PARIS IN THE FALL: THE MUST-SEES

 

 

Paris in September carries a promise: that of a city coming alive with cultural encounters. As autumn approaches, galleries unveil new exhibitions and major stages lift the curtain on their latest productions, revealing the full intensity of the capital’s artistic life. From contemporary art lovers to opera enthusiasts, from curious aesthetes to scholarly wanderers, here are the highlights of a season where Paris, more than ever, asserts its title as the cultural capital of the world.

 

 

 

THE EXHIBITIONS
to discover

This season, major figures of art and creativity take center stage — from tributes to masters to bold conversations with modernity.
 

PIERRE SOULAGES AT THE MUSÉE DU LUXEMBOURG

Starting September 17, the Musée du Luxembourg dedicates a major exhibition to Pierre Soulages. Known for his work around outrenoir, another facet of his art emerges here: his paintings on paper. More than 130 works, including about 30 never before shown, explore his intimate dialogue with walnut stain, gouache, and light. Rarely exhibited, these pieces offer a fresh perspective on French abstraction. Until January 11, 2026, this is an unmissable chance to experience one of the great masters of modern art.
 

RICK OWENS AT THE PALAIS GALLIERA

Until January 4, 2026, the Palais Galliera celebrates the singular world of Rick Owens, an iconoclastic figure of contemporary fashion. Designed as a true immersion, the exhibition gathers a hundred silhouettes, personal archives, videos, and a new installation. Conceived by Owens himself, the show unfolds like a declaration of love to difference and radical creativity. Sculptural, raw, and always avant-garde, Temple of Love reaffirms Paris as the capital of fashion and aesthetic innovation.

NIKI DE SAINT PHALLE AND JEAN TINGUELY AT THE GRAND PALAIS

The Grand Palais, newly reopened in its entirety, marks the occasion with a spectacular retrospective dedicated to Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely. The exhibition stages a dialogue between Saint Phalle’s colorful, feminine energy and Tinguely’s mechanical inventiveness, under the inspired curatorship of Pontus Hulten. A vibrant tribute to a couple whose art, love, and provocation shaped the 20th century. On view until January 4, 2026.

HIGHLIGHTS AT THE MUSÉE D'ORSAY

The Musée d’Orsay presents two major exhibitions this September. From the 23rd, a retrospective devoted to American painter John Singer Sargent illuminates the elegance of his portraits, refined witnesses of high society in his era. Then on September 30, the spotlight turns to sculptor Paul Troubetzkoy, whose delicate bronzes reveal a lively, vibrant approach to form and matter. Two visions, two eras, united by a shared quest for artistic truth.

MASTERS REVISITED

This fall also brings remarkable retrospectives of the European masters who shaped art history:

• At the Musée Jacquemart-André, a major show devoted to Georges de La Tour (Sept. 11 – Jan. 25) pays homage to his genius for chiaroscuro.
• At the Musée de l’Orangerie, Berthe Weill (Oct. 8 – Jan. 26) retraces the visionary career of the gallerist who championed Picasso and Matisse in their early days.
• At the Louvre, the bicentenary of Jacques-Louis David (Oct. 15 – Jan. 26) is marked with a grand retrospective.
• The Fondation Louis Vuitton welcomes an exceptional exhibition of Gerhard Richter from October 17, revealing the full scope of his work.
   

© Grand Palais

HERITAGE
& new discoveries

EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS

In 2025, European Heritage Days focus on architecture for their 42nd edition, on September 19–21. Paris invites visitors to explore its built heritage — both memory and living aesthetic.

From official palaces to hidden private mansions, iconic landmarks to contemporary projects shaping today’s Paris, the program spans an extraordinary range.

Highlights include:

• Basilica of Saint-Denis, offering an immersive visit into the reconstruction of its spire, with access to the necropolis, a hands-on educational site, digital spaces, and a VR experience.
• Institut Giacometti, an Art Nouveau residence, opens with guided tours, creative workshops, and rare access to the artist’s studio.
• Grand Palais, hosting a hands-on workshop where visitors can fold and assemble their own architectural model — a delicate keepsake of this celebration of building.

