Sources: Paris Convention and Visitors Office, Paris Mayor's Office
The below calendar applies to July 2009.
Festivals and Seasonal Events
- Paris Cinema Film Festival
The Paris Cinema film festival offers a dizzying selection of great movies at only 5 Euros a ticket. The elegant British actress Charlotte Rampling again chairs this year's festival, which focuses on cinema from the Phillipines and will include outdoor screenings, concerts, and contests. A not-to-miss-event for cinephiles of all stripes.
When: Through July 9th
Where: Select theaters and outdoor venues around Paris
- Bastille Day (La Fête Nationale):
Bastille Day marks the beginning of the French revolution and the country's long, chaotic road to becoming a republic. Similar in spirit to American Independence Day or Canada Day, La Fête de la Bastille is not to be missed and offers a chance to see top-notch fireworks or organize a picnic in one of the city's beautiful parks and gardens. The traditional military parade on the Champs-Elysées before nightfall gives a glimpse of how French people pay tribute to their nation. On the eve of Bastille Day, an enormous dance party ("Le Bal du 14 juillet") takes over the Place de la Bastille, starting the celebration on a festive note.
- Paris Plage (Paris Beach)
From July 20th to August 20th, a full-fledged beach with sand, games, cafes, and even boating will take over the banks of the Seine and, for the first time this year, the Bassin de la Villette in North Paris. Paris Plage has enjoyed enormous success since its launch in 2003 and attracted millions of visitors last year. On hot nights, sipping a drink at one of the open-air bars installed on the beach or enjoying live music is always enjoyable.
- Open-Air Cinema Festival at the Parc de la Villette
Dates: July 15th through August 16th, 2009
Every year, Parisians and visitors spread out blankets at the ultramodern Parc de la Villette, where some 36 movies are shown on a giant outdoor screen. Starting to see why July is a great month for movie aficionados? In 2009, entry is free.
General information about the Parc de la Villette
Visit the official website
Arts and Exhibits
- Vassily Kandinsky
A towering, iconoclastic figure in 20th century art, Vassily Kandinsky is being celebrated at the Museum of Modern Art at the Centre Georges Pompidou. The retrospective brings under a single roof around one hundred of the artist's most important works.
Through August 10th, 2009.
Location: Centre Georges Pompidou
- Montmartre at the Turn of the Century
An exhibit featuring the paintings of Suzanne Valadon and her son Maurice Utrillo pays tribute to the romance and art-drenched Montmartre neighborhood at the beginning of the 20th century.
Through September 15, 2009
Location: Pinacothèque de Paris
28, place de la Madeleine
RER: Madeleine
- Le Grand Monde d'Andy Warhol (Andy Warhol's Big World)
The Grand Palais is currently running an ambitious exhibit on the darling of the pop art movement, Andy Warhol. 250 of Warhol's paintings and photographs are on display here, sure to regale admirers-- but do reserve ahead.
Through July 13th, 2009
Location: Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais
3, avenue du Général-Eisenhower, 8th arrondissement
Metro: Franklin D. Roosevelt (Line 1)
- The Bath and the Mirror: Grooming and Cosmetics from the Antiquity Through the Renaissance
A joint exhibit on now at the National Medieval Museum (Musée de Cluny) and the National Renaissance Museum at the Chateau d'Ecouen explores daily rituals around bathing and grooming from the Greco-Roman era through the Renaissance. Through September 21st.
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