in short
- Weather: 16–26 degrees on average and about eight days of rain, with a chance of heat waves.
- August 15: The Feast of the Assumption, a Sabbath day when the major sites are open and the metro is on a Sunday schedule.
- What is closed: Mainly neighborhood restaurants and small businesses going on vacation.
- Swimming in the Seine: Regulated and supervised swimming sites are open for free until the end of August, as part of Paris Plage.
- Music: Rock en Seine festival at the end of the month and concerts in churches like Sainte Chapelle and the Madeleine.
- August 25: Liberation Day of Paris in 1944.
- Tickets: For the major museums and the Eiffel Tower, it is better to book a month in advance.
There is one month a year when Paris belongs to tourists. In August, Parisians disappear, to Brittany , to Provence , and in short, to anywhere other than Paris. They leave behind a city with fewer queues, more space on the terraces, and a fermeture annuelle sign on the door of the bakery you marked on your maps three months in advance. There's nothing you can do about it, it happens every year.
This is why the chances of you finding me in Paris in August are low, but that's not the main reason. Personally, I hate heat. That's why I usually don't come to Paris during these months. One exception: I was once asked to look after cats in exchange for a free apartment, and to this day I remember almost suffocating from the heat in a crowded metro car on line 13. However, I know that many of my readers actually come to Paris during this month, because of the children's holidays. The good news: there is quite a bit to do in August, and in this article you will find some examples of this.
Exhibitions in Paris museums in August 2026
August is the month when Paris' museums do two things at once: they signal the end of the summer season, with some huge exhibitions closing on the 16th, 24th and 30th of the month, and they act as public air conditioners. Both uses are perfectly legitimate. Here are the ten exhibitions worth your time this month, so check the dates before you make your appointment.
Calder: Dreaming in Balance
Almost 300 works by Alexander Calder (1898-1976) are spread over more than 3,000 square meters in Frank Gehry’s building. His mobiles move in the air without a motor or electricity: just weight, wire, and air current. And in the center: “Calder Circus,” on rare loan from the Whitney Museum. This is the only exhibition this month that’s worth getting up early for.
- Until August 16, 2026 · Fondation Louis Vuitton, Bois de Boulogne
Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Temple
Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) painted pure abstract art as early as 1906, years before Kandinsky and Malevich, and then requested in her will that the works not be exhibited until twenty years after her death. The Grand Palais and the Pompidou are presenting the complete cycle “Paintings for the Temple,” including the ten giant canvases, for the first time in France. Spiritualism, geometry, and color: and the result is surprising.
- May 6 – August 30, 2026 · Grand Palais, 8th arrondissement
Beyond the Streets: Graffiti in Grand Hall
After Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai and London, the world's largest exhibition on graffiti and street art lands on 3,600 square meters at the Grand Hall de la Villette. Over a hundred artists, Futura 2000, Shepard Fairey, Invader, JonOne, JR, with historical works, a rare archive and installations built especially for Paris. The exhibition shop was curated by Sarah Andelman, founder of Colette: meaning that even those who come in just to buy a magnet will leave with something interesting.
- Until August 30, 2026 · Grande Halle de la Villette, 19th arrondissement
Gianni Versace Retrospective: Mayol Museum
The first major French retrospective of Gianni Versace (1946-1997) since 1986: some 450 items, over 120 silhouettes, sketches, photographs by Helmut Newton and Mario Testino, to the black dress with safety pins worn by Liz Hurley. Natalie Crinier's exhibition is structured as a tour that crosses almost the entire museum. Take the audio guide: it's free and it makes all the difference.
- Extended until October 31, 2026 · Musée Maillol, 7th arrondissement
Clair-obscur: Light and Shadow at the Bourse de Commerce
About a hundred works from the Pinault collection revolve around the tension between light and dark: Pierre Ouige, Bill Viola, Giacometti, Duboeuf, Wolfgang Tillmans and Yves Tanguy. And at the heart of the rotunda, the Fog sculpture by Fujiko Nakaya (born 1933), in which visitors are swallowed by a cloud of steam and reappear a second later. Incidentally, in Tadao Ando's glazed structure it is also the best answer to a Parisian heat wave.
- Until August 24, 2026 · 2 rue de Viarmes, 1st arrondissement
Henry Taylor at the Picasso Museum
American Henry Taylor (born 1958) fills the floors of the Hôtel Salé with portraits, sculptures, and installations that enter into a dialogue with works by Picasso. He paints people that great art usually doesn't paint: neighbors, patients, passersby. The encounter between the two is much more intriguing than it sounds on paper.
