Please fill in all fields and then click Submit.
Once submitted, your comment will be sent for approval by one of our editors.
Paris Events January 2012: What to See and Do in Paris
January 2012 Events in Paris
ASSORTED PARIS EVENTS
Ice Skating Rinks at Hôtel de Ville and Tour Montparnasse
12-10pm Mondays through Fridays and 9am-10pm Saturdays and Sundays (rental skates available).
Jours de Fêtes—Carnival Days at the Grand Palais
1 & 2 A huge carnival and amusements inside the Grand Palais
7 & 8 Over 3,000 dogs & over 300 breeds competing at the largest Paris Dog Show, Parc Floral de Paris, Bois de Vincennes
Open group walking tours—Randonnée de la Tour Eiffel
7 Four different hikes past decorated monuments on the 26th annual
randonnée. 3pm start, on til midnight.
Galeries Lafayette, 1st floor of Galeries Lafayette Coupole
through Jan. 7 Antidote 7, a graphic art exhibit by artist Jean-Marc Ballée
through Jan. 8 "Corteo" in extended performances—a hit in Paris!
Les Soldes—Semi-Annual Retail Sale Season
Jan. 11 through Feb. 14 Winter sales for five weeks
18-22 Preview men's 2012/2012 fall fashion collections
23-26 Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2012 collection
Paris Capitale de la Création Trade Show
20-24 Major international trade show featuring fashion, accessories and home furnishings at Porte de Versailles.
29 Parade in area of place de Italie to kick off the Year of the Dragon at 1pm in the Paris 13th...more details at the website for the Mayor of the Paris 13th
Grand Marché d’Art Contemporain
26-29 "L'urbansime" is this year's theme, with over 150 contemporary artists selling at this art fair in the Paris 13th
Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain—Festival of the World Circus of Tomorrow
26-29 The world's best circus acts in spectacular performances for the 33rd year
MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS (ART, FILM, PHOTOGRAPHY & MORE)
Archaeological Crypt of Notre Dame – Crypte Archéologique du Parvis Notre Dame
- Et Lutèce devint Paris, through February 26
- Napoléon III et l’Italie, through January 15
- Soudain, Déjà, through January 8
- Vernissage de l’Exposition des Lauréats des Prix des Amis 2011, through January 10
Branly Museum on Quai Branly—Musée du Quai Branly
- Samouria, Armure du Guerrier, through January 29
Bourdelle Museum—Musée Bourdelle
- Antoine Bourdelle / Que du Dessin, through January 29
Carnavalet Museum—Musée Carnavalet
People of Paris in the 19th Century, through February 26
Cartier Foundation Gallery—Fondation Cartier
- Mathematics – A Beautiful Elsewhere, through March 18
Children’s Interactive Art Museum—Musée en Herbe
- Keith Haring Hieroglyphs, through March 1
Chocolate Museum—Musee Gourmand du Chocolat
- Victorian chocolate advertising, through March 11
- Metropolis, through January 29
City of Science & Industry Museum & Children's Museum—Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie
- Océan, Climat et Nous, through June 30, 2012
- Gaulois: Une Expo Renversante, through September 2012
- Gaston Fébus (1331-1391), through March 5
Cognacq-Jay Museum—Musée Cognacq-Jay (founders of Samaritaine)
- Gold boxes and objects, through May 6
Costume & Theater Set Design Museum—Centre National du Costume de Scène
- L’Envers du Décor, January 28 through May 20
Decorative Arts Museum—Musée des Arts Décoratifs
- Maarten Baas, Curiosities, through February 12
- Stefan Sagmeister (advertising art), through February 19
- Goudemalion, Jean-Paul Goude Retrospective, through March 18
- Teddy Bears and Boy's Toys, through March 11
- Dolls in Victorian Advertising, through March 11
- Yann Kersalé, Sept Fois Plus à l'Ouest, through March 25
Eugene Delacroix Museum—Musée national de Eugène Delacroix
- Homage to Delacroix Fantin-Latour, Manet, Cézanne, art from the Louvre through March 19
European House of Photography—La Maison Européenne de la Photographie (AKA "MEP")
