The best things to do in Paris this summer

It's been two years since Paris hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but the vestiges of that glorious season of sports have made the City of Lights an even more enticing destination in summer. From swimming in the Seine to open-air cinema and music festivals, Paris has really embraced life outdoors.

Here is a round up of the best locations, events and celebrations to plan a Paris trip around this summer.

1. Sunbathe on the Paris Plage

The city’s annual Paris Plage event is back, where parts of the city are transformed into a “beach” from July to September. In the past, sand and palm trees were shipped in to create a tropical vibe, but now green Paris is bringing a more Med feel to the Seine with deckchairs, parasols, native trees and shared games. Join locals picnicking along banks of the river or along the Canal St-Martin, where you can also play pétanque (boules) and table tennis at dedicated spots along the quayside.

2. Take a dip

A huge effort was made to make the Seine water safe for swimming in the lead-up to the Olympics. The payoff: Parisians can now brave their city river at various designated bathing spots in summer. As well as swimming in the open-water swimming pools (including at the Île aux Cygnes, where you can take a dip with views of the Eiffel Tower), you can also swim at Bassin de la Villette on the Canal de l'Ourcq and even in a pop-up swim section of the Canal St-Martin. Swimming is free, but numbers are restricted for safety at any one time. If you don’t want to queue for a dip, arrive early in the day.  

3. Be serenaded by the Fête de la Musique

Always on the longest day of the year (June 21), the Fête de la Musique, World Music Day, marks the official start of summer with staged – and impromptu – live music performances around the city from both professionals and amateurs. Streets, courtyards, squares, even bridges, are taken over by musicians of every genre – jazz, rock, classical, reggae, EDM. There's no admission fee and no schedule, just wander and discover. It's spontaneous, joyful, and deeply local.

4. Admire Bastille Day fireworks and more

Out of respect for the victims of a 2016 terror event in Nice, the feux d’artifice (fireworks) and drone show set to light up the sky from the Eiffel Tower for Bastille Day will be held on July 13 in 2026. Head to the Trocadéro and the Champ de Mars for the best views. The capital will then celebrate France’s national day on July 14, with a morning military parade along av des Champs-Élysées, accompanied by a fly-past of fighter aircraft and helicopters. In 2026, Ukraine will also join the celebrations. 

5. Discover Tour de France fever

There’s the uptick in cycling in Paris and France and then there’s serious cycling: the Tour de France, a hugely popular cultural event. The last of 21 stages of this prestigious, 3500km-long race finishes on the av des Champs-Élysées on the last Sunday of July. Crowds pack the avenue from early doors to claim a spot behind the barriers. If you want to guarantee a seat with a view of the Arc de Triomphe beyond, you can buy VIP grandstand tickets online. When the peloton finally sweeps past in a blur of color and speed, Paris erupts with cheering, flag-waving and general fanfare. Even if you’re not on the avenue, the Tour is broadcast on free-to-air TV on screens across the city throughout July.  

6. Take a picnic to the open-air cinema 

Free open-air cinema is held every year at La Villette (which you might have spotted in Emily in Paris). From late July until mid-August, film lovers are invited to bring a picnic blanket and enjoy cinema under the open skies. Deck chairs can be prebooked for a fee ahead of the night online for those visitors who might find sitting on the grass a challenge. This year’s theme is “nature”.

7. Read a book in a Paris park

Paris has no shortage of gorgeous green oases where lawns, benches, and the occasional ornate fountain will tempt you to sit down and watch the world go by (or even better, channel your inner Parisian and pull a paperback out of your bag). Among the best Paris parks to hang out in in summer, Jardin du Luxembourg is the most popular and family-friendly option in Paris. At Jardin des Tuileries, you can wander the master French landscape architect, André Le Nôtre's symmetrical gardens and pretend to be royal. By the Seine, the Jardin des Plantes holds beautiful botanic gardens with rare plants and 18th-century glass-and-metal greenhouses. The world’s first elevated park, atop a disused 19th-century railway viaduct, Promenade Plantée is the Paris version of the NYC Highline with plantings, benches, and views of Paris streets from above. The canal-side Parc de la Villette is set in a 35-hectare pavilion-filled green space with state-of-the-art facilities for kids and adults. Further afield, Bois de Vincennes encompasses 995 hectares of former hunting grounds with lakes and even a zoo. 

