Like many, I don’t think you ever need an excuse to go to Paris. But with Art Basel Paris returning to the Grand Palais from October 23rd to 25th, there’s an especially good reason to plan a fall escape to the City of Light.
Beyond the fair, Paris will be buzzing with satellite fairs, gallery openings, and museum exhibitions that span centuries of art history and the best of contemporary art. It’s an especially exciting time to explore the city’s gallery hubs—namely Matignon Saint-Honoré and the Marais—as well as its institutions, from the storied Musée d’Orsay to the cutting-edge Bourse de Commerce. Here’s our 10-stop guide to making the most of Paris Art Week 2026.
All 10 stops are also featured in City Guide, a new feature in the Artsy app that helps you discover art nearby, save the shows, galleries, and fairs you want to see, and build your own art itineraries.
1. Art Basel Paris
Oct. 21–25 | Grand Palais | 8th arrondissement
The centerpiece of Paris Art Week returns to the majestic Grand Palais for its fifth edition, bringing together more than 200 galleries from 41 countries. In addition to booths from local Parisian heavyweights like Perrotin, Chantal Crousel, and Almine Rech, I’d make a point of exploring Emergence, the sector dedicated to solo presentations by rising artists on the balcony that overlooks the main fair floor.
For a more art historical perspective, head to the Premise sector, which features curated presentations like Robert Indiana and Ellsworth Kelly from Olney Gleason and El Anatsui, Uche Okeke, and Obiora Udechukwu from kó. The fair begins with VIP previews on October 21st and 22nd, followed by a ticketed vernissage on the afternoon of the 22nd. Public admission runs October 23rd through 25th.
2. Paris Internationale
Oct. 20–24 | 187–189 Quai de Valmy | Canal Saint-Martin
One of my favorite counterparts to Art Basel Paris is Paris Internationale, now in its 12th edition. This year the fair moves to a new venue along the Canal Saint-Martin. Known for its independent spirit and lively atmosphere, it’s a great place to discover new artists and galleries. The fair holds an invite-only preview on October 19th, with the main fair running October 20th through 24th.
3. Marais galleries and Post-Fair
Various locations | Marais
In the Marais, make time for the galleries clustered along rue de Turenne, rue Debelleyme, and the surrounding streets. Four shows that are high on my list:
- Jordan Casteel at Thaddaeus Ropac: Opening October 19th, “Winter Sun” marks the American artist’s first solo exhibition in France. The show brings together paintings of people, botanicals, and landscapes in a palette drawn from the cool light of winter.
- Alma Allen at Perrotin: An exhibition of new, large-scale bronzes marks Allen’s first solo exhibition in Paris, and his first with Perrotin, which began representing him earlier this year. It comes ahead of his presentation at the U.S. pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
- Rosana Paulino at Mendes Wood DM: For her first solo show in Paris, opening October 19th, the Brazilian artist presents new large-scale paintings of female figures in natural settings that explore Black womanhood.
- Oscar Murillo at David Zwirner: “Unfinished Thinking: Paintings and Social Maps” brings together paintings layered with color and gesture that explore shared experiences, labor, and migration.
While in the area, don’t miss Chris Sharp’s Los Angeles–born fair, Post-Fair, which crosses the Atlantic for its first international edition, taking over two buildings at 74 and 79 rue du Temple. More than 30 galleries will present solo and two-artist presentations throughout the open rooms, creating the feel of a sprawling group exhibition rather than a conventional booth fair. Running October 19th to 24th, the fair is free to attend with advance registration.
4. Design Miami Paris
Oct. 20–24 | Hôtel de Maisons, 51 rue de l’Université | 7th arrondissement
Design Miami Paris returns to the magnificent 18th-century Hôtel de Maisons, once home to Karl Lagerfeld. Expect a striking mix of rare historic and contemporary design, from furniture to sculptural objects. The setting is part of the appeal, including the Design at Large program, which brings larger installations into the courtyard and idyllic gardens. An invitation-only preview takes place on October 20th, followed by public days from October 21st through 24th.
5. Galleries in Matignon Saint-Honoré and the 8th
Various locations | 8th arrondissement
The Matignon Saint-Honoré Nocturne on October 19th offers a festive kickoff to Paris Art Week. Some 38 galleries in the 8th arrondissement will stay open until 9 p.m., while the main streets are closed to traffic, turning the neighborhood into a lively gallery stroll. It’s an ideal time to explore one of the city’s major gallery districts, with everything from modern masters to contemporary art and design.