- Until September 6, 2026 · Musée Picasso, Marais
Explorateurs: Civil Service Explorers?
Three hundred years of French voyages of discovery, with one question hovering over everything: when is scientific curiosity truly scientific curiosity, and when is it an arm of the state? It's all in the Army Museum, a few dozen meters from Napoleon's tomb. Anyone who loves history will stay there much longer than they planned.
- Until August 16, 2026 · Musée de l'Armée, Les Invalides
The Little Prince: An Immersive Odyssey
At the Atelier de Lumière, the old foundry turned into a giant screen, they are projecting the world of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944) this summer. The stars, the fox, the rose and the tiny planet, on ten-meter-high walls and accompanied by music. There is not a drop of irony in it, and that is exactly the point.
- July 3 – September 13, 2026 · Atelier des Lumières, 11th arrondissement
We are (still) here: Street art in Petit Palais
An urban art trail planted within the fine art halls of the Petit Palais: among the 19th-century paintings, on the stairs, in the interior garden. Admission is free, and it is one of the rare opportunities to see these two visual languages rub shoulders with each other in the same room.
- June 20 – September 20, 2026 · Petit Palais, 8th arrondissement · Free admission
To Andrew Ehrlich at the Grand Palais
The largest exhibition in Europe dedicated to Leandro Erlich (born 1973), the Argentine artist who builds pools you can walk in and buildings you can climb on while lying down. It's all an optical illusion, everything works, and everyone takes pictures. If you're with teenagers who get bored in museums: here they'll surrender.
- June 2 – September 6, 2026 · Grand Palais, 8th arrondissement
Madame de Savignier: Parisian Letters
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné (1626-1696), was the famous writer of 17th-century France. Over 200 works, paintings, objects and drawings, span her life in the Paris of Louis XIV, in the very house where she lived, the Hôtel Carnaval itself, from 1677 until her death in 1696. The exhibition opens on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of her birth.
- Until August 23, 2026 · Musée Carnavalet, 3rd arrondissement
Want the full picture of what's in the city beyond the temporary exhibitions? I've compiled everything into two separate guides: The Complete Paris Museum Guide , with prices, opening hours, and tips for skipping the lines, and The Paris Monuments Guide , Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Pantheon, and the rest.
August adds one variable: During heat waves, the top of the Eiffel Tower is sometimes closed for an entire day, which happened on August 14, 2026, when temperatures in Paris approached 40 degrees. Levels 1 and 2 remain open even then, and anyone who bought a ticket to the top is directed to the box office to clarify the difference.
Holidays and events in Paris in August 2026
August is usually the sleepy month of the Parisian calendar. Not this year. In August 2026, there are at least three events that could justify a flight date on their own, and a few more that are worth putting on the schedule.
Partial solar eclipse, Wednesday, August 12
This is the event of the month, and perhaps of the year. On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will cross northern Spain, the first there since 1905. Paris is not in the eclipse, but according to the IMCCE calculations of the Paris Observatory, the moon will cover 92.1% of the sun's surface over the city. The eclipse begins at 19:22 PM, reaches its peak at 20:17 PM, and ends around 21:09 PM.
The problem: At the peak of the eclipse, the sun will be very low, a little over seven and a half degrees above the northwest horizon. This means that you need a completely open observation point to the west: bridges over the Seine, quays, large squares or wide boulevards, and not an inner courtyard in the Marais. And the really important rule: even when the rays of the sun are covered, the remainder is blinding enough to cause irreversible damage to the eyes. Sunglasses do not protect. X-rays, negatives or sooted glass do not protect. You need eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard, without scratches and without tears. And, from past experience with such events, it is better to buy them in advance in Israel and not look for them in Paris on the evening of August 11.
And speaking of the sky: Between August 7 and 9, “Starry Nights” (Nuit des étoiles) are held in France, with free observation evenings in Paris parks accompanied by amateur astronomers with telescopes.
August 15, Feast of the Assumption
The only Catholic holiday that falls in the middle of summer, and is an official Sabbath in France. In 2026 it falls on a Saturday. What this means for travelers: The major museums are open as usual, banks and offices are closed, some small shops are closed and the metro operates on a Sunday schedule. Festive ceremonies are held at Notre Dame and the major churches, so it's worth checking ahead of time if you plan to go in.
European Swimming Championships, July 31 to August 16
Paris is hosting the European Swimming Championships for the first time since 1931, and in the centenary year of the competition. The swimming, diving and artistic swimming are taking place at the Saint-Denis Olympic Aquatics Centre, built for the 2024 Games, and the open water and high-water diving competitions are being held in the Seine itself, in the Arm de Grenelle, just like at the Olympics.
