Paris's Year of Free Events and Festivals.

start with JARI.

• Community — start an outing (모임): these events are far more fun together.

the big free events of the year.

Note them — they come back every year:

• May — Museum Night (Nuit des Musées) (Saturday 23 May 2026): museums open free in the evening.
• June — Nuit Blanche (night of 6-7 June 2026): 100+ free artworks and performances across the city.
• 21 June — Fête de la Musique: free concerts everywhere in the streets.
• Late June-early July — Fête du Cinéma: tickets at about €5 in (almost) every theatre.
• 14 July — Bastille Day: firefighters' balls and fireworks (often at the Eiffel Tower).
• Summer — Paris Plages: deckchairs, activities and free entertainment by the Seine; plus festivals (Rock en Seine, late August).
• 19-20 September — Heritage Days: usually-closed places open free.
• December — Christmas markets & lights: free festive atmosphere across the city.

all year: flea markets & garage sales.

Every weekend, brocantes and vide-greniers liven up the neighbourhoods — great for browsing and bargain-hunting. Find them on brocabrac.fr.

the sales (soldes).

Two big sales periods a year (winter, around January; summer, around June-July), on legally set dates. Ideal to kit yourself out for less.

🇰🇷 the Korean festivals.

2026 is the year of 140 years of France-Korea ties: K-Plus, Printemps Coréen, K-Street, FFCP… The detail is in our Exhibitions & Korean culture article, and it's all.

tips.

• Free = very busy: arrive early, especially for the big sites.
• Many events require booking ahead (Nuit Blanche, some Heritage Days venues).
• Set an alert for the key dates.

common mistakes.

• Discovering an event on the day and missing the booking.
• Arriving too late at a free site and queuing for hours.
• Forgetting the weekend flea markets, free and fun.

FAQ.

The free events not to miss? Fête de la Musique (21 June), Museum Night (May), Heritage Days (September), Nuit Blanche. How to follow it all? The, free filter. And the Korean festivals? See Exhibitions & Korean culture.

useful links.

• On JARI: Community
• Flea markets: brocabrac.fr
• Agenda: parisjetaime.com · sortiraparis.com
• Also read: Free museums & deals · Leisure, sport and outings