November in France beckons with so many great events. The month starts with Halloween and goes on to please with chocolate in Paris, photographic exhibitions, food and wine. Of all the events in France in November, the most poignant and faithfully observed is Armistice Day. It commemorates the peace treaty that ended World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. It’s commemorated all over the country.

If you’re in France on November 1st, grab your last chance to enjoy some popular events.

Events in France ending in November

To Nov 1, 2026: Giverny, Claude Monet’s house and garden closes at the end of Nov 1 for the season. It will reopen on April 1, 2027.

To Nov 1, 2026:  Paris Chocolate Fair at Porte de Versailles is a must for chocoholics. 280 exhibitors from all over the world: chocolatiers, pastry chefs and other professionals take part. There’s a pastry show with top chefs demonstrating their skills, the cacao show with music and performances from cocoa-producing countries, talks and tasting, workshops for adults and kids and the startling fashion show which challenges your ideas about chocolate.

To Nov 1, 2026: The prestigious Paris Salon d’Automne art show began in 1903 with the likes of Guimard, Cezanne, Bonnard, Roualt, and Matisse. The idea was to shock the old and introduce the new. It continues today with works by 890 artists including 161 new participants from 43 countries. It takes place in the Petit Palais.

The Salon d’Automne is an association of artists and is non-profit-making. It was founded in 1903, and recognized for its public utility since 1920 when it confirmed the aim of encouraging and developing fine arts particularly through exhibitions both in France and abroad.

To Nov 1, 2026: International Garden Festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire château in the Loire Valley is a fabulous, huge Festival, the Chelsea Flower Show of France. The Château and grounds are lovely and the festival of a series of gardens from international designers always delivers some surprises. This year’s theme plays tribute to the cinema and gardens. The Garden Festival opens late April, 2027.

To Nov 1, 2026: Halloween might not be celebrated in France as it is in the UK or USA. But it remains a special time, with France taking All Saints’ Day (Toussaints) on November 1 very seriously.

Here’s more about how the French celebrate Halloween in France.

Please note: The Toussaints (All Saints) school holiday runs from Saturday Oct 17 to Monday Nov 2, 2026. That means that attractions all over France will be busy during that time.

To Nov 2, 2026: Disneyland Paris celebrates its Halloween Festival with Disney villains roaming the streets. On October 31 Disney’s Halloween Party takes over the park from 8pm to 2am. Book early and expect lots of families.

To Nov 8, 2026: Halloween at Parc Astérix  means activities and characters get out of control! Haunted houses, evil creatures and fantastic monsters terrorize (or amuse) young Gauls. Peur sur le Parc (Fear in the Park) returns with attractions and shows to spook kids and adults.

To Nov 8, 2026: Rolex Paris Masters tennis tournament is the final ATP World Masters event. Held in the Accor Arena on a hard surface, 48 players will compete. Currently Novak Djokovic holds the record with 6 wins and he remains the only player to defend the title (2013–2015). The 2025 tournament was won by Jannik Sinner.

To Dec 6, 2026:  The Herring and Coquilles Saint-Jacques Festivals in Normandy are superb and the chance to celebrate these famous fishes, so necessary to Normandy. Join the 100,000 odd enthusiasts for tastings, discussing the merits of, and enjoying every kind of cured herring and Coquille Saint-Jacques.

Here are the herring and scallop festivals in north France in 2026.

If you’re there, check out the Normandy D-Day Landing beaches.

To Dec, 2026: Paris Autumn Festival is a huge, prestigious arts events, taking in every discipline and taking place in different venues throughout Paris. Around 50 events cover the new and the avant-garde. It was created in 1972 by Michel Guy under the impetus of Georges Pompidou who wanted Paris to become a cultural capital. He succeeded; today around 150,000 people attend one of the events. The 2026 dates are to be confirmed.

To Dec 13, 2026: Biennale of Contemporary Art, Lyon. Every two years the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennal alternates with the Dance Biennal. This is a huge and important contemporary art festival, with work from around the world.

To Jan, 2026: Chartres en lumières sees this wonderful city illuminated for its festival of light. It’s nightly so there’s no excuse to miss it. It runs from dusk to 1am.

Events starting in France in November 2026

Nov 6-8, 2026: Salon Gourmand in Rouen, Normandy, is another of those glorious food festivals. Over 250 exhibitors show off their wares: wine, beer, sweet things, chocolate, cheese and more. There are chef demonstrations, tastings and a whole lot more.