The schedule in general: open water and high-water diving in the Seine from August 4 to 8 (and these are free to watch from the dock, if you arrive early); swimming in the pool from August 10 to 16, with finals at 18:30 p.m. If you want to see Leon Marchand swim in the pool where he won four gold medals, this is the week.
Paris Plages and swimming in the Seine, until August 30
The Paris municipal beach is open from July 4 to August 30, 2026, on the banks of the Seine, in the Bassin de la Villette and along the Canal Saint-Martin. Deck chairs, water brushes, workshops, kayaks and pedalos, and it's all free. And speaking of free: three regulated and supervised swimming sites are open on the Seine itself, the Grenelle arm, the Louis-Philippe bridge area and the Bercy quay. Three years ago, this sounded like a joke.
Rock en Seine, August 26 to 30
The 23rd edition of Rock en Seine takes place in the majestic domain of Saint-Clair, west of Paris, over five days and four stages. And this year's lineup is probably the strongest in the festival's history: Tyler the Creator opens on August 26, Lorde on the 27th, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on the 28th, and The Cure closes it all on August 30. In between: Deftones, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, Transstyle, Slowdive, Biffy Clyro and Wet Leg.
A day ticket ranges from 84 to 169 euros, and there are two-, three- and four-day passes. Arrive by metro line 10 or tram T2. A tip not written on the official website: the Domaine de Saint-Clair is a La Notre-Dame-style garden with 17th-century waterfalls. Arrive an hour early and stroll through it before the stages are lit.
Open-air cinema in La Villette, until August 16
The 35th edition of the beloved Paris festival runs from July 22 to August 16, on the lawns of the Prairie du Triangle in Parc de la Villette. This year's theme is the forest. New: two screenings each evening, one at 6 p.m. for children, and the big film at 9 p.m. Admission is free, the films are shown in the original language with French subtitles, and you can rent a lounge chair. Bring a blanket, August in Paris gets cold at night.
August 25, Liberation Day of Paris
On August 25, 1944, the German government of Paris, Dietrich von Koltitz, surrendered at the Hotel Maurice, and did not destroy the city as ordered. This year marks 82 years. Every year, memorial ceremonies and wreath-laying ceremonies are held in the city, at the Hôtel de Ville, at the Musée Libertat de Paris on Place D'enfer-Rochereau, and along the city's streets. Pay attention to the small plaques on the walls, there are hundreds of them in the city, and almost no tourist stops to read them.
More events worth knowing about
- Jazz at La Villette: From August 28 to September 6, at the Grand Hall, the Cité de la Musique and the Philharmonic.
- Tuileries Festival: Summer Fair in the Tuileries Gardens, until August 23. Ferris wheel at the foot of the Louvre.
- Festival in Neu-Neu: The great fun fair of the Bois de Boulogne, opens on August 28th.
- The Olympic Cauldron at the Tuileries: The 2024 balloon returns to the gardens and takes off every evening until September 14th.
- Paris JazzFestival: At the Floral Park in Shawnsen, on weekends, until September 6.
Classical music concerts in Paris in August 2026
The National Opera is on vacation, the Philharmonic is on vacation, and in fact almost all the major institutions are on vacation. Still, August is one of the most beautiful months of the year to hear classical music in Paris, because what's left goes to the churches. And the churches of Paris are concert halls that no modern architect has been able to recreate.
Here is a selection of concerts for August 2026, all with advance booking and instant e-ticketing. Prices vary by seat category and booking date.
Sainte Chapelle: The concert I recommend the most
Thirteen hundred square meters of 13th-century stained glass, built by order of Louis IX (1226-1270) to house the relics of the cross. In the evening, when the light fades and the violin begins, it is difficult to explain in words.
- August 1, 20:00 PM (and additional dates throughout the month)
- Please note: Entry is through the Palace of Justice security checkpoint.
- It is best to arrive twenty minutes in advance.
The Church of the Magdalene: The Four Seasons and More
The Madeleine looks like a Greek temple that got confused with the inscription, and between the impressive columns it hosts the most concerts in the city. From Vivaldi to gospel – there is a choice here for every taste.