- L’Age d’Or de la Photographie Albanaise, through January 8
- Fernanda Magalhaes, Rogério Reis, Edu Simoes, through January 8
- Rome + Klein Photographies 1956-1960, through January 8
- Martine Franck, Venus d’Ailleurs, through January 8
Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Henri Cartier-Bresson/Paul Strand, Mexico, 1932-1934, January 11 through April 22
Giverny Impressionism Museum (by Monet's gardens) -- Giverny Impressionists Museum
- Museum reopens April 1, 2012
Grand Palace Museum, Palace of Discovery—Grand Palais/Palais de la Découverte
- Game Story: A History of the Video Game, through January 10
- Des Jouets et des Hommes (Toys and Men), through January 23
- Gaston Fébus (1331-1391), through March 5 (exhibition also at the Cluny Museum)
- Le Cheveu, through August, 2012
Grand Palace National Gallery—Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais
- Matisse, Cézanne, Picasso…l’Aventure des Stein, EXTENDED to January 22
- Maiolica Italian Faience in the Time of the Humanists, through February 6
- Flagship exhibition of the Maison de l'histoire de France (see details below): La France en reliefs de Louis XIV à Napoléon III (1668–1873) , January 18 through February 17
- Permanent collection
Holocaust Memorial Museum—Mémorial de la Shoah
Cinema and the Shoah, through February 20- Des JO de Berlin aux JO de Londres (1936-1948), through March 18
Hôtel de Ville—see Paris City Hall below
Jacquemart-André Museum–Musée Jacquemart André
- Fra Angelico et les Maîtres de la Lumière, through January 16
- Autour du Piano (piano recitals), January 21 through March 19
Japan Cultural Center—Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris
- 30th anniversary art exhibitions, 70 Japanese designers who live in France, January 27 through February 9
- Masters of the golden age of Japanese genre cinema - VOL.1 - Kenji Misumi and Tai Kato, January 17 through February 18
- Jazz in Japan 2011 concerts, performances by: Kazumi Watanabe & Minako Yoshida, Naoko Terai & Richard Galliano and more, March 1 through 3
- Humour, parodie et vidéos, March 28 through June 23
- Jahnu Adoor, Barua Gopalakrishnan, North East by South West, through January 22
- Diane Arbus, through February 5
- Audrey Cottin: Charlie & Sabrina, through February 5
- Blow Up / Cycle "Side Effects,” through March 15
Jewish Art & History Museum—Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme
- Walter Benjamin Archives, through February 5
- Carole Benzaken, through February 5
Legion of Honor Museum—Musée National de la Légion d’Honneur
- Museum section closed January 1 until February 14
- La berline de Napoléon (Napoleon's coaches), March 7 through July 8
Louvre Museum -- Musée du Louvre
- Forbidden City in the Louvre – Emperors of China and Kings of France, through January 9
- Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, through January 16
- Le Louvre invite J. M. G. Le Clézio – Le Musée monde, through February 6
- Dessins français de la collection Mariette, through February 6
- Giorgio Vasari - Dessins du Louvre, through February 8
- Les reliques de saint Césaire d’Arles, through February 16
- Fantin-Latour, Manet, Baudelaire - L’Hommage à Delacroix, at the Delacroix Museum through March 19
Luxembourg Garden Museum—Musée du Luxembourg
- Cézanne et Paris, through February 26
Luxembourg Garden Street Exhibitions—Art posted on the gates by Lé Senat
- Coeurs de Nature – Biodiversité, thorugh January 15th
MacVal—Musée d'Art Contemporain du Val-de-Marne
- art films by Danish artist Jesper Jest, through February 5
Maillol Museum; Dina Vierny Foundation—Musée Maillol
- Pompéi, through February 12
- Elle Coud, Elle Court, la Grisette, through January 15
Maison de l'histoire de France—History of France Museum
*First exhibition for new museum established in 2009 by President Sarkozy opens in le Marais in 2015. Until then, wandering exhibitions.
