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Zoe Adams

September marks la rentrée in France, the moment when summer vacation winds down and the French get back to their everyday lives. Parisians return to work and school, and the City of Light wakes up from its August lull. It offers a wide range of cultural events, sports, and festivals that makes it one of the best months to be in Paris.

WEATHER IN SEPTEMBER IN PARIS

The month of September may just be the best time of year to visit the French capital. Early fall sees fewer crowds during shoulder season at popular attractions compared to high season in the summer months. The transition from the long days of summer holidays to autumn means mild temperatures with a combination of plenty of sunny days and the occasional rainy day. The good weather continues and the streets of Paris fill up with returning residents. It is a perfect time to take part in outdoor activities. Average temperatures are as follows: 


22° /13° Celsius

71°/55° Farenheit

The mild weather means it’s a good time for outdoor activities like a Seine river cruise, a day trip to the countryside in places like the Loire Valley or Disneyland Paris, or a picnic in one of the many Parisian parks such as the Bois de Boulogne or Luxembourg Gardens. Make sure to pack a light jacket or trench coat.

Palais Royal columns in Paris on a sunny day

EVENTS IN SEPTEMBER IN PARIS

Paris Design Week, September 10-19, 2026

Celebrate creativity and design at Paris Design Week. Galleries, educational institutions, studios and workshops feature an array of contemporary works throughout the city, geared towards professionals and the general public alike.

Journées du Patrimoine, September 19-20, 2026

European Heritage Days (Journées du Patrimoine) serve to show the public wonderful cultural heritage through exceptional openings and unusual visits. Now taking place in over 50 countries, a number of public monuments and private institutions open their doors during the third weekend of September. This includes civil and religious institutions, hospitals, courts, schools, military institutions, private homes, opera houses, churches, catacombs and more. From Marseille to Paris, discover this exceptional event, under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, the European Council and European Commission. One of this year’s themes is “Photographic Heritage” in celebration of the Bicentennial of Photography, and the other is “Heritage at Risk: Revitalize, Resist, Reimagine”, exploring threats to our heritage such as climate change, increasing digitisation, and conflicts.

Festival Les Traversées du Marais, September 4-6, 2026

During the twelfth edition of this three-day festival in the Marais, 27 cultural institutions and 5 galleries in the district open their doors to welcome visitors for artistic experiences and performances. From streets to hidden courtyards you’ll find concerts, performances, workshops, screenings and more!

Global Black Pride, September 9-13, 2026

Global Black Pride Paris is Europe’s first edition of this international celebration of the black LGBTQIA+ community. Over five days, the festival puts on conferences, a music festival, a pride parade, and community gatherings, all built around themes of equality, visibility, and joyful resistance.

Food Temple Maroc, Le Carreau du Temple, September 11 – December 19, 2026

Food Temple is celebrating its 10th edition, this year celebrating the food and culture of Morocco. There will be a photography exhibition, pop-up restaurants and a tea room, workshops, a market, masterclasses, and concerts and DJ sets. This is the place for foodies to discover and immerse themselves in Moroccan cuisine!

Fine Arts Paris, Grand Palais, September 19-23, 2026

Fine Arts Paris is the world’s leading classic art fair and will be celebrating art from around the world and across eras, from Antiquity to present day. It’s a beautiful gathering in an iconic Parisian place for a unique multidisciplinary art market. It features more than one hundred galleries and works across multiple mediums.

Paris Fashion Week, September 28-October 6, 2026

Covering Womenswear for Spring and Summer 2027, you won’t want to miss shows from YSL, Dries Van Noten, Acne Studios, Balmain, Chloé, Chanel, and more, alongside up and coming talent. Paris Fashion Week features both ready to wear as well as haute couture.

Paris Pantheon view from front with columns under a blue sky

EXHIBITIONS IN SEPTEMBER IN PARIS

This is the last month for many exhibitions in Paris, but new exhibitions will also be opening as the city returns from summer vacances.

It’s hard not to be seduced by Paris, especially if you’re a photographer. The landmark group exhibition Le Regard Américain features both emerging and celebrated America photographers who have lived in and spent their careers examining the City of Light for the inside out. Ralph Gibson, Peter Turnley as well as up and coming talent. All proceeds fund voter registration, outreach, and mobilization ahead of the 2026 primaries and general election. 

Henry Taylor, Where Thoughts Provoke, Musée Picasso, until 6 September, 2026

This Musée Picasso exhibition is dedicated to Henry Taylor, a major figure in contemporary American painting. His paintings, sculptures and installations explore the richness of the human experience, combining personal experience and collective realities. You’ll also find some of his reinterpretations of works by David Hammons, Philip Guston and Pablo Picasso.