- Les Violons de France – The Four Seasons, August 1 and 22, 20:00 PM
- Gospel Dream, August 6, 20:30 PM
- Not classical in the narrow sense – but gospel under a neo-classical hood, a combination that works
Saint-Germain-des-Prés: Vivaldi in the heart of the literary quarter
The same church next to Café de Flor and La de Mago, only this time it's a stage for music instead of philosophers. Two concerts in August, and an atmosphere that reminds us that music was a part of this neighborhood long before Sartre sat at the table.
- The Four Seasons + Ave Maria, August 1, 20:45 PM
- Another show, August 15, 20:30 PM
Saint-Sulpice: Vivaldi next to the astronomical noon line
Yes, this is the same church with a centuries-old astronomical noon line sunk into its floor. Its concert combines Vivaldi with Mozart’s “A Little Night Music.”
- Vivaldi + Mozart, August 15, 21:00 PM
- The Four Seasons + Adagio, August 29, 20:45 PM
St. Ephrem: The Little Church That Turns into Candlelight
A small, intimate church in the Latin Quarter, where the candlelight concert series takes place almost every evening. There are no designated seats and the space is modest, but ten meters from a piano it feels completely different.
- Chopin, Schubert, Satie and Beethoven, August 2, 19:00 PM
- Bach Suites for Solo Cello, August 4, 20:00 PM
- The smallest church of them all – book in advance
Saint-Julien-le-Paubert: The oldest church in Paris
We couldn't find an updated photo of this ancient church in the archives, so here's a taste of the style played there in August instead. The Ensemble Royal de Paris plays Vivaldi, Bach, and Mozart, and there's a piano evening dedicated to Chopin.
- Ensemble Royal de Paris, August 1, 19:00 PM
- Piano Stars – Chopin, August 4, 19:00 PM
- We couldn't find a picture of the church in the archives - here's a taste of what you'll hear there
Want to understand how the classical music scene in Paris works, which halls, which churches, how to book, and what's worth the price? I wrote about this in detail in the Classical Music in Paris Guide.
Culinary events in Paris in August 2026
Let's start with the most important thing, and it's not an event but a custom: in August, a significant number of the best restaurants in Paris simply close. For two weeks, three weeks, sometimes a whole month. It's not a disaster, it just requires planning. The rule is simple: before you drive to a restaurant you've read about, pick up the phone or check its Instagram page that morning. The big bistros and brasseries in the city center are usually open as usual.
The Rotops, the real culinary scene of August
When restaurants close, rooftops open. Two that are worth checking out this year:
- The Sweet Hour: Galerie Lafayette Haussmann's seasonal rooftop bar, with elderflower cocktails and sharing plates by Cyril Lignac. 8th floor, 25 rue de la Chaussée-d'Antin, 9th arrondissement. Open daily from 12:00 to midnight, until the end of August. Free admission and no reservation required. To the Galerie Lafayette-Housman website.
- Han Rooftop: On the roof of the Gima Museum, Korean summer with street food, music and a direct view of the Eiffel Tower. 6 place d'Iéna, 16th arrondissement (3rd floor of the museum). Open daily 10:00–18:00 (closed on Tuesdays), and on Thursday–Saturday evenings also 19:00–23:30 (until August 29), and all this until September 12. Admission on the day is included in the museum ticket. To the official website of the Gima Museum.
Rednecks on the water
The guinguette is a 19th-century Parisian invention: a riverside tavern with dancing, cheap wine and fried fish. Renoir and other Impressionist painters painted them, and in summer they come to life on the banks of the Marne and around the China de la Villette. The guinguette on the island of Martin-Pescher in Champigny-sur-Marne is the most charming example: reached by a chain ferry, just like a century ago. Open from mid-July to early November, Wednesday to Sunday: midweek from 6pm, and during the day on weekends. 41 quai Victor Hugo, Champigny-sur-Marne (94500), with RER A to Champigny station. For the official website and to book a place.
Burger Festival in Val Dauroff
The Champions Burger, a traveling festival of fifteen food trucks competing for the title of best burger in France, is in Val d'Europe until August 2. Val d'Europe shopping center, Serris (77700), accessible by RER A. Open daily from 12:00 to midnight, free admission. For those who don't know, it's walking distance from Disneyland Paris. If you're there on the first weekend of the month, it's a much more interesting dinner than what awaits you at the mall. For the official website and schedule.
Speaking of food: The best way to understand what you're eating is to take a guided tour or a workshop with a local chef. Here are the best options in our guide to culinary tours and cooking workshops in Paris , and in August the groups are smaller.
Children and Disneyland Paris in August 2026
August is the peak of the French holiday season, and it shows everywhere. The good news: the city is ready for it. The bad news: every family in Europe knows it. Book in advance.
