Culture Vultures
Degas at the Opera, Musée d'Orsay - until January 19th
Degas loved the opera, and this exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay follows the famous painter as he explores the auditorium, the wings, the practise rooms and dance studios of this dramatic 19th-century world. Magic. Find out more here.
Toulouse-Lautrec at the Grand Palais, 9 October - 27th January
One of the most recognisable and iconic painters of Paris and in particular Montmartre, Toulouse-Lautrec gets a huge retrospective this year at the Grand Palais. Find out more and book tickets here.
A New Museum in Paris - Citéco, the Musuem of Economics
Dedicated to making economics not only comprehensible but accessible (and even fun!) this brand new museum in the 17th arrondissement opened in June of this year. Set within a fantastic red brick neo-Renaissance mansion, this museum encourages visitors to get involved and learn about how money really makes the world go round. You'll find the official site here.
La Nuit Blanche – 5 October
Nuit Blanche is an annual festival that happens on the first Saturday of October, where Paris takes contemporary art out of the galleries and installs it into the city streets. Nuit blanche translates literally as 'white night' which in closely means 'sleepless night' or 'all-nighter'. The City of Lights becomes even more illuminated with creativity as artists display their work on the sidewalks and galleries open their doors for free. Wander the streets and take in everything for free – and don’t forget that metros will be running all night so you can enjoy and get home safely! Find out more here.
Immersive Art Festival - 18-24 October
At the fantastic Atelier des Lumieres this month you'll find the first dedicated to immersive digital design with amazing artist creations that incorporate video, photo and movement design. Read more and book your tickets right here.
Festivals & Celebrations
Oktoberfest France - 11-19 October
Not looking likely that you’ll be able to head off to the beer gardens of Germany to enjoy this yearly celebration of wonderful beer? Fear not, because Oktoberfest will come to you! You do have to book ahead to be able to enjoy this but that’s not such a hardship! The program changes each day but you can count on authentic dress codes, lots of German delicacies (schnitzel, currywurst, strudel and much more) and of course beer by the Stein – win win! Find out more and book here.
Montmartre Grape Harvest Festival – 9-13 October
While Montmartre light be better known for the Sacré-Coeur it is still certainly known for its yearly grape harvest! Nestled in the shadows of the basilica and a little further down the hill on the opposite side you’ll find a small, rustic vineyard which is at the heart of La Fête des Vendanges. This vineyard is the only working vineyard in all of Paris so it produces the only true Parisian wine. There will be parades, artisan producers, talks and concerts to celebrate this lovely season! Vineyard entry is free during the festival but it is sure to be very busy, so get there early. This is truly anopportunity to embrace the French culture, so get involved and you can help be a part of a great French Tradition dating back 80 years! Information here.
Comic Con Paris – 25- 27 October
Time to pull out your best costumes, or maybe just use it as a dry run for Halloween, but Comic Con makes its return to Paris for a weekend of celebrating and showing off the best of Pop Culture. As ever there will be chances to meet all your favorite stars, whether that’s an actress or comic book artists or move makers. There will be panels and Q+A sessions and this is a really great event whether it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned fan! Information here.
Whisky Live Paris - 5-7 October
This is a huge international tasting exhibition for whisky loves everywhere. The event is held in many major world capitals but this October it finds itself in the heart of Paris enticing fine spirit lovers to come try out their favorite tipples. Whisky Live has been getting bigger year after year and will be held at La Grande Halle de la Villette in 2019. Come along and try something new, and it would be rude not to sample! Details here.
Jazz sur Seine - 11 October - 26 October
One of the great things about Paris is that you never have to wait too long to hear another Jazz concert! 450 artists, 180 concerts, and two weeks of jazzzzzz. Click here.
