What to do in Paris in October

There’s lots to do in Paris in October. Here are some ideas for interesting outings. Besides fairs (Salon du chocolat, Paris Games Week...) concerts and sporting events (Rolex Paris Masters...) Paris pays homage to art with numerous events including FIAC, Nuit Blanche, Soutine / De Kooning au musée de l’Orangerie … Art lovers will be spoilt for choice!

Nuit blanche in Paris

October in Paris really is the month of contemporary art. For the Nuit Blanche event (dates to be confirmed) contemporary artists take over the City of Light from dusk till dawn. The latest edition has much to discover along a trail leading through various parts of the capital: monumental artworks, light installations, sensory experiences … an art-focused all-nighter to remember!

Art fairs

The art world meets up in Paris in the last week of October each year for the ‘contemporary art week’.

The art fest gets off to a start with FIAC (22 October), the prestigious and must-do international contemporary art fair, which brings together some of the most famous artists (until 25 October 2020) at Grand Palais. Alongside the main event, other fringe fairs are also organized in various parts of the city  (Art Élysées (from 22 to 26 October 2020), Outsider Art Fair, 8e Avenue (from 22 to 26 October 2020)). There’s something for all tastes!

More info on all the art events in October

Exhibitions

As always, some major exhibitions will open in the city this autumn.
The Soutine / De Kooning exhibition at the Musée de l’Orangerie (from 7 October 2020 to 25 January 2021) sets up a dialogue between the unique pictorial visions of the two artists and shows how the work of Willem de Kooning was heavily influenced by Chaïm Soutine’s art.

From 13 October 2020, the Fondation Louis Vuitton will be showing the priceless Morozov collection of French and Russian modern art, assembled at the beginning of the 20th century by the brothers Mikhail and Ivan Abramovitch Morozov.

The Louvre is devoting an entire exhibition to the Egyptian pharaoh Taharqa and his kingdom (from 29 October 2020 to 8 February 2021).

Fairs

Autumn is the season for big trade shows covering a wide range of topics.

The Mondial de l’Auto, a mecca for car enthusiasts, returns to Paris (from 1 to 11 October 2020) at the Paris Expo porte de Versailles.

Animal lovers flock to the Parc Floral to attend Animal Expo, Paris’s pet show (on 3 and 4 October 2020), while the Carrousel du Louvre draws heritage enthusiasts to the Salon International du Patrimoine Culturel (dates to be confirmed).

The eclectic Foire d’Automne at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles showcases the latest trends in home decor, food and shopping (from 23 October to 1 November 2020). Chocolate fans make an annual pilgrimage to the Salon du Chocolat - from 21 to 25 October 2020, also at Porte de Versailles. Kidexpo, the children’s fair (also at Porte de Versailles), has activities for the whole family to enjoy (from 29 October to 1 November 2020).

Video game fans can join all the gamers in Paris converging on Paris Games Week in the last week of October, specifically 23 to 27 October 2020 at Porte de Versailles. Considered as one of France’s biggest video games events, the last edition drew more than 300,000 visitors!

Festivals, concerts and musicals

If there’s one not-to-miss event for fans of comics, movies, TV series, gaming and cosplay, it’s the Comic Con Paris festival, held at the tail end of October every year at Paris’s Grande Halle de la Villette (dates à venir).

Big news for pop music fans: Elton John’s farewell tour will stop off at the AccorHotels Arena (from 10 to 13 October 2020). This dazzling concert spans the British pop superstar’s 50-year career. A must-see!

Also at the end of the month, the Pitchfork Music Festival Paris, the indie music festival, also returns to the Grande Halle de la Villette for another edition that promises to be full of surprises (dates to be confirmed).

Or why not indulge in 1980s nostalgia and sway to the sound of the Norwegian new wave group A-ha at the Zénith de Paris (on 30 October 2020).

Last but not least, the popular musical Roi Lion (The Lion King) returns to the Théâtre Mogador (dates to be confirmed) after a 15-year absence.

Celebrations

In October, the traditional Montmartre Wine Harvest Festival brings a festive atmosphere to Paris’s most famous district (dates to be confirmed). The programme includes parades, concerts, exhibitions and tastings.

And, of course, 31 October is Halloween! To help you celebrate, various venues in Paris and the surrounding region, including Disneyland Paris, the Manoir de Paris and the Grévin Paris museum, have a spine-chilling evening in store.

To find out more, see Celebrate Halloween in Paris 

Sports

On the sport front,numerous international events take place in Paris in the autumn.

There are several international events on the Paris autumn calendar, notably the 42th edition of the 20 km de Paris, which draws more than 25,000 professional and amateur runners each year (11 October 2020). The Rolex Paris Masters, one of the leading tennis events, is to be held at the AccorHotels Arena (from 31 October to 8 November 2020).

If you’re a fan of equestrian sport, don’t miss the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (on 3rd and 4th October 2020) at the Paris Longchamps racecourse.