What’s On in Paris – August 2025

This is just a small selection of some of the events happening in Paris this month, updated weekly.

Open-Air Cinema & Special Screenings

August 1, 8
Ciné Quartier 13 returns with free outdoor screenings on the theme of nature and climate change in Paris’s 13th arrondissement. Screenings (all in French, but kid-freindly, so pretty easy to understand) take place in Parc de Choisy, Square Paul-Grimault, and Stade Georges-Carpentier, starting at dusk. Films include La Marche de l’Empereur (July 18), Fantastic Mr. Fox (July 25), Mon chat & Moi, la grande aventure de Rroû (August 1), Règne animal (August 8), offering cinematic evenings surrounded by greenery and fresh air.

Through August 17
The Parc de la Villette is once again hosting its popular Cinéma en Plein Air open-air screenings every Wednesday through Sunday nights. Totally free (but they may limit the number of people if it gets too crowded on the lawn (Prairie du Triangle, behind the Grande Halle de La Villette, metro Porte de Pantin), so get there from 7pm when the site opens to claim your spot — picnics allowed (but no glass, sharp objects like cutlery or corkscrew bottle openers, knives, etc). The films start after sunset, so sometime between 9:30pm and 10:30pm. All films are shown in their original language with French subtitles. The 2025 theme “Corps et accords” brings together musicals, dance films, and animated favorites including Ballerina, La La Land, Kirikou, Barbie, Chantons sous la pluie, Grease, Rocketman, Les Misérables, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Mamma Mia! Optional chair/blanket rental €7.

Through August 31
Want to enjoy French films with English subtitles on the big screen? Lost in Frenchlation Summer Camp is bringing you three screenings a week throughout July and August—a special selection of French film favorites from cult classics to recent hits, all with English subtitles, at three iconic Parisian independent cinemas: Tuesdays at L’Épée de Bois (Latin Quarter), Thursdays at L’Arlequin (Saint-Germain-des-Prés) and Sundays at the Luminor (Le Marais). Get the full schedule and book your tickets here: https://lostinfrenchlation.com/events

Sporting Events

August 25-31
Did you know the French are REALLY into badminton? There are at least three stores in Paris specializing just in badminton gear. So it’s no surprise they’re hosting this year’s World Badminton Championships, officially known as the TotalEnergies BWF Badminton World Championship, at the Adidas Arena, which was newly-built the for the 2024 Olympics (8 Boulevard de la Chapelle, 18th arrondissement, metro La Chapelle or Stalingrad). The BWF brings together the world’s top players to compete for the week-long tournament, with daily matches from 9am or 9:30am, and evening sessions starting at 5pm. The final match begins at 1pm on August 31. Tickets start at €12.50, up to €65 for the finals. They’re likely to sell out fast!

Street Art, Museums & Temporary Expositions

Through August 2
Les Murs Ouverts #71 returns to Le Lavo//Matik (20 boulevard du Général Jean Simon, 13th arrondissement) with over 60 urban artists exhibiting their latest works across a wide range of styles, formats, and prices. Opening receptions are Friday, June 27 from 5–9pm and Saturday, June 28 until 7pm. Free entry.

First Sunday – August 3
For this first Sunday of the month, many Paris museums and monuments are open free to the public, including the Musée du Quai Branly, Musée d’Orsay, Musée Gustave Moreau, Cité de la Céramique de Sèvres, Musée des Arts-et-Métiers, l’Orangerie, La Cité de l’Architecture, Musée Delacroix, Musée Guimet, Musée Picasso, Musée Cluny, and Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature. But be forewarned: reservations are a must.