Disneyland Paris, what's new this summer
This summer is one of the busiest in the park’s history: The second park is officially named Disney Adventure World, the “Icebreaker” World of Arendelle opens in the spring, and the park’s first princess cavalcade marches along Adventure Way. The Castle Theater at Disneyland Park is hosting a new show, “Sleeping Beauty’s Royal Waltz.”
- Extended opening hours: Until August 7, the parks close at around 22:40 PM, and from August 8 at 22:00 PM. The closing time is actually the time of the nightly show, the gates close after it.
- International Princess Week: Between August 15 and 23. Meetings with princesses from different lands, from Frontierland to Fantasyland.
- Pizza Planet Truck Hunt: 14 miniature trucks hidden in Disney Adventure World, each in the colors of a different Pixar movie. Keeps kids busy all day long.
- Pop-Up Surprises: From August 28, encounters with rare characters, for Disneyland Pass subscribers only and with advance registration.
If you're planning to come, here's how to book tickets for Disneyland Paris , and in August it's recommended to do it well in advance. For everything else, which park to visit first, where to sleep, how to get there, and how not to waste the day in lines, I have a complete Disneyland Paris guide , and it's longer than you might think.
And what do they do in the city itself?
- Children's screenings in La Villette: Every evening at 18:00 PM until August 16, free, on the lawn. Bring a baguette, cheeses, and a few other tasty things, and have a picnic.
- Tuileries Festival: A full-scale amusement fair in the heart of the most royal gardens in Paris, until August 23. Admission to the gardens is free, you only pay for the rides.
- Paris plages: Sand, water brushes, paddleboards and kayaks in the Bassin de la Villette, until August 30. Everything is free.
- Palais des enfants at the Grand Palais: A permanent space dedicated to children, with the debut exhibition “Transparency” continuing this summer.
- Asterix Park: “The Gallic Summer” until August 30, with nightly openings and fireworks. In my opinion, the funniest park in France, and the most French.
And if you're looking for more ideas, I've compiled them all in a guide to attractions for kids in Paris.
Paris weather in August, what to pack
The averages are quite variable: usually 17 to 27 degrees, daylight hours until around nine-thirty in the evening, and rain that usually lasts twenty minutes and then disappears. However, the averages have been a bit off in recent years: heat waves of thirty-five degrees or more have become an annual event, and in Paris this is felt more strongly than in the country, partly because many historic buildings, and some hotels, simply are not air-conditioned. Anyone booking a hotel for August should make sure it says climatisation and not take it for granted.
What does help: an empty water bottle (Paris has hundreds of public drinking fountains, and the water is excellent), a hat, and a day plan that includes the museum during the hottest hours and the walk in the morning and after 7 p.m.
Questions and Answers about August in Paris
Is it even worth flying to Paris in August?
Yes, and this year more than ever. The classic counterargument is “the whole city is closed,” but that’s mostly true for small businesses and neighborhood restaurants. The museums, monuments, cabarets, and concerts are open. And in August 2026, there’s also a 92% solar eclipse, the European Swimming Championships, and Rock en Seine with the Cure.
Are the museums open on August 15th?
Most of them do. August 15 is an official Sabbath in France, but the major tourist sites are open, although sometimes with limited hours. What is closed: banks, post offices, government offices and some shops. The metro operates on a Sunday schedule, meaning less frequently.
Where is the best place to see the solar eclipse on August 12?
The sun will be very low at the peak of the eclipse, so you need a spot with a completely open line of sight to the northwest: bridges over the Seine, the quays, large squares or an open park. What won't work: a narrow street in the Marais. And you must have ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses, sunglasses are not protection.
How far in advance should tickets be ordered?
For the big museums and the Eiffel Tower, at least two weeks, and in August a month is better. For concerts in churches, a week is usually enough, unless it's Sainte Chapelle on a weekend. For Disneyland in mid-August, as early as possible, and certainly if you also want a hotel in the park.
Which exhibitions close in mid-August?
Three closings on August 16: Calder at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the exhibition on the explorers at the Army Museum, and the cinema at La Villette. Clair-obscur closes at the Bourse de Commerce on August 24, and Hilma f Klint at the Grand Palais and Beyond the Streets at La Villette close on August 30. If you're coming at the end of the month, check dates before building an itinerary.
Can you really swim in the Seine?
Yes. Three regulated and supervised swimming sites are open in the Seine for free until August 30, and are joined by swimming sites in the Marne east of the city, accessible by RER A. The water quality is checked daily, and a site may close after heavy rain.
More on the subject
