As Mariah Carey would say: « It's tiiiiime ! ». It’s the time we eagerly await, when French cities don their most beautiful bright and colorful outfits, that magical moment when they come alive once night falls. In just a few days, Paris will start to embrace the rhythm of Christmas and the end-of-year celebrations. While we already know most of the opening dates for the window displays and the Christmas markets – which we can enjoy starting Saturday, November 16 at the Tuileries – we also have some hints about the dates of the first illuminations.
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The start of the holiday lights from the end of November
Every year, Christmas takes over every corner of the capital to bring that touch of magic to the City of Light that we cherish so much. From avenue Montaigne, Montmartre, Place Vendôme, to the Champs-Élysées... the places usually shrouded in twilight are suddenly illuminated with a thousand lights. At the Westfield Forum des Halles, the atmosphere is already festive as the lights were installed and turned on since November 7, as explained by the Paris tourist office. Over at Bercy Village, the lights will dazzle from November 21 to January 6, 2025.
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On the Faubourg-Saint-Honoré street, join us starting November 26th for the launch of the neighborhood's festive lights with a fanfare, parade by the Republican Guard, and a DJ set! As for Place Vendôme, there are no exact dates yet, so we’ll have to wait until the end of November to enjoy them, but they will be shining bright until the beginning of January. The Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, on the other hand, will start twinkling only from the beginning of December.
In the Haussmann district, the illuminations will be visible between November and January. On the forecourt of the City Hall, they will be up between November and December. Lastly, the launch of the lights on Avenue Montaigne will take place on November 20th at 6:30 PM, in front of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, with the presence of Manon Apithy, a gold medal-winning fencer from the 2024 Olympics, M.Mathieu Forget, artist, dancer, and photographer, and Jeanne d'Hauteserre, mayor of the 8th district.
The Champs-Élysées will be lit up starting November 24
A Christmas without the iconic lights of the Champs-Élysées wouldn't be a true Christmas celebration! The world's most famous avenue will sparkle starting November 24, with a kickoff by Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024, to keep the spirit of the Olympic Games alive in the capital. On this occasion, the Champs will become pedestrian-friendly. They will be lit up every day from 5 PM to midnight, from 5 PM to 1 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 5 PM to 6 AM on December 24 and 31.
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