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Sat / May 25
Arts Festival / Art Exhibit
May 24–27 ... more For whatever reason, we all want what we can’t have. Every May in Paris, locals get what they normally can’t have in access to Les Portes Ouvertes , where they see works
Throughout the cityFestival / Music Festival
May 16–Jun 3 ... more Paris hosts an impressive number of jazz festivals each year and some go back decades, while others have a relatively short history. A younger jazz fest with just as much punch
Throughout the city
May 22–26 Grande Halle de la Villette ... more Music lovers of all kinds head to Villette Sonique in Paris every May to hear some excellent live tunage. Villette Sonique features noise rock, experimental, and electronic music
19e Arrondissement
75019 Paris
Arts Festival
Mar 20–Jun 29 ... more Every March in France, up-and-comers and established veterans in the fields of music, dance, theater, and many other types of artistic performance head to Festival de L’Imaginaire
Throughout the cityFair / Carnival / Festival
Mar 30–May 25 Pelouse de Reuilly ... more The roots of Foire du Trone – an annual April funfair in Paris – trace back to the year 957, when King Lothaire first held a festival known then as the Saint-Antoine
Pelouse de Reuilly
75012 Paris
May 29–Jun 28 Basilique de Saint-Denis (Saint-Denis) ... more Classic music fans from all over Paris gear up for over a month of great performances at the annual Festival de Saint-Denis. Held from the end of May through June, Festival de Saint
4 Impasse Saint-Jean
93200 Saint-Denis, France
Film Festival
Jun 12–18 Avenue des Champs-Élysées ... more The Champs-Élysées Film Festival is an annual celebration of cinema that allows French audiences to become acquainted with the best in American films, as well as works
Avenue des Champs-Élysées
75008 Paris
Jun 21 ... more Every year on the 21st of June, Paris explodes with a wide range of music events and festivities that are all part of La Fête de la Musique, a citywide homage to World Music
Throughout the city
Jun 22–Jul 7 ... more The Paris Hip-Hop Festival brings the beats to the City of Light for two weeks of concerts, battle and dance shows, exhibitions, films, parties, and more. First launched in 2006
Throughout the city
Jun 28–30 L'hippodrome de Longchamp ... more The Solidays music festival in Paris is a benefit event organized by Solidarity AIDS, which seeks to educate youth about the virus. First held in 1999, Solidays has expanded to include
Route des tribunes
75016 Paris
Film Festival
Jun 28–Jul 9 ... more Launched in 2003, the Festival Paris Cinéma seeks to discover filmmakers through an international competition and explores multiple cinematic styles through premieres, retrospectives
Throughout the cityParade / Party
Jun 29 ... more Paris Gay Pride is an annual event held in the City of Light every June. The parade attracts about a half-million revelers, celebrating diversity and LGBT rights. The Paris Gay
Throughout the city
Festival La Voix Est Libre / Jazz Nomades
Music Festival
Every year in May | Next: May 28–30, 2013Add to Calendar
Fête de la Nature
Festival / Party / Outdoor Event
Every year in May
Printemps des Rues
Arts Festival
Every year in April/May
Festival de Saint-Denis
Music Festival
Every year in May/June | Next: May 29–Jun 28, 2013Add to Calendar
H&M Loves Music Festival
Music Festival / Party
Every year in May
Flamenco à la Villette
Dance Festival
Every year in May
Les Musicales de Bagatelle
Music Festival
Every year in May
Unpleasant Meeting Festival
Arts Festival / Concert
Every year in April or May
Festival Jazz à Saint-Germain-des-Prés Paris
Festival / Music Festival
Every year in May/June | Next: May 16–Jun 3, 2013Add to Calendar
Marvellous Island Festival
Music Festival / DJ Event
Every year in May
Villette Sonique
Music Festival
Every year in May | Next: May 22–26, 2013Add to Calendar
Festival L'Humour en Capitales
Comedy Show / Festival
Every year in May-June
Festival International des Très Courts
Film Festival
Every year in April or May
Festival International des Jardins
Outdoor Event
Every year from April to October | Next: Apr 24–Oct 20, 2013Add to Calendar
Versailles Jazz Festival
Music Festival / Festival
Every year in April or May
With so much to see and do in Paris, it would be easy to be overwhelmed by the wealth of options, and this certainly extends to the plethora of Paris festivals. From great music festivals to oh-so-French food festivals, jazz festivals, and festive parades, Parisians keep the streets humming with activity all year long.
Some great festivals in Paris include Rock en Seine, a three-day rock festival that attracts thousands of people to the outskirts of the city, and the Paris Jazz Festival at the Parc Floral, which brings together noteworthy jazz musicians from around the world for two bebop-filled weeks.
Open-Air Cinema at the Parc de la Villette draws big crowds to watch movies – usually free – in a picturesque outdoor setting, while Paris Plages is a free summer event that transforms three spots in Paris into full-fledged beaches.
The diversity of Paris’ denizens is reflected in the array of cultural festivals and parades that pop up all over town, including the Chinese New Year parade – celebrated primarily in the 13th arrondissement – while the city’s well-known love of wine gets due attention at festivals like the Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau and Foire de Paris.
The Festival du Film de Paris (Paris Film Festival) is always a big event along the Champs-Elysées in May, though even it can’t hold a candle to Le Tour de France, the grand finale of the world-famous bicycle race that finishes on the last Sunday in July.
Even without its stunning architecture and fascinating history, all the festivals in Paris promise a lifetime of fun.