Nov 11, 2026: Armistice Day is a public holiday in France. Every village, town and city has parades to honour the L’armistice de la Première Guerre Mondiale commemorating the end of World War 1. At exactly 11am on the 11^th day of the 11^th month, Armistice Day, one-minute’s silence is held and France stops as people reflect on the past. The Armistice was signed at the Armistice Museum in the forest of Compiègne in Picardy.

Nov 12-15, 2026: Paris Photo in part of the Grand Palais has over 140 galleries from 33 countries showing exceptional works. The largest international photo fair, there are talks and awards for photo books along with interviews and discussions with artists, gallery owners, collectors and the enthusiastic public. Even the catalogue is a work of art. Other galleries and museums in Paris highlight their photographic collections.

Nov 15, 2026: The Beaune Wine Auction is the most famous wine auction in the world. Taking place over a weekend, it’s not just the wine auction, conducted by Christie’s, that is the attraction. All the major vineyards open their cellars for tastings, and there’s plenty to see and do. You must book tickets in advance.

Nov 19-23, 2026 At midnight on November 19, the famous Nouveau Beaujolais is released. The Nouveau Beaujolais est arrivé sign appears in restaurants all over the world and though the wine is not the greatest (far too young), it’s a fun evening. The best place to celebrate is Lyon, capital of the Beaujolais region, in the Place des Terreaux. Organised by young wine producers, it’s a festival with fireworks, tastings, street theatre and more. All the local bouchons (restaurants in Lyon) offer special menus.  The celebrations run over 5 days throughout the country from Nov 19 to Dec 23. It’s one of the major global celebrations of French events in November.
If you’re not in France, you can officially buy the wine wherever you are at 12.01am on the day of release.

Nov 19-22, 2026: The International Festival of Animal and Nature Photography in Montier-en-Der, Haute-Marne, Grand Est, takes over around fifteen sites with international exhibitions. Over 2,000 photos are on major naturalist and environmental themes, with different themes each year. Conferences and screenings, and well-known speakers from the worlds of science, the media and culture.

Nov 20, 2026-Jan 3, 2027: Nancy in east France begins its Christmas celebrations of Saint Nicholas with the lighting up of the Christmas tree on Place Stanislas and the grand market on Place Charles III. It’s a spectacular festival with a special weekend December 7 & 8. Over 70 exhibitors attend the event in brightly lit chalets, offering the public original gift ideas, art and craft objects and local specialities.

Nov 21-Dec 6, 2026: Cannes Dance Festival was founded in 1984. Internationally famous, it is particularly strong on contemporary dance, introducing new choreographers as well as supporting well-known dance companies.

Nov 27-Dec 6, 2026: La Festival de Sainte-Barbe in Lens-Liévin, Pas de Calais. The main towns are holding celebrations of the saint who was martyred for her Christian faith on December 4, c. 2,000AD. One of 14 Holy Helpers, she’s invoked in thunderstorms so has become the patron saint of miners, armourers, artillerymen, military engineers and others who work with explosives. Look out for events in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, Aix-Noulette, Angres, Billy-Montigny, Bouvigny-Boyeffles, Bully-les-Mines, Harnes, Lens, Liévin, Loison-sous-Lens, Noyelles-Godault, Noyelles-sous-Lens, Pont-à-Vendin, Sains-en-Gohelle, Sallaumines, Vendin-le-Vieil, Vimy, Wingles.

Late November–January 2027: Christmas Markets take place all over France. Strasbourg is particularly important in east France; in north France make for Arras. It’s a good way to celebrate events in November in France just in time for Christmas.

Here are the Christmas Markets in North France in 2025
Here are the Christmas Markets in the rest of France in 2025

Events in France in 2026

If you know of other events you think I should include, please do let me know!

Events in France in January 2026
Events in France in February 2026
Events in France in March 2026
Events in France in April 2026
Events in France in May 2026
Events in France in June 2026
Events in France in July 2026
Events in France in August 2026
Events in France in September 2026
Events in France in October 2026

I will update December as soon as possible, along with my Christmas markets in France articles.
Events in France in December 2025

Major events and openings in France in 2026

Geography of France

To help you find those events, here are a couple of articles on the geography of France

Regions of France
Departments of France

AND…

French Public Holidays

More about great Food Festivals in France

The post Events in France in November 2026 appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

As always October has some great events in France. And there’s the added advantage of being without the crowds of the summer vacation. Festivals range from film and art to music and gardens. Harvests bring mouth-watering food festivals and the the French celebrate the annual wine harvest as autumn turns the vineyards deep orange. Check out these events in France in October 2026.

