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Events Bastille Day celebrations © Paris Tourist Office - Catherine Balet France's most important national holiday, Bastille Day commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution with ceremonies, dancing, parties and balls all over the city. In the morning there is a grand military parade along the Champs Elysees, accompanied overhead by jet formations, and after the day-long festivities, a fireworks display takes place near the Eiffel Tower. For more information contact the Paris Tourist Office on +33 (0)892 683 000 or email info@paris-touristoffice.com Venue: Champs Elysees and Place de la Bastille; Date: 14 July 2007; Time: 10am to midnight  Roland-Garros stadium Together with Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the US Open, the French Open is one of the four events that together are known as the tennis 'Grand Slam'. The tournament has become the most highly prized clay court title in the world and one of the biggest sporting events in France. Besides the best tennis players in the world, the stadium is also the place to be seen for the fashion conscious. For more information, call the ticketing line on +33 (0)1 4743 5252. Venue: Roland-Garros Stadium; Date: 25 May to 8 June 2008; Website: www.fft.fr/rolandgarros  Fete de la Musique © Paris Tourist Office - Fabian Char Every year on the summer solstice, Paris hosts amateur and professional musicians who perform in a variety of venues around the city, from public squares, streets and parks to opera houses and castles. The festival aims to celebrate music in all forms and is open to anyone. A large free concert is traditionally held featuring some big names in the music world, but on every corner, in doorways, in restaurants and hospitals, museums and courtyards, there are the sounds of music, from jazz, salsa and techno, to choirs, orchestras and steel bands, accompanied by people dancing, eating and drinking. Venue: Various; Date: 21 June 2008; Website: www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr/fr/esprit/index.htm  Tour de France © Paris Tourist Office - Stefan Kraus What started off as a far-fetched, unimaginable idea dreamed up by two gentlemen in a Parisian brasserie in 1902, has a century later grown into the world's greatest bicycle race, indeed considered by many to be the greatest annual sporting event on earth. The unique spectacle is ingrained in France's heritage, traditionally ending in Paris, and draws hundreds of local and international cyclists in a battle for dominance over 2,175 gruelling miles (3,500km) every year. The race is split into 21 daily stages and completes a clockwise loop around the country, including treacherous mountain roads in the Pyrenees and the Alps. The famous yellow jersey is worn by the overall General Classification leader who maintains the lowest overall time. Every year the first stage of the race starts somewhere different, either in France or in another country. Venue: Start: Brittany; Finish: Champs-Elysées, Paris; Date: 5-27 July 2008; Website: www.letour.fr A popular event on the PGA European Tour, the Open de France is the oldest tournament in continental Europe, and along with the American PGA Tour is the richest and most illustrious golfing competition in the world. Venue: Le Golf National; Date: 26-29 June 2008; Website: www.opendefrance.fr Two thousand tons of sand and some palm trees is all that is needed to annually transform the right bank of the Seine into a manmade beach worthy of the French capital. The Paris Plage (Paris Beach) is a highly popular, free 'event' instituted by the City Fathers in 2002 that attracts millions of visitors to its shores. Between July and August, land-locked city dwellers can enjoy sun, fun and themed activities, without the usual Parisian price tag. A recent addition is a large swimming pool - good news for those seeking some relief from the summer sun, especially as the dirty water of the Seine itself is not a welcome thought. Venue: Right bank of Seine river; Date: 18 July to 17 August 2008; Time: 9.30am to 11pm  Races at Longchamp - Édouard Manet, 1867 The Arc de Triomphe is France's premier horse race and attracts thoroughbreds and racing enthusiasts from all over the world. Since its inaugural race in 1920, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe has become established as the all-aged middle-distance championship of Europe, and today it offers total prize money of €1,600,000. Entrance to the race is €8; free for under 18s. Venue: Longchamp Racecourse; Date: 5 October 2008; Website: www.france-galop.com  White Nights under the moon For one night in Paris the idea is to stay awake and partake in the observance of night. Many public services, entertainment facilities and tourist attractions, cafes, bars and restaurants stay open throughout the night to keep people awake. The nuit blanche is a celebration of human culture and communication and encourages people to enjoy one another's company, as it is often subjugated in favour of the daytime rat race. Date: October 2008, TBC  Le Salon du Chocolat © André Karwath An annual festival in celebration of chocolate is a dream come true for chocoholics, and the large convention centre beneath the Louvre hosts just that. There are tastings and chefs demonstrations at a huge variety of international chocolatiers stands; opportunities to sample and buy goodies such as truffles, chocolate-dipped fruit kebabs, hot chocolate and cakes; as well as chocolate fashion, sculpture and art. Exhibitions include the history of chocolate, books on chocolate and desserts, and an antique collection of 'teapots' used exclusively for hot chocolate. A Chocoland for children entertains with chocolate makeup and other delicious activities. For more information contact the organisers on +33 (0)1 4503 2126 or email info@chocoland.com Venue: Metropolitan Pavillion & Altman Building; Date: 29 October to 2 November 2008; Time: 10am to 8pm; Website: www.chocoland.com Held every autumn, the arts festival is a showcase for contemporary art in all forms from around the world, including theatre, film, music, dance, sculpture and literature, and is the largest festival of its kind in the world. Special attention is given to foreign culture as well experimental work and the development of new talents. For more information email info@festival-automne.com. Date: September to December 2008, TBC; Website: www.festival-automne.com  Cirque du Soleil © Clemens Pfeiffer World Circus Festival of Tomorrow The annual Circus Festival provides an unequalled opportunity to see top international circus performers from famous schools together under one roof, including acts from the Beijing Circus, the Moscow Circus, the Knie Circus and local talent Ecole Fratellini. The aim is to bring together young acrobats, animal trainers and clowns and to reveal new and exciting trends in circus acts from traditional, modern and experimental circus performances. Venue: Cirque Phenix; Date: 29 January to 1 February 2009; Website: www.cirquededemain-paris.com |
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