Paris events during January ring in the New Year with celebrations and good cheer.
Although days are short and the weather can be damp and chilly, you'll find plenty of warmth inside cozy Paris bistros, jazz clubs, museums, and concert halls, making January the perfect month to explore the "real" Paris without lines of tourists everywhere.
The eagerly awaited January Winter Sales markdowns bring a lot of excitement almost as soon as the New Year's celebrations end, with discounts offered on almost everything in the city: designer fashions, decorative items, jewelry.
If you don't want to brave the weather, you'll find plenty of tours and cruises to keep you dry while letting you experience top Paris attractions.
Find out about the best places to stay in Paris in the winter
Top photo: Signs in Paris stores in the Marais neighborhood announcing savings for the biannual sales, (c) Paris Discovery Guide
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Winter Sales on Designer Fashions - 2024
The famous Paris winter sales for 2024 run from January 10 - February 6.
As always, savings will be spectacular.
Look for Soldes signs in store windows all over the city, often followed by the amount of the reduction - typically 30-40% at the beginning but soaring as high as 70-80% at toward the end.
Best places to find bargains? Everywhere! Luxury labels such as Chanel, Valentino, and Armani draw huge crowds - ditto for the designer boutiques in the "Big 4" department stores: Galeries Lafayette, BHV, Bon Marché, and Au Printemps. But don't ignore smaller boutiques (head to the Marais, Les Halles, Saint-Germain-des Prés) and even global mid-market chains like Zara and H&M.
As usual, coveted Hermès bags, ties, scarves, jewelry, and other goodies go on sale for only 2-3 days at the special Hermes sale - scheduled this year for January 10, 11, 12 at Palais de Congrès near Porte Maillot - and yes, the Hermes sale begins one day before the regular sales.
Again this year, the Hermès sale in Paris is a private invitation-only event. Invitations reportedly went out only to selected prior customers in France. If you are a customer but did not receive one, your best chance is to contact your SA (sales associate) and ask (or beg) to be put on the list.
Find out more about Paris Winter Sales 2024
Paris Tours for Fashionistas
Paris Concerts & Musical Events - January 2024
January Concerts in Paris
Welcome 2025 with music at Paris concerts during January at the Eiffel Tower, in historical churches, and in top musical halls, plus ballet and opera at Palais Garnier and Opera Bastille. Get your tickets now:
January Concerts in Paris
More Paris classical concerts, opera, & dance performances during January
More Paris rock, pop, jazz, rap, indie, & other concerts during January
Find Paris concerts for other months
Pop-Up Boutiques in Paris during January 2024
Pop-up stores have been having a "moment" in Paris for a few years now. Part of their popularity stems from being among the first to view a chic new concept or trendy line of products. If you love to shop, check out these pop-up boutiques, including two in the trendy Marais neighborhood:
- Bobochic, a trendy French interior decor brand, displays their latest home furnishings in the heart of the Marais. Through February 25, at 126 Rue de Turenne, 3rd arrondissement
- Courrèges combines fashion with music in a pop-up dediated to Dizonord, an independent music store north of the city - look for rare books, vinyls, stylish photo prints, and underground culture. Through February 25, at 119 Rue Vieille du Temple, 3rd arrondissement
- Alchemist x Printemps at Printemps Haussmann - A multi-sensory space where cocktails and pastries offer you a unique taste experience Through January 31 at 64 Boulevard Haussmann, 9th arrondissement
Saint-Jacques Scallop Festival in Montmartre 2024
As seafood-loving Parisians know, the annual Coquille Saint-Jacques Festival at Place des Abbesses in Montmartre should be on your must-visit list for the weekend of January 27-28.
Although this pop-up festival offers free and fee-based tastings to showcase the fresh scallops, oysters, and other seafood from Brittany from about 20 specialists, you'll find a lot more to love here: crepes, buttered caramel, and traditional Breton charcuterie, culinary demonstrations and tastings, musical entertainment, and even a fish pavilion.
Festival hours are 9am - 8pm on Saturday and 9:30am - 7pm on Sunday. And for even more choices, check out all the seafood, cheese, wine, produce, and chocolate shops along Montmartre's Rue des Abbesses, one of Paris's great market streets.