October, 2026:  Wine harvest festivals across France. Check the local tourist offices for celebrations where you are.

To Oct 4, 2026: La Gacilly Photo Festival is a wonderful outdoor photo festival. For three months, hundreds of large format photos are displayed in the parks, green maze, squares and streets of the small town in Morbihan, Brittany.

To Oct 4, 2026: Les Rencontres d’Arles is a huge, well established international photo expo, now 50 years old. Over sixty exhibitions take place in heritage locations and most of the exhibits have not been seen before.

To Oct 4, 2026: Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, Saint Tropez, PACA. Around 300 sailing boats, both traditional and modern, gather to race in the Mediterranean. This is one of the last events in France in September so try to make it to catch that last summer sun. It’s a sight to see.

To Nov 1, 2026: Giverny, Claude Monet’s house and garden open for the season. A visit is a must on most people’s itinerary and this year with so many great events in Normandy it will be busier than ever.

To Nov 1, 2026: International Garden Festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire château in the Loire Valley is a fabulous, huge Festival, the Chelsea Flower Show of France. The Château and grounds are lovely and the festival of a series of gardens from international designers always delivers some surprises. This year’s theme plays tribute to the cinema and gardens.

To Nov 1, 2026: Halloween is not celebrated in France as it is in the UK or USA. But it remains a special time, with France taking All Saints’ Day on November 1 seriously.

Here’s how the French celebrate Halloween.

To Nov 2, 2026: Disneyland Paris begins its Halloween Festival with Disney villains roaming the streets. On October 31 Disney’s Halloween Party takes over the park from 8pm to 2am. Book early and expect lots of families.

To Dec 13, 2026: Biennale of Contemporary Art, Lyon. Every two years the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennal alternates with the Dance Biennal. This is a huge and important contemporary art festival, with work from around the world.

To Dec, 2026: Paris Autumn Festival is a huge arts events, taking in every discipline and taking place in different venues throughout Paris. Around 50 events cover the new and the avant-garde. It was created in 1972 by Michel Guy under the impetus of Georges Pompidou who wanted Paris to become a cultural capital. He succeeded; today around 150,000 people attend one of the events.

To Jan, 2027: Chartres en lumières sees this wonderful city illuminated for its annual festival of light. It’s nightly so there’s no excuse to miss it.  

Events in France starting in October 2026

Oct 3-4, 2026: Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Longchamp in Paris is the chic setting for the equally chic race. It’s a great racecourse with 500 screens for those not in the centre of the action. Racing is almost an afterthought.

Oct 3-Nov 8, 2026: Halloween at Parc Astérix is suitably scary with quite a lot of attractions for over 14 or 16 years old. Enter the Underworld of Pompeii, look our for fantastic monsters of try your luck in the Tomb of the Gods.

Oct 4, 2026: Rederie d’Amiens This great annual flea market takes over the city, occupying a massive 5km of pavements. It’s the second biggest in France after Lille. Part of a great long tradition in France of scouring markets for bargains.

Oct 7-11, 2026: La Fête des Vendanges is the extraordinary Montmartre’s annual Grape Harvest Festival attracting over half a million visitors. It has everything, from grape stomping to a Grand Parade, music, dancing, vineyard tours (who knew Montmartre had a vineyard?), a grand picnic and more.

Montmartre was once the place for artists like Van Gogh who lived at 25 Rue Victor Masse. Van Gogh in Paris.

Oct 7-11, 2026: British & Irish  Film Festival, Dinard, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany. Go British in Dinard at this great festival where awards are given and new films showcased. 7 different venues  give you a comprehensive look at the British and Irish film industry. There are 6 films in the main competition, premiers, short films and more for the 30,000 fans at this event.

Oct 7-11, 2026: Jazz between the Towers in La Rochelle on the French Atlantic coast is a must for jazz fans. Well-known and new musicians, official concerts and a lively off festival events complete the package.

Oct 8-11, 2026: Salon Photo et Viceo. Held at La Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris, this large photography fair is aimed at both amateur and professional photographers.

Oct 10-11, 2026:  Fête de la Coquille et de la Pêche. Honfleur in Normandy holds this popular annual festival. Expect craft stalls, cookery demonstrations and plenty of fish, as well as local produce.

