La Rentrée Events in Paris

Les vacances are over and la rentrée is here – the time of the year when Parisians return to the city, and head back to work and school. After the quietness of August, the city comes back to life in September. There are plenty of events to attend, in tweaked Covid-friendly formats.

On the left there is a historic church that is along photographed within the city center of Paris. In the foreground there is a tall tree to the left, and a bushier one to the right. In the front of the foreground there are three small triangular shaped bushes. Just to the right of them there are two people strolling in the autumnal light. The photo on the right is of a busy pedestrianised street in Paris. There are a few people seated at cafes and a number of people walking in either direction. — Top: Tour de France – Jered Gruber & Ashley Gruber. Above: Zane Lee.

Paris Design Week – until September 12

Paris Design Week will help all those involved in decoration, design, and the art of living get back to business. The event invites you to take a promenade through Paris, with eight themed itineraries, exploring three districts through the prism of design. Visit showrooms, galleries, stores, and public spaces. Maison&Objet, however, will not go ahead in its physical format. Instead, from September 4-18, Maison&Objet hosts a digital fair via its online platform, MOM (Maison&Objet and more).

On the right there is a photo of the cyclist from the Tour de France heading towards the Arc de Triomphe at sunset. There are French flags lining the street to the right and crowds of spectators to the left. The photo on the right is an advert for the Maison and Objet Special Edition from 4-18 September 2020. In the foreground there is a laptop on the right and the text 'Digital Fair to the left of that with a pair of sunglasses underneath. This is set on a kitchen countertop. — Tour de France – Jered Gruber & Ashley Gruber / Maison&Objet

Jazz à la Villette – until September 13

Prolonging summer with a celebration of the genre’s many nuances, Jazz à la Villette offers a fantastic musical lineup each September. The Festival is reformatted this year to address current health requirements. The program takes place at the Philharmonie de Paris, the Cité de la Musique, and the Grande Halle de La Villette. For two weekends, the international festival presents jazz in all its vitality and diversity. Paris Jazz Festival, usually held in July, has been rescheduled. This year, it will run until September 20.

On the left there is a photo of Notre Dame church in Paris, with trees surrounding it filled with autumnal leaves. The photo on the left is a flyer for Jazz à la Villette lasting from 4-14 September 2020. There are drawings of 11 volcanoes underneath the text in white - each a different bright colour and containing the names of the artists performing. — Daniel James / Jazz à la Villette

Festival d’Automne – September 5-February 7, 2021

The Festival d’Automne is an international program of contemporary theater, music, dance, visual arts, and cinema. 2020’s festival will be une édition solidaire, supporting all of their artists, partner organizations, and audiences.

On the left is a poster for the Festival d'Automne. There is a man standing in a lake with trees in the background. He is not wearing a shirt and his face is covered mud as is the center of his chest. On the right is a square divided in nine cubes, each with different performers featured in the festival but there is no text. — Festival d’Automne

Seventy-five percent of the festival’s original programming will occur with sanitary measures in place. The remainder is postponed to 2021 or 2022. Some shows are free. Others start at only five euros for families.

Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days) – September 19-20

This popular event is also going ahead as planned. The theme this year, “Heritage and Education,” illustrates the potential of heritage as a learning tool and future inspiration. Historic monuments, heritage sites, museums, and cultural institutions will welcome visitors in accordance with current health recommendations, highlighting France’s heritage in all its forms. Get a sneak peek at Parisian sites that are usually closed to the public, or simply gain free entry to your favorite museums! In a similar vein, there’s also Les Traversées du Marais from September 4-6.

On the left is a view of Paris including the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower in the background. Cyclists ride through the courtyard of Louvre during the Tour de France. On the right is a brightly colored flyer for Journées européennes du patrimoine. — Tour de France – Pauline Ballet / Journées Européennes du Patrimoine

Tour de France Finale – September 20

The finale of the Tour de France, usually in July, has been rescheduled to September 20. The final stretch in Paris includes 10 laps up and down the Champs-Élysées and around the Tuileries Garden. The Champs-Élysées is always packed, so if you want to get up close to the action, I recommend finding a spot along rue de Rivoli.

The courtyard of the Louvre, including the glass pyramid and a line of cyclists snaking through the space. — Tour de France – Pauline Ballet

WRITTEN BY

Ali Postma

Ali is from Melbourne, Australia, where she studied Art History and Art Curatorship at university and worked in various art galleries. Passionate about all things arts and culture, she loves French film, Nordic noir, photography, street art and architecture. Addicted to pain au chocolat, Ali is fulfilling her dream of living in Paris.