- La France en reliefs de Louis XIV à Napoléon III (1668–1873) , January 18 through February 17 at Le Grand Palais
Malmaison—Musée national des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois Préau
- Permanent collection
Maritime Museum at Palais de Tokyo—Musée Nationale de la Marine
- Georges Rohner et la Guadeloupe (1934-1936), through January 16
Mineral and Geology Museum—Le galerie de Minéralogie et de Géologie at Le Jardin des Plantes
- Closed for renovation
Modern Art Museum of Paris—Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
- Ryan Trecartin-Lizzie Fitch, Any, Ever, through January 8
- Baselitz Sculpteur, through January 29
Mona Bismarck Foundation & American Cultural Center/Gallery
- The Wyeths, Three Generations of American Art, through February 12
Montparnasse Museum—Le Musée du Montparnasse
- Francis Carco, Bohème d’Artistes, January 6 through January 29
National Library of France—Bibliothèque nationale de France (François Mitterand Library)
- Casanova, la passion de la liberté through February 19
Natural History Museum -- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle at Le Jardin des Plantes
- Au Fil des Araignées, through July 2
- Guy Stresser-Péan (1913-2009), la passion du Mexique, through January 16
- Permanent collection
- Veneration of the Crown of Thorns & Relics of the Passion, Jan. 6 (first Friday monthly)
Orangerie Museum—Musée de l’Orangerie
- L’Espagne Entre Deux Siècles de Zuloaga à Picasso, through January 9
- Beauty, Morals and Voluptuousness in the England of Oscar Wilde, through January 15
- closed through at least April 12, 2012 for renovations
- No current exhibition
Paris City Hall Gallery—Hôtel de Ville
- The Drawings of Sempé, EXTENDED through March 31
- "The Chic Parisian," through February 25
Petit Palais Fine Arts Museum of Paris—Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris
- Rabindranath Tagore, through March 11
Pinacothèque Art Museum of Paris -- Pinacothèque
- Giacometti et les Étrusques, through January 8
Pompidou Modern Art Museum—Centre Georges Pompidou
- Edvard Munch, l’oeil Moderne 1900-1944, through January 9
- Yayoi Kusama, through January 9
- Des Années 1960 à Nos Jours, through February 13
- Danser sa Vie, through March 5
Red House Foundation (Albert de Galbert Foundation)— La Maison Rouge
- Mémoires du Futur, through January 15
NOTE: Exceptional closing of the permanent collection January through March 2012 for repairs.
- Capturing the Model, 300 Rodin drawings 1890-1917, through March 9 (date change)
Romantic-Writers Museum—Musée de la Vie Romantique
- La Nouvelle Athènes, permanent exhibition
- Paris Proche et Lointain, Patrick Faigenbaum, February 12
Skilled Arts & Crafts Museum -- Musée des Arts et Métiers
- History of the Paris Métro, through January 1
- Permanent collection ongoing
Versailles Palace— Château de Versailles
- Concours photos Versailles en famille, through January 8
- La garde-robe aux atours de Marie-Antoinette, through January 21
Zadkine (sculpture) Museum & Garden—Musée Zadkine
- Closed through February for maintenance
MUSIC VENUES (POP, ROCK, R&B, JAZZ, CLASSICAL)
Series of intimate recitals and concerts at several locations, including the Jacquemart-André Museum, Salle Gaveau, Salle Cortot, and the Foundation Dosne-Thiers. Please click name for schedule.
Dark in January
Châtelet Theater Grand Foyer Concerts— Grand Foyer du Châtelet
12 Soirée Classique: autour de piano: Danielle Laval, piano with Quatuor Elysées
6-8 Olivier de Benoist
13-15 Olivier de Benoist
19 Amos Lee
20 Ibrahaim Maalouf
21 Fallenfest Finale
26-28 Francois Rollin
30 Ben Howard
Olympia Concert Hall— L’Olympia
8 Les Poppys
13 Chico and the Gypsies
14 Le Bal
15 Claude Vanony
16 Chickenfoot
17 Elisabeth Buffet
19 Boyz II Men
20 Irish Legends
21 Pooh
23 Katia Guerreiro
24-29 Michèle Bernier, Et Pas Une Ride (comedy)
30 Lynda Lemay
Le Palais des Congrès de Paris
4 Grand Ecart
7, 8 Ourra
10 Le Visiteur
11 Valses de Vienne
13-15 Julien Clerc
19-22 Ane Tendre et Tête de Bois
28, 29 Chantal Goya
30 Le Pouvoir de l’Illusion l’Art de la Négociation
Adam and Eve, a new musical, January 31 through March 6
Salle Pleyel (Classical, Jazz & World Music)
5 Orchestre des Etudiants du Pole Supériur de Paris Boulogne-Billancourt
6 Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
8 En Chordias, Kiryakos Kalaitzidis, Maria Farantouri and Kudsi Erguner
11, 12 Orchestre de Paris
12 Les Grandes Figures: Debussy
14, 15 AaRon
17 Stephen Kovacevich
18, 19, 21 Orchestre de Paris: Andris Nelsons and Sergey Khachatryan
21 Concerts de Lauréats du Concours International Tchaikovski de Moscou
22 Orchestre National d’Île de France
25 Prélude
25, 26 Orchestre de Paris
27 Kremerata Baltica, Gidon Kremer and Martha Argerich
28 Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Myung-Whun Chung
28, 29 Orchestre Filarmonica della Scala
Dark in January
7 Maroc Festival
8 Takfarinas
14, 15 Ballet Opéra National de Kiev Danse Giselle
24 Rock Meets Classic
25 The Black Keys
26 The Australian Pink Floyd Show
28 Debout sur le Zinc
29 D’Angelo
JAZZ CLUBS (see each site for nightly shows)
- 10 Jazz Crusaders, featuring Wayne Henderson (always one of the best Paris jazz concerts of the year)
AUTHORS, BOOK-SIGNINGS & LITERARY EVENTS
10 WICE World Watch @ The Library: Jim Bittermann, senior correspondent for CNN, and Denis Lacorne, professor at Sciences Po’s School of International Affairs, discuss France's role in EU and US relations.