To Dec 6, 2026:  The Herring and Coquilles Saint-Jacques Festivals in Normandy are superb and the chance to celebrate these famous fishes, so necessary to Normandy. Join the 100,000 odd enthusiasts for tastings, discussing the merits of, and enjoying every kind of cured herring and Coquille Saint-Jacques.

Here are the herring and scallop festivals in north France in 2026.

Oct 12-18, 2026: Semaine du Gout – Taste Week takes place throughout France. Discover the local gastronomy and specialities, take cooking classes, taste (a lot) and be entertained.

Oct 12-18, 2026: The Paris Motor Show takes place every two years at the Exhibition Park at Porte de Versailles. Over a million visitors from around the world come to look at every kind of car you can imagine. 

Oct 17-18, 2026: Chestnut Festival (Fieira de la Castanha) takes place in Mourjou in the Auvergne. Enjoy chestnuts every which way as the harvest comes in.

Oct 23-25, 2026: La Grande Braderie de Saint Tropez is a popular event on the Cote d’Azur. The main shops take their fashion items into the street and sell at very discounted prices. It’s one of the great fun events in shopping for bargains in France.

Oct 24-25, 2026: The Pepper Festival in Espelette, Pyrénées-Atlantiques just east of St Jean de Luz in south west France (Pays Basque/Nouvelle Aquitaine) is a grand tradition. There’s Basque traditional dancing, and music, parades and pelota as well as a lot of spicy food. In 1650 a Basque navigator, part of Christopher Columbus’ crew brought chili peppers back home. And the rest is history. The first flowers on the plants appear in June and fruit in July. Harvesting takes place in mid-August then the houses are festooned with peppers hung out to dry.

Read about more Food Festivals in France.

Oct 24-25, 2026: Chablis Wine Festival in Burgundy. The festival includes tastings of all Chablis appellations, seminars, dinners, auctions, and many other wine-related activities.

Oct 31-Nov 8, 2026: Rolex Paris Masters tennis tournament is the final ATP World Masters event. Held in the Accor Arena on a hard surface, 48 players will compete. The 2025 tournament was won by Jannik Sinner.

Oct 29-Nov 1, 2026: Paris Chocolate Fair at Porte de Versailles is just delicious…and always surprising. 700 or so chocolatiers, pastry chefs and other professionals take part. There are tasting sessions and cookery demonstrations, children’s pasty-making workshops and more. But most startling are the set pieces, the live performances and the fashion show which challenge your ideas about chocolate.

Oct 29-Nov 1, 2026: The prestigious Paris Salon d’Automne art show began in 1903 with the likes of Guimard, Cezanne, Bonnard, Roualt, and Matisse. The idea was to shock the old and introduce the new. It continues today with works by 890 artists including 161 new participants from 43 countries. It takes place in the Petit Palais.

Here’s more about how the French celebrate Halloween in France.

If you know of other events you think I should include, please do let me know!

Events in France in 2026

Events in France in January 2026
Events in France in February 2026
Events in France in March 2026
Events in France in April 2026
Events in France in May 2026
Events in France in June 2026
Events in France in July 2026
Events in France in August 2026
Events in France in September 2026

Events in France in November 2026

I will update Events in France in December as soon as possible.

Events in France in December 2025

Major New Events and Openings in France in 2026

To help you find those events, here are a couple of articles on the geography of France

Regions of France
Departments of France

AND…

French Public Holidays

The post Events in France in October 2026 appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

Halloween as a festival in France is still a relatively low-key affair without the razzamatazz of the American Halloween. It didn’t really get started until the 1990s. But Halloween is growing in France as children get the message, love dressing up and carving pumpkins.

The Origins of Halloween

It all began with the Celtic festival of Samhain and was associated with the natural cycle of the seasons. Celebrated by the Celtic tribes in Ireland, the UK and north France on November 1^st, it marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of winter, associated with darkness and death. The belief was that on the night before the New Year (November 1), the worlds of the living and the dead mingled. On October 31^st, All Hallows Eve (which became Halloween), the Celts celebrated the ghosts of the dead returning to earth.

During his time as Pope, Gregory III (731-741), dedicated an oratory in the original St Peter’s Basilica in Rome in honor of all the saints on November 1^st. It’s taken as the original recognition of All Saints Day.  

So Halloween became part of the 3-day festival honoring the dead. Halloween was a time of challenging the power of death with humor and ridicule. What started as a powerful desire to banish the dark times turned into the seemingly nonsensical traditions of Halloween today. Dressing up, lighting candles and playing tricks originally had a serious purpose. In some countries, it was forbidden to eat meat, hence the appearance of potato pancakes, apples and soul cakes.