Three shows worth prioritizing:
- Alexander Calder at Hauser & Wirth: “François Premier” revisits Calder’s time in France in the 1950s, with mobiles, sculptures, and works on paper. The centerpiece is Les Granettes (1953), a monumental standing mobile which has not been exhibited publicly in 72 years.
- Lee Krasner at Gagosian: Presented by Gagosian, Olney Gleason, and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, “Works from the 1960s” marks the first solo presentation in France devoted to the pioneering Abstract Expressionist. The show spotlights a pivotal decade in her career and coincides with the major “Krasner Pollock” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Tracey Emin at White Cube: The artist’s first solo exhibition at the gallery’s Paris space features new paintings and bronze sculptures, following her acclaimed Tate Modern show.
6. Musée d’Orsay: Jenny Holzer, “J’ai vu” and Mary Cassatt
1 rue de la Légion d’Honneur | 7th arrondissement
Jenny Holzer’s exhibition of text-based work was conceived specifically for and in collaboration with the storied museum. Holzer found inspiration in the museum’s archive, drawing on artists’ letters as well as literature from the period of its holdings, 1848 to 1914.
The show features an LED sign stretching through four galleries, along with engraved stone benches and columns. Perhaps most exciting are the light projections on the museum’s iconic exterior facing the Seine, which you can witness from October 18th to 22nd, from dusk to 11 p.m.
While you’re there, don’t miss Mary Cassatt’s retrospective, which brings together nearly 80 paintings, pastels, and prints, tracing the American Impressionist’s remarkable trajectory and output.
7. Art Basel Paris Public Program
Oct. 21–25 | Various locations
Some of the week’s most exciting art is temporarily popping up across the city thanks to Art Basel’s public program of installations. A highlight is Kutluğ Ataman’s celebrated video environment Küba (2005), on view at the Beaux-Arts de Paris and curated by Nathan Ladd. The expansive piece features 40 monitors, each one showing a resident of a since-demolished settlement on the outskirts of Istanbul. Together, their stories form a portrait of community.
Elsewhere, look for three monumental bronzes by Tracey Emin at the Parvis des Droits-de-l’Homme, Alice Diop’s Geste de Consolation (presented by Miu Miu) at the Palais d’Iéna, and a herd of plush animals by Cosima von Bonin at the Petit Palais. Monumental sculptures will also line the Avenue Winston Churchill.
8. Fondation Cartier: Ibrahim Mahama, “The Harvest Season”
Oct. 22–Feb. 28 | 2 Place du Palais-Royal | 1st arrondissement
Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama takes over the Fondation Cartier’s entire exhibition space, housed in the institution’s new building, which opened last year. The show features site-specific works and previously unseen versions of some of Mahama’s best-known installations. He has also invited nine artists and collectives to show with him, including photographer James Barnor and painter Gideon Appah.
Known for transforming discarded materials and archival objects into monumental installations, Mahama explores Ghana’s history of colonization and the global passage of goods.
9. Bourse de Commerce: “Remember Me”
Through Jan. 18 | 2 rue de Viarmes | 1st arrondissement
The Bourse de Commerce is known for its ambitious exhibitions. This time, photography takes center stage in “Remember Me,” bringing together some 700 works by more than 70 artists from the Pinault Collection, all exploring memory in different ways.
Barbara Kruger, whose work gives the exhibition its title, takes over the spectacular rotunda with an installation of text, film, and voices. Meanwhile, Irving Penn gets a gallery of his own, filled with some 450 photographs.
10. The Louvre: Kader Attia and Elizabeth Peyton
Through Dec. 14 | Musée du Louvre, rue de Rivoli | 1st arrondissement
For the past two years, contemporary artists Kader Attia and Elizabeth Peyton have had studios at the Louvre and made new work while exploring its collections. The results are on view in “Hosts at the Louvre.”
Attia presents a film and installation exploring history and the act of looking, while Peyton presents a series of her signature portraits alongside paintings that reinterpret the museum’s masterpieces. While the Louvre is synonymous with art history, it’s an exciting opportunity to see leading contemporary artists connecting the age-old collection with the present.
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