Paris
Theatre in Paris lets non-French speakers access Paris' vibrant local theatre scene (and its resplendent venues). Bilingual hosts provide an English…
Must-see entertainment in France
The Loire Valley
In the 24th week of each year (mid-June), 260,000 car-racing fans converge on Le Mans for this storied 24-hour endurance race. Driven by three-driver…
Paris
Founded in 1680 under Louis XIV, this state-run theatre bases its repertoire on the works of classic French playwrights. The theatre has its roots in an…
Paris
Blockbuster screenings and concerts aside, this 1932 art deco cinematic icon runs 50-minute behind-the-scenes tours (English soundtracks available) during…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Favela Chic opens as a convivial restaurant and quickly morphs into caipirinha- and mojito-fuelled flirting and dancing (mostly on the long tables). The…
Paris
Catch a classical concert at Radio France's concert space. With some 200 annual performances, expect a wide variety of music, from organ and chamber music…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Dance, circus arts, concerts and multimedia productions all feature at this 550-capacity theatre.
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Named after Le Lapin à Gill, a mural of a rabbit jumping out of a cooking pot by caricaturist André Gill, which can still be seen on the western exterior…
Calais
Calais' former slaughterhouses were transformed into this vast cultural centre in 2007. Today it hosts performances spanning live music concerts to comedy…
Paris
This hole-in-the-wall venue in the hot-to-boiling-point 11e has become the go-to indie bar around Bastille. It’s especially well loved for its comfy sofas…
Bordeaux
For summertime music on the Rive Droite, there is no finer spot than this seasonal guinguette (open-air dance hall), with a couple of bars, casual food…
Paris
A mainstay of Parisian nightlife since 1936, this ancient ballroom is devoted to Latin American music and dance classes (Bachata; Cuban salsa) during the…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
This 80,000-seat stadium was built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and hosts major sports and music events. Stadium tours take you behind the scenes,…
Latin Quarter
Classic jazz concerts kick off at 9pm in the atmospheric downstairs cellar of this sophisticated jazz venue across from the Jardin du Luxembourg…
Marseille
Marseille’s cherished football team plays at Stade Vélodrome, which also hosts major concerts (in the Rolling Stones league). Built in 1937 to seat 35,000…
Paris
This multiplex next to the Bibliothèque Nationale de France has 14 screens showing a variety of blockbusters and studio films, a trendy cafe, brasserie,…
La Guinguette du Patio de Camargue
Arles
Established in 1995 by Chico, co-founder of the Gypsy Kings, on a patch of industrial wasteland by the banks of the Rhône, this is now a wonderful…
Paris
The French Open tennis Grand Slam is held on clay at the Stade Roland Garros from late May to mid-June. Renovations begun in 2016 incorporate a new Court…
Paris
Classics from the silent era to contemporary films are the focus of this five-screen cinema, which has a dedicated 3D screen and also hosts retrospectives…
Avignon
At the foot of a staircase just behind the Palais des Papes, this arts hub covers lots of bases: with a program of jazz, live gigs and film. The…
Paris
Excellent classical-music concerts are staged several times a week at the Louvre Auditorium (off the main entrance hall). Don't miss the Thursday…
Paris
Deep leather couches and 1930s Shanghai decor make this a wonderfully plush place for cocktails (some Asian themed) followed by a concert (mainly funk,…
Théâtre National de Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Built in the late 1800s in grand neo-Renaissance style, Strasbourg's Théâtre National de Strasbourg is one of only five national theatres in France. It…
Carcassonne
Concerts, opera and events throughout the year, including many during the Festival de Carcassonne, take place in this extraordinary 5000-capacity…
Paris
A five-screen cinema showing films set in Paris is the centrepiece of the city’s film archive. Created in 1988 to establish an audiovisual archive of the…
La Rochelle
La Rochelle's premier concert venue and nightclub, 10km west of the Vieux Port, blasts out everything from hip hop, funk and metal to world music, punk,…
Paris
With a capacity of 250, postindustrial venue Supersonic hosts mostly indie, rock, garage, electro-pop and tribute bands; the first three concerts of the…
Chevaux en Fête Animation Équestre
Chantilly
A half-hour dressage show at the Grandes Écuries (Grand Stables) of the Château de Chantilly is included in the combined domain and show pass; other one…
Paris
This national institution is a temple to the ‘seventh art’ and always screens its foreign offerings in their original versions. Up to 10 films a day are…
Bordeaux
A longstanding veteran of 20-odd years on the drinking and music scene, Le Fiacre continues to pull in the crowds with its live rock concerts and…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
This tiny but trendy venue in Ménilmontant entices a local crowd with cutting-edge gigs – many bands kick off their European tours here. Past acts have…
Latin Quarter
This is one of the most popular of the many Latin Quarter cinemas, featuring classics and retrospectives looking at the films of such actors and directors…
Paris
This 20,300-seat indoor sports arena, whose sloping exterior is covered with lawns, hosts the largest concerts and events to come through Paris (Cirque du…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
In the erstwhile mews of a Marais hôtel particulier (private mansion) with a fabulous interior courtyard, the 'Station Cafe' is one of the best and most…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
This club-concert annexe of Café Charbon is revered for its live-music concerts (usually Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) and lively club nights on weekends…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Built in 1922, this is the dance hall where Édith Piaf got her first break, and it now reverberates to the sound of live salsa, rock and world music. Live…
Les Marionnettes du Champ de Mars
Paris
For time-honoured French entertainment, take the kids to a show in this Napoleon III–style puppet theatre. Shows are in French, but performances still…
Paris
Founded in 1984, this intimate, sophisticated jazz club typically hosts two concerts per night and regular free jam sessions (you'll need to buy a drink)…
Versailles
Try to time your visit for the Grandes Eaux Musicales or the after-dark Grandes Eaux Nocturnes, truly magical 'dancing water' displays – set to music…
Bordeaux
Catch live jazz, blues and world music at this garden-styled cafe-bistro, next to the Botanical Gardens on the Rive Droite (Right Bank). Kudos for its…
