What To Do in France in September

As the shcool summer holidays come to an end and everyone heads ‘back to school’, September is indeed a busy month. The cultural calendar is also packed with plenty of events and great exhibitions. This year is marked of course by the start of the Rugby World Cup which will run throughout autumn. Here is France Today’s selection of events and festivals in France in September 2023.

The American Film Festival, Deauville, Calvados – Sep 1-10

The coastal resort of Deauville and its beautiful belle-époque sea-view villas is the backdrop to this renowned film festival celebrating American cinema, from block-busters to indie movies, short to feature films.

Visa pour l’Image, Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales – Sep 2-17 

The 35th anniversary of the International Festival of Photojournalism is held in the southern city of Perpignan this year. Each year, this free festival welcomes about 200,000 visitors and this year, it will present a total of 25 exhibitions covering themes that go from the climate change to the artificial intellifence, including the uprising of the population in Iran. 

Village de la Gastronomie, Paris – Sep 7-10 

This extravaganza of French and international cuisine with cookery demonstrations, tastings, and food stalls takes place at the foot of the Eiffel tower. 

The Rugby World Cup kicks off! – Sep 8  

The 2023 Rugby World Cup will kick off with a bang, or should we say, with a Hakka as France take son New Zealand in the opening game of the competition. In France for a few games? Be sure to bookmark our guides to the host cities and day trip ideas in between fixtures. Read our complete guide to the Rugby World Cup.

Rugby : Jeu, Passion, Légende : au delà du terrain !, Montpellier, Hérault – Sep 8 – Oct 30

A brand new photo exhibition is taking place on the forecourt of the City Hall, in Montpellier, and will remain for the duration of the Rugby World Cup. A curation of eight photographers from the Occitanie region, the exhibition delves into the heart of the emblematic world of rugby. The different photographs capture and enhance the values ​​of this sport, anchored in the culture and tradition of the game.

European Heritage Days, France-wide – Sep 16-17 

European Heritage Days is an annual event celebrating cultural and historical treasures. For this 40th edition, based around the theme of ‘living heritage’, countless landmarks, monuments, and sites, even some which are normally inaccessible, open their doors to the public. The event offers a unique opportunity to explore and appreciate the diverse heritage of France, and a perfect excuse to visit one of the more than 100 monuments under the umbrella of Centre des Monuments Nationaux. 

Festival de Marionettes, Charleville-Mézières, Ardennes – Sep 16–24 

Charleville-Mézières extends an invitation to excitement, inventiveness and fantasy. It’s the perfect time to discover the World Festival of Marionette Theatre this year, as the largest puppet festival in the world celebrates its 60th anniversary.  

Modigliani at the Orangerie, Paris – Sep 20 – Jan 15 

This exhibition held in the lovely Orangerie Museum in the Jardin des Tuileriesexplores the collaboration between the artist and gallery owner Paul Guillaume who discovered Modigliani and went on to become his art dealer. 

 

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Le Grand Pavois, La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime – Sep 20-25

Held in the port of La Rochelle under the gaze of its picturesque gates, this nautical boat fair gathers sailing and watersports enthusiasts, eager to check out the latest creations of manufacturers.

British Film Festival, Dinard, Ille-et-Vilaine – Sep 27 – Oct 1

Created in 1990, this colourful festival serves as a gateway to European audiences for British cinema. Held in the most British of French seaside resorts, it remains a small event, hosting screenings of six competing films, a dozen previews and many short movies.