Through August 10
I’m always a bit averse to paying to look at street art (because the whole point is that it’s accessible to everyone). But if you’re just visiting and want to see a lot of artists in one place (and indoors), you can check out the Zoo Art Show Paris La Défense, an immersive urban art installation featuring works by over 500 international artists across 4,000m² and four themed floors in the business district just outside Paris (the end of metro line 1, La Défense, exit 5 Calder–Miró, then look for at 4 place de la Défense). Open Wednesdays, weekends, holidays from 10am–5:30pm. Tickets €18 online (no sales on site). Expect massive murals, 3D illusions, digital installations, and works by icons like M. Chat, Okuda, and Banksy, plus live shows, workshops, and food.

Through September 4
Every Thursday evening, enjoy free Summer Nocturnes at the Palais de Tokyo (13 avenue du Président Wilson, 16th arrondissement) from 7pm to midnight. Access all exhibitions for free, including immersive shows by Vivian Suter, RAMMELLZEE, Thao Nguyen Phan, and Chalisée Naamani.

Through September 7
The Bibliothèque Nationale de France (5 Rue Vivienne, 2nd) presents Le monde pour horizon, a year-long, three-part exhibition showcasing rare maps, prints, manuscripts, photos, costumes, and stage jewelry. Highlights include Hokusai’s The Great Wave and Toulouse-Lautrec’s Divan Japonais poster. With rotating exhibits every four months, visitors can return for new discoveries throughout the year. Open Tuesday 10am-8pm, Wednesday to Sunday 10am-6pm. Tickets €10, reduced €8.

Through September 21
Musée d’Art et d’Histoire Louis-Senlecq (31 Grande Rue, L’Isle-Adam) presents Trois siècles à L’Isle-Adam, an exhibition showcasing the town’s history through paintings, sculptures, watercolors, engravings, vintage posters, postcards, and historical photographs. Visitors will explore L’Isle-Adam’s evolution from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. Highlights include works by artists like Jules Dupré, depictions of the Oise River landscapes, and a focus on the town’s industrial and leisure history. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-6pm. €6.

Through October 12
“Instants Données” is the latest exhibition at the Musée Maillol featuring 400 carefully selected photographs by the legendary French photographer, Robert Doisneau. Although best known for his post-card photos of Paris taken from the 1930s through the 1980s, the lovers kissing in front of the Hôtel de Ville, the “curved” Eiffel Tower, or even Picasso with “hands” made of petits pains. But he also documented the lives of Parisians we don’t normally see on camera: factory workers, poor children playing in the street, the homeless, prostitutes, miners, labor unionists on strike, humble café owners…. I loved him images of the suburbs of Paris, both the pre-war shanty towns and the post-war housing projects, “each ugly, but in different ways”, and the photos he took of artist and writer friends and their ateliers. Allow at least an hour to fully enjoy! Open daily 10:30am-6:30pm (Wednesdays until 10pm). Reserve online in advance, tickets €16.50 (€12.50 for ages 6-25).

Through December 13
De Paris à Belém: 10 ans d’actions mondiales pour le climat is a new free exhibition at the l’Hôtel de Ville (5 rue Lobau, 4th arrondissement) marking the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement (COP21) and looking ahead to COP30 in Belém. It features powerful visuals like a monumental work by Shepard Fairey (Obey) on the façade and striking photographs by Sebastião Salgado, alongside interactive installations for all ages. The exhibit also highlights the role of cities in global climate action (read this interview with the Canadian Cities Guru Brent Toderian about the exhibit). A child-friendly visitor path includes a booklet and works created by Paris youth. Open Tuesday through Saturday. Free admission, but online reservation required.

Through January 11, 2026
Paul Poiret, Fashion is a Party expo is on at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (107 rue de Rivoli, 1st arrondissement), open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am–6pm (late opening Thursday until 9pm). Closed Mondays. Admission €15 (€11 reduced). This major retrospective traces the creative universe of Paul Poiret, the early 20th-century designer known for liberating women from corsets and revolutionizing fashion. Featuring 550 works—from garments and accessories to decorative arts and archival images—the show highlights his influence across fashion, interiors, fragrance, and high society festivities, from the Belle Époque to the Roaring Twenties.