Renaissance: Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Atelier des Lumières, until 12 September, 2026

Experience the Italian Renaissance like never before with an immersive journey through the masterpieces of three artistic geniuses at Atelier des Lumières. The exhibition is open every Tuesday and Saturday until September 12th included.

Youssef Nabil, To dream again, Musée d’Orsay, until 13 September, 2026

Franco-Egyptian photographer and videographer Youssef Nabil first discovered the collections at Musée d’Orsay on his first trip to France in 1992, and they have inspired his works ever since. This exhibition highlights the reigning presence of dreams in Nabil’s work, and you will discover his work alongside those of his influences.

La photographie en toute lettres, La Maison européenne de la photographie, until 13 September, 2026

The Maison européenne de la photographie (MEP) is putting on “Photography from A to Z”, a group exhibition by 35 artists that aims to present an “alphabet” of photography accessible to all audiences. This exhibition is produced on the bicentenary of photography and ties together diverse themes to create a playful and nostalgic experience.

Adya & Otto van Rees – At the heart of the avant-garde, Musée de Montmartre, until 13 September, 2026

The Musée de Montmartre hosts the first-ever retrospective exhibition in France dedicated to Otto and Adya van Rees, two 20th-century avant-garde Dutch artists. The couple moved to Montmartre in 1904, where they spent time around artists such as Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. During the exhibition, you’ll discover their career paths and how their intertwined lives influenced their creative work.

1913–1923: The Spirit of the Times, Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac, until 20 September, 2026

The Musée du Quai Branly explores the pivotal 20th-century moment when African and Oceanic art sent shock waves through the Western art world, igniting the imaginations of avant-garde artists. Through sculptures, photographs, and archival documents, the exhibition reveals how these extraordinary objects redirected the course of modern art.

WE ARE (still) HERE, Petit Palais, until 20 September, 2026

After the success of the contemporary exhibition WE ARE HERE in 2024, the Petit Palais returns with the urban art exhibition that features over 200 works from artists Seth and Inti. The exhibition is a representation of a powerful, multicultural movement creating a dialogue on the times we live in.

1776-2026: 250 Years Of Franco-American Friendship, Musée Carnavalet, until 27 September, 2026

This free exhibition at Musée Carnavalet, Paris’s beautiful history museum in the Marais, celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. France played a major role in the Revolutionary War and beyond, and this exhibition offers an in-depth look at the U.S.’s special relationship with France.

Timeless Tintoretto, Musée Jacquemart-André, from 11 September, 2026 until 24 January, 2027

Musée Jacquemart-André hosts the first comprehensive French retrospective of Jacomo Robusti, known as Tintoretto, a leading figure of Italian Mannerism. Around forty paintings and graphic works trace his career in Venice, from early commissions to his large-scale decorative cycles. The exhibition highlights his bold brushstrokes, unique perspective, dramatic lighting, and lasting influence on 19th-century French painting.

A Statue for Liberty, Bartholdi’s dream, from Paris to New York, Musée d’Orsay, from 15 September, 2026 until 31 January, 2027

This exhibition at Musée d’Orsay is an immersive virtual reality experience in the museum’s Amount Gallery, which covers about 700 meters squared! During the experience, you’ll be transported to a project at the heart of the Franco-American dream: the creation of the Statue of Liberty and other symbolic works.

Eva Gonzalès, A Free-Spirited Artist, Petit Palais, from 15 September, 2026 until 24 January, 2027

The Petit Palais is staging the first-ever large-scale retrospective of French painter Eva Gonzalès, who has never previously received a major solo show, and was the sole student Édouard Manet ever formally took on. Backed by a supportive family, she carved out a distinctive style of her own despite the limited space the art world offered women at the time. Around one hundred works including spanning paintings, pastels, and prints make up the show, honoring a clearly gifted artist who only lived to be 34.

Kerry James Marshall, The Histories, Musée d’Art Moderne, from 18 September, 2026 until 24 January, 2027

The Musée d’Art Moderne is hosting France’s first-ever exhibition of artist Kerry James Marshall, born in 1955 in Birmingham, Alabama. Organized with the Royal Academy of Arts and the Kunsthaus Zürich, it spans roughly seventy pieces, eight of them painted specifically for the exhibition. Marshall has built his reputation on monumental canvases that place Black figures at the center of scenes from classic art-historical tropes, turning “presence” into something monumental.

A scooter rides by a large green door on a Parisian Haussmann building

SPORTS IN SEPTEMBER IN PARIS

Paris Sport Dimanches Estivaux, until 13 September, 2026

The program Paris Sport Dimanches continues its special summer edition at 12 sites, offering free access to sports sessions every Sunday morning, such as pilates, table tennis, and gymnastics! The sessions are supervised by professional sport instructors.

Alpine Paris Major Premier Padel, Stade Rolland-Garros, 6-13 September, 2026

One of the world’s major padel competitions returns to the iconic Rolland Garros for its fifth edition.