8. Enjoy a free concert at the Festivals du Parc Floral 

The Festivals du Parc Floral is a summer series of free outdoor events held at the Parc Floral de Paris, a botanical garden within the sprawling Bois de Vincennes. The festivals run from late June to early September, with three distinct events. Pestacles is a family-friendly festival with workshops and musical shows geared toward younger children. The Classique au Vert delivers a program of free classical music concerts. And the Paris Jazz Festival fills the open-air stage with, you guessed it, jazz performances.

9. Learn to dance outdoors

If you’re in the mood for dancing, the salsa scene on the Seine is a delight. Centered along the Quai Saint-Bernard near the Jardin des Plantes, you’ll find locals and visitors of any age (octogenarians included) gathering to dance together while someone plays tunes from a portable speaker. Depending on who turns up, you may learn to salsa, swing, or something else entirely, usually led by a charismatic instructor. These seemingly impromptu dance classes are found along the paved semi-circular areas overlooking the river. Have no rhythm? Don’t worry, you can always play spectactor, but the vibe is truly welcoming of anyone including beginners. Dance like no one is watching, even if they are. 

10. Party beside a boat bar

Trying to get a free spot on a terrace in Paris can be a challenge. If you’re after a taste of la belle vie, you can book a table at one of the floating boat hotels like OFF Paris Seine and Noti Club Plage on the Seine. Both have recreated a South of France-style guinguette – an old-fashioned open-air cafe with dancing, complete with blue-and-white striped deckchairs and gingham-checked tables surrounded by olive trees and strings of lanterns. Expect cocktails, tapas, DJ sets, and more. 

11. Take a riverside promenade at sundown

There are plenty of picturesque spots for a riverside promenade in Paris, including the areas around Paris' two characterful car-free islands, the Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis. Continue up at street level along the Left Bank which is lined with the distinctive green-metal boutique stalls selling antique books, vintage French advertising posters and artworks. A lesser-known island stroll is the man-made Île aux Cygnes via its shaded walkway with views of the Eiffel Tower. A perfect sunset wander.

12. Join the fun of the Pride parade

The colorful Saturday-afternoon Marche des Fiertés celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride with a march incorporating over-the-top floats, rainbow flags, music and costumes. The parade on June 28 in 2026, kicks off in the afternoon at Place d'Italie and finishes at Place de la République. It's both a street party and a visible stand for equality and visibility. In the week leading up to the march, a series of LGBTQ+ community events is programmed across the city.

13. Get tickets for Rock en Seine

Headlining acts rock the grounds of Domaine National de St-Cloud, on the city’s southwestern edge, at this multi-day music festival where you can catch up-and-coming acts as well as the headliners. For a break between the stages and tents, grab a bite to eat at a food truck, or wander the tree-lined paths of this sprawling elevated parkland, which has views back to the city. In 2026, the line-up includes Lorde, Tyler the Creator, The Cure, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, and the Deftones.

14. Learn about Paris' influential women on a walking tour

Tour guide Heidi Evans was inspired to launch her own Women of Paris walking tours when she realized that most of the city’s tours focus on the great, and sometimes not so great, men in French history. She now tells the stories of Paris’ many influential women through six different tours, often combined with food tastings at local markets or pâtisseries, so you can experience two sides of Parisian history and culture. Most tours are also wheelchair-accessible and there’s no minimum age limit. Groups are limited to 15 people, and private tours are also available.

15. Catch a summer-only exhibition at an art museum

From Michelangelo and Rodin at the Louvre to surrealist photographer Lee Miller at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (MAM), there are a host of special exhibitions to catch this summer before they close. And don’t forget some of the best museums in Paris also do late opening hours, giving you the perfect way to wind down after a day in the great outdoors of Paris this summer.