More Fun Things to Do While You're in Montmartre
Looking for interesting things to do in Montmartre on chilly January days? Check out our suggestions:
Sample Montmartre's best cheese, wine, and pastries on a guided walking tour
Paris Museum Exhibitions for January 2024
Here are just a few of the top exhibitions you can see in Paris this month:
- Palais Galliera - Azzedine Alaïa, Couturier and Collector: 140 creations by top designers from the French couturier's vast collection - Through January 21, 2024
- Fondation Louis Vuitton: Blockbuster retrospective exhibition of around 115 works by American abstract painter Mark Rothko, with some displayed in conjunction with large-scale sculptures by Alberto Giacometti - Through April 2, 2024; book in advance
- Centre Pompidou - Chagall at Work: Drawings, Ceramics, & Sculpture, 1945-1970: Lots to see here, but the real show-stoppers are Chagall's work for theaters: costumes and stage curtains for Stravinsky's The F irebird, plus his sketches and designs for ceilings at the Paris Opera House (Palais Garnier) - Through February 26; book online or enter free with your Paris Museum Pass (does not include all shows)
- Atelier des Lumieres - Want to see more of Chagall's spectacular work? Head to Atelier's immersive digital shows on Chagall and Paul Klee, which end on January 7. Purchase tickets online in advance, as buying them at the door is always iffy.
Find complete ticket and other information, plus more Paris museum exhibitions
Paris Museum and Attractions Passes
Get free admission and skip-the-line access to 60+ museums in and near Paris when you have a Paris Museum Pass for 2, 4, or 6 days. More info
Recommended January Day Trip from Paris: Champagne Tour & Tastings!
What's the best way to welcome January and the New Year? With Champagne, of course!
On our recommended day trip from Paris for January, you'll visit 2 or more Champagne houses (including a world-famous choice and 1-2 small traditional Champagne houses), savor Champagne and food pairings during lunch, tour the champagne cellars, and join a masterclass conducted in a vineyard (or inside in case of bad weather).
By the end of your trip to the Champagne region near Paris, you'll have tasted 8 different Champagnes and will have a new understanding of how Champagne is made. Pickup from your hotel or apartment in central Paris is included, and you can choose a small group (8 people max) or private option.
Find out more about this Champagne Wine Day Tour from Paris
Learn about other popular Day Trips from Paris
Epiphany Day & Galette des Rois in Paris
Paris (and the rest of France) celebrates Epiphany, the arrival in Bethlehem of Three Wisemen bringing gifts to Baby Jesus, on January 6. (Less commonly in France, some people may instead observe this Catholic and Orthodox event on the first Sunday after January 1st.)
The tradition in France is to celebrate with Champagne and galette des rois - Kings' Cake. This delicious confection is traditionally made from buttery puff pastry and almond paste with a tiny porcelein figurine or bean - la fève - hidden somewhere inside.
Some Paris bakeries feature creative variations, such as using sweetened pistachio nut paste or even fruit/nut mixtures instead of the almond version.
When the cake is sliced and served, whoever finds the fève (hopefully without breaking a tooth in the process) gets to wear a golden paper crown for the rest of the day and even better, enjoy good luck for the coming year.
Even though Epiphany is only one day, bakeries keep their windows filled with tantalizing displays of galette des rois in all sizes throughout most of January, because who can stop after sampling just one?
Then the cakes disappear for the rest of the year - but if you're not in Paris during January, you can enjoy a somewhat similar taste with an almond croissant at any time.
District 13 Art Fair @ Hotel Drouot - 2024
Thirty two international galleries will exhibit works of the best established and emerging contemporary urban street artists at the District 13 International Art Fair held at the prestigious Hotel Drouot auction house from January 12-14, with a preview on January 11.
Look for works by Obey, Stool, Olivia Ferrand, D*Face, Brusk, Maye, Invader, and L'Atlas, as well as talks by artists and live performances. Selected works will be auctioned on Saturday, September 13.
Location: Hotel Drouot, 9 Rue Drouot, Paris 9th arr
Tickets: 10€ for 1-day pass; 15€ for a multi-day pass; 25€ for multi-day pass + opening
More information: Event website
More Ways to See Street Art in Paris
Paris Fashion Week - January 2024
Fashion Week brings a special buzz to Paris during January, when designers, celebrities, and fashionistas from around the world converge to see the latest trends in Haute Couture (January 22-25) for the Spring/Summer 2024 season.