La Parisienne, Stade Emilie Anthoine, 11-13 September, 2026

This three-day sport and wellbeing festival honoring women offers fitness classes, yoga, street art, food trucks, music and dancing, and 7/10 kilometer races on Sunday. The all-female races pass by iconic Parisian monuments for an unforgettable experience.

La Course des Triporteurs, Cour de Vincennes, 20 September, 2026

A tradition that ran annually from 1900 to 1943, the Triporteur Race returns for a race of the iconic tripod bikes you see making deliveries across the city. Participants will attempt to beat the legendary 1943 record of 34 km per hour and take home the trophy. A cyclo-parade will also take place after the race, where cyclists of any age or style are welcome to join in the fun!

Paris-Versailles Race, 27 September, 2026

The annual Paris-Versailles race held at the end of the month attracts 25,000 runners for the 16km route. Runners start from the Eiffel Tower and continue all the way to Versailles for a big finish.

Green windows of Parisian restaurant Chez Janou, people eating inside and scooters parked in front of the windows

MUSIC AND DANCE IN SEPTEMBER IN PARIS

Jazz à la Villette, until September 6, 2026

Enjoy the eclectic program centered on improvised music where cutting edge artists of today and the greats of jazz are celebrated. Taking place in several venues including the Philharmonie de Paris, Atelier du Plateau, and Studio de l’Ermitage, the Jazz à la Villette festival sees more than 30,000 visitors each year. There is also programming for kids so they can discover the world of jazz.

Fusion Concept Festival, Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione, 11-13 September, 2026

The world’s largest freestyle hip-hop dance festival, Fusion Concept, unites top dancers from around the world. The lineup mixes workshops, battles, DJ sets, conferences and live performances, with breaking, popping, krump and litefeet dancers all taking the stage across the three days. And don’t miss the high-energy finale at the Cirque d’Hiver, the world’s oldest circus venue.

Black Pearl: meditations for Josephine, Palais Garnier, 09-19 September, 2026

Josephine Baker is a key figure in Paris, having left her mark during the Roaring Twenties. This performance at the spectacular Opéra Palais Garnier, marking 120 years since her birth, pays tribute to her with a jazz-inflected score by Tyshawn Sorey. The production honors her struggles, her part in the civil rights movement as a Black woman, and the deep bond she felt with France.

Hamlet, Opéra Bastille, from 18 September until 9 October, 2026

In the 1860s, Ambroise Thomas transformed Shakespeare’s Hamlet into an opera, which premiered in Paris in 1868 to great success. Director Krzysztof Warlikowski revives this celebrated work at Opéra Bastille through a psychoanalytic lens, portraying Hamlet as trapped within his own memories and obsessions.

Festival d’Automne, from 11 September, 2026 until 10 January, 2027

Started in 1972, the multidisciplinary Paris Autumn Festival showcases theater, music, dance, art and film. 40 venues around Paris take part in the Festival d’Automne, including museums, theatres and universities.

Sunset with a crescent moon visible above Parisian rooftops

EVENTS FOR CHILDREN In September in paris

The Little Prince, Atelier des Lumières, every Wednesday and Sunday through September 13

Atelier des Lumières brings the story of Le Petit Prince to life in this immersive exhibition, creating a dreamy experience for all ages.

Paris Zoo Run, Parc zoologique de Paris, September 20, 2026

This run is held in the exciting setting of the Paris Zoo and features runs and walks for all ages, as well as 5km and 10km races. It’s fun for the whole family, plus you will help save animals since all profits are donated to the Borana Conservancy in Kenya.

Sur les traces des dinosaures, Grande Galerie de L’Évolution, until 30 September, 2026

Take a 140-million-year trip tracking Cretaceous dinosaurs at the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution. You and your little ones will follow in the footsteps of paleontologists and learn about the dinosaurs we discovered right here in France in the Aquitaine region!

Transparency, Grand Palais – Palais de la Découverte, until August 2027

The Palais des Enfants invites 2 to 10-year-olds on a playful, hands-on adventure where art and science collide to unlock the secrets of transparency.

A man on a bike rides by Parisian red brick buildings by Place des Vosges

Written by Zoe Calla Adams. Looking to travel? Check out Plum Guide and our Marketplace for fabulous vacation rentals in Paris, France or Italy. Looking to rent long or short term, or buy in France? Ask us! We can connect you to our trusted providers for amazing service and rates or click here. Looking to bring France home to you or to learn online or in person? Check out our marketplace shop and experiences.

WRITTEN BY

Zoe Adams

Zoe Adams is an American who has been living in Paris for three years. She is currently studying for her bachelor’s in law at Université Paris Cité. When she’s not studying, Zoe is a singer-songwriter recording and performing live in Paris.

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