Despite the madness raging around us, many people are now in a better position to take a long-awaited vacation than they were a year and a half ago. And where else to shake off the lockdown blues than Paris? France’s capital is gorgeous in the fall, and many of its favorite activities have resumed, while new delights continue to pop up and surprise us.
1. Jazz à La Villette
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Every fall, jazz takes over several concert halls in Paris (Philharmonie de Paris, Atelier du Plateau, Studio de l’Ermitage) to welcome more than 30,000 jazz enthusiasts. A mix of classics and new music, superstars and up-and-comers, tributes and innovations, Jazz à La Villette has something for everyone. This year’s lineup includes highlights like a tribute to Prince, and another to African musician Manu Dibango.
Dates: September 1 to September 12, 2021
2. L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped
French artist Christo was known for his large-scale public artworks made in collaboration with his partner Jeann-Claude, like ‘The Gates’ in Central Park and the ‘Reichstag Wrapped’ in Berlin. A posthumous artwork designed by Christo before his death last year will finally be displayed: the Arc de Triomphe will be covered in 270,000 square feet of silvery blue polypropylene fabric in ‘L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped.’ The project will be available for any passersby to view, transforming one of Paris’s most iconic monuments for a short period of time.
Dates: September 18 to October 23, 2021
3. Taste of Paris
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Taste of Paris is a four-day mecca for foodies at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris, an event where top Parisian chefs offer tastings of their gourmet creations for far less than you would pay at one of their upscale restaurants. There are demonstrations, pop-up restaurants, workshops, and a gourmet market selling artisan culinary products from caviar to wine. Tickets are €22 for each day, with reduced options for people under 18.
Dates: September 16 to September 19, 2021
4. ‘Florae’ at Van Cleef & Arpels
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French luxury jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels has long taken inspiration from nature for its designs, but they are about to level up in a new exhibition presented by photographer Mika Ninagawa, known for her color work. Ninagawa will present her own flower artwork alongside the jewelry house’s floral creations in a dreamlike, immersive setting designed by architect Tsuyoshi Tane in the Hôtel d’Évreux at Place Vendôme. The exhibition, titled ‘Florae,’ is free with a reservation, which can be made here.
Dates: September 10 to November 14, 2021
5. La Samaritaine
La Samaritaine Paris Pont-Neuf, which originally opened in 1870, was one of Paris’s original grand old department stores, rivaling the likes of Printemps and the Galeries Lafayette. The Art Nouveau masterpiece reopened this summer after 16 years of renovations by its new owner, LVMH. With 12 restaurants (including a rooftop bar), a five-star hotel, and dozens and dozens of high-end stores to peruse, there’s plenty to do and see at this reconstructed marvel.
6. Hotel Paradiso
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This year, Paris welcomed a funky new hotel, though not many have had the opportunity to explore it yet. The Hotel Paradiso has 34 rooms and two “cinema” suites. Each room includes a nine-foot-wide screen and a laser projector, which guests can use to watch a selection of in-house DVDs and streaming platforms like Netflix, Mubi, CanalPlus and Disney. The hotel is designed to provide guests with the ideal cinematic experience, and the rooftop (which has a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower) also has an open-air theater. Rooms start at €98 per night.
7. Atelier des Lumières
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The Atelier des Lumières, which presents immersive projection-based art installations, got a big boost when Netflix’s Emily in Paris showed its Van Gogh exhibit in a memorable scene, spawning dozens of copycat exhibitions all over the world. But the Atelier is already onto bigger and better things, with two striking exhibitions, one on Salvador Dalí, the other on Antoni Gaudí. Tickets are €16 each and can be purchased here.
Dates: May 19, 2021, to January 2, 2022
8. Paris Fashion Week
So maybe you can’t get seats to see the new Chanel or Dior show, but everyone knows the best part of Paris Fashion Week is really the street style. Now that a lot of runway shows are back live, it’s pretty much guaranteed that if you walk around the city center, you’ll have some pretty spectacular people-watching at your disposal.
Dates: September 27 to October 5, 2021
9. Thierry Mugler: Couturissime
If you prefer to see your couture a little closer up, head to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs for the exhibition Thierry Mugler: Couturissime, an exhibition showcasing ready-to-wear and haute couture pieces from the iconic designer’s archives, stage costumes, photographs, and films from between 1973 and 2014. From the Venus dress worn by Cardi B to dresses inspired by car tires, the collection contains some of the most innovative outfits in fashion history.
Dates: September 30, 2021 to April 24, 2022
