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… 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 and fairs

Art fairs

Every year, the art world meets in Paris during the fourth week of October for the "contemporary art week".

FIAC, the prestigious and unmissable Parisian world art fair that brings together the cream of creation at the Grand Palais, PAD - Paris, art and design, 8th Avenue and Art Élysées all take place in October. So does Outsider Art Fair, which is scheduled to take place in October. Asian art lovers are not left out as Asia Now, Paris Asian Art Fair is due to return in October 2021 in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. There is something for everyone!

Fairs

Back in October 2021: the Foire d’Automne, the Salon du Chocolat, Paris Games Week (postponed to the second half of 2022) and the Comic Con.

Animal lovers are expected at the Parc Floral de Paris for Animal Expo, the pet show (2 and 3 October 2021), while the Carrousel du Louvre will cater to cultural heritage enthusiasts with the Salon International du Patrimoine Culturel from 28 to 31 October 2021.

Exhibitions

This October, the major exhibitions of the autumn are on the agenda!

We start with Martin Margiela, the exhibition at the Lafayette Anticipations Foundation (from 20 October 2021). The Soutine / De Kooning exhibition at the Musée de l’Orangerie and the Morozov exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton are also being held this autumn.

Book your tickets for the exhibition Chaïm Soutine / Willem de Kooning, Painting Embodied : 

And also...

Festivals and celebrations

In October, the traditional Montmartre Grape Harvest Festival brings the most famous district of Paris to life (6 to 10 October 2021). On the programme: parades, concerts, exhibitions and wine tasting.... Then, from 11 to 17 October 2021, the autumnal event, Taste Week, which has been delighting the taste buds of young and old alike for almost 30 years, will be held in numerous Parisian venues with tastings, gastronomic workshops and much more.

The Festival Villes de Musiques du Monde (Cities of World Music) offers many performances on the theme Douce France. Mon premier festival, the favourite cultural event for children, returns in October with numerous film-concerts, workshops and film-tastings to discover!

Finally, on 31 October, it's Halloween! To celebrate the event, many places in Paris and the Ile-de-France region have put together a 100% spooky evening, such as Disneyland® Paris, the Manoir de Paris or the Musée Grévin 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. The Rolex Paris Masters, one of the leading tennis events, is to be held at the Accor Arena (from 30 October to 7 November 2021). If you’re a fan of equestrian sport, don’t miss the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (on 2nd and 3rd October 2021) at the Paris Longchamp racecourse.

Running à Paris

The 20 km de Paris brings together more than 25,000 professional and amateur runners every year. It is proposed to run or walk 20km on October 10th 2021 in a connected way. To be done wherever you are!

All runners will be getting together at the Running trade show renamed Run Experience, to be held  (from 14 to 16 October 2021) at Paris expo Porte de Versailles. Attracting around 90,000 visitors, it is the largest event dedicated to a sporting discipline in France!