This year also marks two anniversaries:

• The 50th anniversary of the 1975 European Architectural Heritage Year, which put architecture at the heart of cultural policy.
• The centenary of the 1925 International Exhibition of Decorative Arts and Modern Industry, a landmark in design history, commemorated with conferences and national exhibitions.

A weekend to mark on your cultural calendar.

 

FASHION, DESIGN
& contemporary art

PARIS FASHION WEEK

From September 29 to October 7, 2025, Paris Fashion Week unveils the Spring–Summer 2026 collections with 76 runway shows and 36 presentations on the official calendar.

Two highlights already stand out: on October 1, Jonathan Anderson presents his first women’s collection for Dior, while on October 6, Matthieu Blazy makes his highly anticipated debut at the helm of Chanel. Alongside historic houses — Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Valentino, Balenciaga — emerging labels bring fresh creativity, reinforcing Paris as the city where heritage and avant-garde meet in dazzling fashion.

Beyond the catwalks, the city itself comes alive: private mansions turned into ephemeral showcases, satellite exhibitions, exclusive soirées… a unique atmosphere that embodies Parisian elegance.

PARIS DESIGN WEEK

A few weeks earlier, from September 4 to 13, Paris Design Week celebrates contemporary creativity across nearly 375 venues. Galleries, studios, showrooms, and institutions open their doors for a vibrant journey blending design with heritage.

At the heart of the event, Paris Design Week Factory highlights emerging talent in emblematic venues from the Marais to the 13th arrondissement. Visitors discover both new collectives and leading design schools, confirming Paris as an international incubator of creativity.

Highlights include three specially commissioned installations at the Historical Library of the City of Paris, and an immersive exhibition at Lafayette Anticipations exploring the dialogue between design, art, and performance.

Over ten days, the city transforms into a living laboratory where today’s aesthetics meet tomorrow’s visions — a true celebration of creativity at the heart of Paris.

ART BASEL PARIS

From October 24 to 26, 2025, the Grand Palais hosts Art Basel Paris: three days bringing together the best of the international contemporary art scene. No fewer than 205 galleries from 41 countries — including 28 first-time participants — are expected, reflecting the fair’s global prestige.

Notably, more than a third of exhibitors are Paris-based, underscoring the city’s creative energy. Between the Galleries sector showcasing major names, Emergence dedicated to young talent, and Premise, a curatorial laboratory, the fair offers a rich, multifaceted experience.

But Art Basel Paris extends far beyond the Grand Palais, with satellite exhibitions, monumental public installations, and exclusive soirées where artists, collectors, and enthusiasts converge. Paris thus confirms its place among the world’s art capitals, alongside Basel, Miami, and Hong Kong.

© Art Basel

A SEASON
on stage

MUSICALS

Paris also kicks off the season with musicals. At Théâtre Mogador, The Lion King roars back to life on September 17, with majestic sets and powerful orchestration enchanting all generations. From October 2, The Young Girls of Rochefort takes the stage at Théâtre du Lido — a dazzling homage to Jacques Demy, bursting with choreography and timeless songs.

OPERAS & BALLETS

Paris’s grand stages present an exceptional season. At Opéra Bastille, the season opens September 12 with Puccini’s La Bohème, running until October 14. From September 24 to November 4, Verdi’s Aida takes over, blending drama and spectacle in a monumental production.

At Palais Garnier, the season begins with Handel’s baroque gem Ariodante (Sept. 16 – Oct. 12), followed by the timeless poetry of Giselle (Sept. 28 – Oct. 31), danced by the Paris Opera Ballet. Why not extend the experience with lunch at Hôtel Edouard 7, across from the Garnier, with views of one of Paris’s most stunning façades?

For those seeking bold reinterpretations, La Seine Musicale stages a radical new version of Swan Lake (Oct. 9–26), performed by an all-male ballet troupe — a daring reinvention of the masterpiece.

ZAHO DE SAGAZAN AT THE PHILHARMONIE

On October 18 and 19, the Philharmonie de Paris hosts a rare moment: Zaho de Sagazan in symphonic form. Her singular voice — fragile yet intense — intertwines with orchestral harmonies in a concert that blurs the lines between contemporary song and classical majesty.

© Opéra de Paris

This fall, let Paris write your most beautiful cultural agenda.