in two temporary pavilions set up on the Place de la Concorde!
Photography enthusiasts will be in their element at the Salon Photo et Vidéos at the Grande Halle de La Villette from 8 to 11 October 2026.
The start of the new school year also brings with it some great ideas for family outings. Science enthusiasts can explore the interactive exhibitions at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, including Magic, running from 13 October 2026 to 1 August 2027, which unravels the scientific and cognitive mechanisms behind illusions, as well as Dogs and Cats, extended until 7 March 2027.
At the National Museum of Natural History, the exhibition Artists at the Museum, running from 23 September 2026 to 7 March 2027, brings art and science together through nearly 300 works. For an even more spectacular experience, the DroneArt Show - Harry Potter™ will transform the Paris-Vincennes Hippodrome into a night-time stage on 30 September, 1, 3, 7, 8 and 10 October 2026, with 1,200 illuminated drones bringing the world of the famous wizard to life in the Parisian sky.
As for theatre productions, The Lion King roars back to life at the Théâtre Mogador from 25 September 2026 to 8 August 2027, whilst Shrek the Musical takes over the Folies Bergère from 2 October 2026 to 17 January 2027. It’s set to be a new season full of discoveries, wonder and moments to share with the children!
Looking for ideas for things to do in Paris this autumn? Must-see exhibitions, major shows, festivals not to miss, sporting competitions…
Browse our selection of events listed by category to plan your outings!