11 Evenings with an Author: Lionel Shriver, bestselling author and winner of the Orange Prize for her novel We Need to Talk About Kevin, presents So Much for That.
17 Close Ups: Blacks in Film with Tama Carroll—Film through the Ages, a discussion about the presence of Blacks in film, examining their successes and challenges.
18 Evenings with an Author: Inside the Banlieues: An Exploration by Beth Epstein, who will present her book, Collective Terms: Race, Culture and Community in a State-Planned City in France
19 Evenings with an Author: Cherie Burns will discuss her book Searching for Beauty—The Life of Millicent Rogers, the first comprehensive biography of the Standard Oil heiress and fashion icon.
24 Evenings with an Author: Critically acclaimed author Arthur Phillips presents his latest tour de force The Tragedy of Arthur.
25 Evenings with an Author: Sophie Hardach presents her debut novel The Registrar’s Manual for Detecting Forced Marriages, a smart, gripping novel about identity, immigration, love and marriage.
31 WICE Writers on Writing with Jeffrey Greene, a multi-faceted American writer living in France, will discuss his most recent collection of poetry, Beautiful Monsters, and his historical fiction projects in the works.
No events announced as of publication date
4 Carosel in acoustic concert
10 Author Lionel Shriver will read from So Much for That and will be interviewed by Steven Gale
12 Alba Arikha reads from her book, Major/Minor, A Memoir
No events announced as of publication date
OPERA, BALLET & THEATRE PERFORMANCES
Opéra Garnier [Palais Garnier]
- Ballet Royal du Danemark, January 6 through 10
- La Cerisaie, January 27 through February 13
- Manon, January 10 through February 13
- La Dame de Pique, January 19 through February 6
- Rigoletto, January 27 through February 23
Royal Opera House of Versailles
- Monteverdi: Orféo, January 10 and 11
- Charpentier: La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers, January 13
- Fréderic II: Splendeurs de la Prusse à Versailles, January 21
- Orchestre National de Montpelier, January 25
- Béjart Ballet de Lausanne, January 27-29
Lisa Buros-Hutchins is the BonjourParis calendar editor and owner of Your Paris Experience, a private travel consultancy offering a wide array of services, from trip itinerary planning and phone consultation to specific itemized services. Please visit Lisa’s website for more information. Your Paris Experience is pleased to offer BonjourParis Premium Members a 10% discount on the public price of all services.
How to send calendar notices:
Please send an email with your notice, links and photos attached by the 15th of the month prior to the event to: Lisa@yourparisexperience.com. Photos should be low-resolution 72dpi sized at 500 pixels wide to allow cropping. There is no cost for a listing and all submissions are subject to editorial approval.
To request press coverage or advance promotion:
Our Paris reporters and photographers can cover event previews and performances with advance notice. Please send requests and promotion requests to this email address: bparticles @ gmail.com (omit spaces, please).
Subscribe for FREE weekly newsletters with subscriber-only content.
BonjourParis has been a leading France travel and French lifestyle site since 1995.
Readers' Favorites: Top 100 Books, imports & more at our Amazon store
In the mood for Paris? Update your French, your library & carry your travel library in your Kindle.
Thank you for using our link to Amazon.com...your purchases support our free site.