French Halloween Holiday

For the French, October 31st is not important. The French celebrate ‘Toussaint’, a corruption of Tous les Saints, or All the Saints on November 1. It’s an official holiday; public attractions are closed and the French roads get busy with holiday traffic.

There’s always been a tradition in France, as in many European countries, of going to the cemetery to light candles in little lanterns and put flowers, usually chrysanthemums, on relatives’ graves. Some churches hold special services.

In my remote village in the Auvergne, many of the French with maisons secondaires come back for a week. For some it’s the time to turn off the water and electricity and shut the house for winter before the cold weather comes, the snow begins to fall and the roads impassable.

November 2^nd is All Souls Day, the third day of honouring the dead though it has no particular traditions attached to it today.

All Souls was honored more in the past, hence the funeral burial service here in Pas de Calais to commemorate the New Zealand fallen on November 2^nd, 1918. The photograph was taken in the churchyard at St Marin’s, Selles.

So what can you expect at Halloween in France?

Chocolatiers prepare particular creations for the event. Children dress up, although you don’t see nearly the vast diversity of costumes there that you see in America (ghosts and vampires are quite common).

Where to celebrate Halloween in France

In Paris

Disneyland Paris has a Halloween celebration for visitors. It’s expensive, but it’s the nearest you’ll get to an American celebration in France.

You can meet and greet the wicked Disney villains. Watch Mickey’s tricks on a fabulous new float in the Halloween Cavalcade and look at the other ‘marvellously mischievous’ Disney villains  parading along Main Street in their special holiday costumes. Or get thoroughly spooked at the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Find out more from the Disney Paris website.

Halloween at Parc Asterix

For something a bit smaller than Disneyland and great fun, visit Parc Asterix, just outside Paris. The famous cartoon Gaul and his mates are surrounded by some splendid creatures like gargoyles and the mysterious and sinister Templiers knights. Never mind, Asterix and Obelisk and all the famous characters are there to rescue you.

Fear in the Park lasts from Oct 1 to Nov 6, 2022 in a brand new space. The Curse of the Sirius Show enacts a frightening visit to its docks from a ship missing for almost a century. Passengers disembark (they are of course still alive!) and enter a special zone. It’s a new performance space with three new shows performed vertically up the side of the ship. At night a live DJ set restores the balance a little though you’ll dance with those mysterious passengers.

Other Cities Celebrate Halloween in France

Witch Festivals

Annual Witch Festivals (Fête des Sorcières) exist in some parts of France. Try Chalindrey, a city south of Langres in the Marne, Champagne. Their festival commemorates the witch hunts of the 16^th century which were organised from the Fort of Cognelot. It was called Devil’s Point.

Today’s festival has a holiday market, a tunnel of horror, entertainment and a parade to crown Miss Witch. In 2022 it’s on October 29 and 30. Check out what’s happening in Chalindrey.

Limoges in Haute-Vienne has celebrated Halloween for the last 20 years with a special parade and events on October 31/November 1. The parade has everything you could want: ghosts, devils and goblins all carrying carved pumpkins. For a few days around the date, many of the local restaurants and bars enter into the spirit of the festival with waiters dressed up and there are street shows and parties, attracting from 30,000 to 50,000 visitors. The Little Tourist Train gets dressed up and even the Aquarium gets in on the act.

If you’re near Paris, catch the Pumpkin Festival at Les Ferme de Gally from Oct 24 to 31, 2022. Visit the farm, see the festivities and learn how to carve a pumpkin.

Make a Ghostly DIY Halloween in France

It’s the time to walk through the past. Think of places like the great abbeys of France with their grand tombs and effigies.

The ruined abbey church of Jumièges is just the place for a Halloween visit. Walk around the buildings with just the crows for company. And it’s open all year round.

Or explore La Chaise-Dieu and its glorious abbey church. Walk around the choir and look at the Dance of Death (danse macabre), painted on panels and reminding us all of what awaits us. It’s in the Auvergne near Le Puy-en-Velay.

Or climb the steep hill up to the glorious abbey of Vézelay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Burgundy. On a wet October day, all you will hear is the sound of your feet rustling in the fallen leaves. It’s one of the great sites on the pilgrimage route from north Europe to St James of Compostela in Spain.

And if you’re lucky enough to be in France for Halloween

Events in France in October

Events in France in November

All French public holidays

The post Celebrating Halloween in France appeared first on Mary Anne's France.