This is when renowned and trending fashion houses such as Hermès, Agnès b., Jil Sander, Pigalle Paris, Victor & Rolf, Fendi Couture, Isabel Marant, Dior, Chanel, Stéphane Rolland, Zuhair Murad, Valentino, Ungaro, Courrèges, and Ami reveal their newest collections.
The best places to glimpse the models (assuming you're not going to the invitation-only shows) are around the venue locations - the Grand Palais in the ritzy 8th arrondissement (although temporarily relocated to Champs de Mars), Palais de Tokyo and Palais Galliera in the 16th, Espace Eiffel near the Branly Museum in the 7th, Palais Brongniart in the 2nd, and at a variety of smaller, hipper venues scattered around the city. The trendy Marais neighborhood, especially around Place des Vosges, and Palais Royal are always good model-spotting locales.
Even if you're not remotely interested in these shows, here's what you need to know: every hotel in central Paris neighborhoods fills up with attendees and rates soar (unlike Paris hotel rates during the rest of January) - so if you're planning a visit during this period, book as early as possible to get the best rates - shift your dates a bit to miss this period.
Festival of Lights at Paris's Jardin des Plantes 2024
The annual winter Festival of Lights returns to the Jardin des Plantes (Botanical Garden) in Paris's 5th arrondissement, with giant illuminated statues of animals creating a magical experience during the evening.
The topic year is the ecosystem of the jungle and the balance of nature in tropical forests of Asia, Oceania, South America, and Africa.
Although the exhibition attracts almost 400,000 visitors each year, the garden never seems crowded.
You can see the creatures unilluminated during daytime hours without a ticket (in other words, for free), but the ticketed event which begins after dark is much more spectacular.
Dates: Through January 21, except for Dec. 24 & 31, 6pm l- 9:30pm, with last entry at 8:30pm, and until 11pm (last entry at 10) on Friday, Saturday, & school holidays
Location: Jardin des Plantes, 57 Rue Cuvier, 5th arr
Tickets for evening strolls: 15€-17€, with reduced prices for children and families; tickets must be bought online (and get yours early, as they will sell out on many nights, especially during the holidays)
More Outdoor Exhibitions & Strolls during January 2024
Embrace the fresh air of crisp winter days and nights with these fun outdoor exhibitions and strolls while seeing lesser-known parts of Paris:
- Jardin d'Acclimatation -
Stroll along the trails in this popular children's amusement park on the edge of Bois de Boulogne in Paris's 16 arrondissement, and explore the exquisite Korean Garden, Norman "hamlet" complete with farm animals, aviary, and wooded slopes. Admission is 6.50€ (3.50€ seniors) at the gate (5-minute walk from Les Sablons Metro station).
Bonus: Entrance to the park is free when you have a ticket to Fondation Louis Vuitton (access the park directly through the doors near the restaurant).
Special Evening Experience: During January and through most of February, the new Dragons & Lanterns Festival lights up the garden for a fabulous family-friendly from 6pm-10pm from Wednesdays through Sundays, excluding holidays. Find more information and tickets here. (Not included with regular entrance tickets.) - Street Art - On this 90-minute street art walking tour of the 19th and 20th arrondissements, you'll explore two vibrand neighborhoods as you view the some of Paris's best graffiti art and learn about the artists who created it. Get your tickets
Festival d'Automne (Autumn Festival) Paris - 2024
The Paris Autumn Festival (which extends through February 10) showcases the latest creations and artists (international as well as French) in contemporary dance, theater, music, cinema, and visual arts at a variety of venues around Paris, include the Grand Hall at Parc de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement, the Pinault Collection at Bourse de Commerce and Louvre in the 1st, and Pompidou Center in the 4th, just to name a few.
This is a hugely popular festival, with over 50 events (many of which extend over several or more days) at over 40 venues in and near Paris.
Most events are ticketed, and many sell out quickly, so don't wait to book, which you can do through the event's website.
More Fun Things to Do & See in Paris in January
Need a Paris Hotel or Apartment for Your January Visit?
Planning a trip to Paris? Use this hotel booking map to find hotels and apartments during your travel dates:
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More Things to Do & See in Paris in January
- Paris Church Concerts - Where to hear the best classic, baroque, sacred, and choral music in historic Paris churches
- Sainte Chapelle - All about the gorgeous stained glass, interesting tours, and candlelight concerts
- Why Visit Paris - In case you're wondering if you should visit Paris, here's why you should!
- Paris's Famous Winter Sales - Everything you need to know to score bargains at Paris's famous January/February sales
