Paris Annual Events
| The Paris events calendar is packed with fun and exciting reasons to visit the City of Light, not that you should need much of an excuse! Here`s our pick of the city`s best annual events. |
| January - New Year`s Day Parade Kick off the New Year in spectacular style with La Grande Parade de Paris, a hugely popular parade in Montmartre complete with bands and dancers. Nearby Hotels: Best Western Montmartre Sacre-Coeur - Hotel Faubourg 216-224 |
| January - Fête des Rois (Epiphany) As part of the city`s traditional Epiphany celebrations the patissieres of Paris bake special galette des rois pastries, some of which contain a china figurine. Whoever ends up with the charm is crowned with a cardboard crown. |
| January - International Circus Festival of Tomorrow Held annually, the International Circus Festival of Tomorrow is a circus festival that gives spectators a chance to catch the world`s finest up-and-coming circus performers under one roof. |
| March / April - Banlieues Bleues An annual Jazz festival that takes place in the northern suburbs of St. Denis and Pantin that always attracts an impressive line-up of respected performers representing a diverse array of genres. |
| June / July - Paris Jazz Festival An annual Jazz festival that takes place in the northern suburbs of St. Denis and Pantin that always attracts an impressive line-up of respected performers representing a diverse array of genres. |
| July - Bastille Day Paris celebrates La Fête de la Bastille, the annual anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, with spectacular fireworks at the Trocadéro, dancing at the place de la Bastille and Fireman`s Balls in each arrondissment. |
| July - Le Tour de France In early July Avenue des Champs-Elysées plays host to the thrilling finale to the annual Tour de France cycle race. It`s always an exciting spectacle, with massed crowds lining the famous street and cheering on the cyclists as they race towards the finishing line. Nearby Hotels: Champerret Elysees - Elysees Opera |
| September - Les Journées du Patrimoine The EU-backed Heritage Days, which takes place across Europe, is actually a French idea dating back to 1983 and sees a whole host of historical monuments opened to the public for two days only. There`s always plenty to see in Paris and visits are often accompanied by exhibits and performances. Les Journées du Patrimoine usually takes place in the third week of September and is a great time to be in town. |
| Mid-September to mid-December - Festival d`Automne Marking the return of Parisians after their summer retreat from the city and the start of the city`s cultural season, the Autumn Festival encompasses a broad array of art events. With an emphasis on high culture, the festival showcases music, theatre, contemporary art, film and dance and takes in venues across the city. |
| November - All Saints` Day La Toussaint is a French Catholic holiday which traditionally offers the living a chance to honour the dead by visiting cemeteries and special church services. The day provides a good opportunity for visitors to visit some of the city?s noteworthy cemeteries such as Père Lachaise Cemetery and Montparnasse Cemetery. Nearby Hotels: Villa Royale Montsouris - Beaugrenelle Tour Eiffel |
