What to do in Paris in March

March is an exciting month in Paris when Parisians and tourists are greeted with early signs of spring and longer days after the cold winter. Still not yet high season for tourists, visitors will avoid long lines with the treat of peaceful sightseeing. There are plenty of fascinating exhibitions, events, sports and musical shows. Despite some low temperatures still lingering during this time of year, seeing the city of Love this spring month is certainly a good idea!

Weather in Paris in March

Generally, the temperatures start to rise later in the month in the early spring but expect it to remain chilly with a chance of rain before then. The average temperature in March ranges from around 8 to 14 degrees Celsius (46 to 57 degrees Fahrenheit). There can be fluctuations, and evenings may still be cool. We recommend bringing warm clothes and layers, including a coat and sweater, to stay comfortable and prepared.  

The month of March in the French capital often sees a mix of sunny and rainy days. Light rain showers are not uncommon, so having an umbrella or raincoat can be useful.  With the beginning of spring, you may begin to see signs of blooming flowers and budding trees in late March. On these days you’ll see the return of outdoor terraces with Parisians making the most of the sunshine and increased average daylight hours we’ve been missing since last summer.

All in all, March weather has it a bit of everything; romantic rain, moody clouds, and some joyous sunshine! Regardless of the forecast, Paris’ beauty can’t be tarnished and a great time is always guaranteed in this beautiful city.

Things to do in Paris in March

Spring officially starts on March 20. March brings the return of picnics in front of the Eiffel Tower; park strolls on sunny days and outdoor cocktails along the Seine River. Among cherry blossoms the return of green leaves, it’s also the perfect time to pay a visit to Disneyland Paris. Rainy days can be spent in the Louvre Museum, Versailles Palace and Moulin Rouge. The Jardin du Luxembourg and Jardin des Plantes welcome you during warmer temperatures. Bring your walking shoes as it’s a good time to explore the city on foot with local markets, outdoor activities, food stalls and outdoor live music.

EVENTS

Le Salon de l’Agriculture, Porte de Versailles, 22 February- 2 March 2025

Players from the agricultural world including breeders, producers, unions, ministries, and research institutes come together for this annual event. Le Salon de l’Agriculture is a benchmark agricultural event, internationally.

Carnaval de Paris, Place Gambetta, 2 March 2025

It’s the 28th edition of the Carnaval de Paris, and this year’s theme is love, joy, and peace. The procession will depart from Place de la Gambetta at 1pm and finish at Place de la Republique. Participants are invited to join the festivities anytime along the route.

Cinéma du Réel, Latin Quarter, 22-29 March 2025

This year marks the 47th edition of Cinéma du Réel. The international documentary film festival will showcase works of established filmmakers as well as exciting young talents. Tickets range from 6 to 8 euros per screening.

Printemps du Cinéma, 23-25 March, 2025

During Printemps du Cinéma, films will be showing at just 5 euros per screening in all participating theatres in France. It’s a great time to see new films for an unbeatable price. Some of the many films you won’t want to miss include Snow White, September Says, Becoming Led Zeppelin, Parthenope, and Black Bag.

Drawing Now Paris : le salon du dessin contemporain, Carreau du Temple, 27-30 March 2025

The 18th edition of Drawing Now explores the development of contemporary drawing over the past 50 years. Discover emerging artists as well as more established ones, represented by over 70 international galleries.

Exhibitions

Hans Hollein transFORMS, Centre Pompidou, 5 March- 2 June 2025

With Hans Hollein transFORMS, Centre Pompidou will present Austrian architect Hans Hollein’s most iconic pieces. Hollein’s style is considered postmodern, but he was involved in various art movements, including Informalism, Conceptualism, and the Radical Architecture movements.

David Claerbout, spring, slowly, The Musée de l’Orangerie, 12 March – 9 June 2025

The works of Belgian artist David Claerbout are presented at the Musée de l’Orangerie. The artist uses video and digital art in his work, blending cinema and photography to create less of a distinction between reality and fiction. The collection on display focuses on the passage of time.

L’art est dans la rue, Musée d’Orsay, 18 March- 6 July 2025

With L’art est dans la rue, Musée d’Orsay presents the rise of street art in Paris in the second half of the 18th century. The exhibition will feature nearly 300 works including iconic illustrated posters, photographs, costumes, and more.

Stage Jewellry of the Paris Opera, Bibliothèque nationale de France – Bibliothèque-musée de l’Opéra, Angle des rues Scribe et Auber – 75009 Paris, until 28 March 2025

This exhibition offers a close look at the 4000 piece collection of stage jewelry from the Paris Opera. Take the opportunity to visit the collection housed at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France during the exhibition’s final month.

Quelque part dans la nuit, le peuple danse, Palais de Tokyo, until 5 May, 2025

In Somewhere in the night, the people dance, artist Raphaël Barontini will explore African and Caribbean history in a new light, his contemporary touch on past archives blends reality and fiction. The scenography of the exhibition is inspired by the architecture of the Palais Sans Souci in Haiti.

Revoir Cimabue: The Origins of Italian Painting, Musée du Louvre, until 12 May 2025

40 works by Cimabue will be on display at the Louvre, including two very special restored paintings. Considered one of the most important artists of the 13th century, Cimabue was one of the first Western painters to use Naturalism, representing his subjects realistically. The exhibition also takes a look at the artist’s relationship with Duccio, another important painter of the time.

L’art “dégénéré” : Le procès de l’art moderne sous le nazisme, Musée Picasso, until 25 May, 2025

‘Degenerate’ art : Modern art on trial under the Nazis puts a spotlight on the persecution of avant-garde art by the Nazi regime, and features 57 works by 37 different artists. It is based around the series of exhibitions featuring “Entartete Kunst” (degenerate art) held across Germany starting in 1933.

Objets en question, Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac, until 22 June 2025

Objets en question explores objects of the interwar period in France and the connections between surrealism, ethnology and archaeology during that time. The exhibition focuses on the question of the place of objects in arts and culture, and what makes an object a work of art.

Picasso : L’art en mouvement, Atelier des Lumières, until 29 June, 2025

Immerse yourself in Picasso’s world and work in this captivating exhibition at Atelier des Lumières. It’s the perfect activity for a rainy day with friends or family.

SPORTS

The Harmonie Mutuelle Half Marathon, 9 March 2025

The Harmonie Mutuelle half marathon will have a 21.1 km route that goes along Boulevard Saint-Germain, the Château de Vincennes, the rue de Rivoli, and finishes at Place de la Bastille.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Marseille, 16 March, 2025

Two of France’s best football teams, Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, will face off at Parc des Princes on March 16th. March is a feast for football fans in France as this match comes about two weeks after the PSG vs. Lille match on March 1st.

Saut Hermès, 21-23 March, 2025

Said to be one of the most beautiful jumping events in the world, the Saut Hermès competition by Hermès Paris returns to the Grand Palais Ephémère with three days of one-off shows. The main event, the Grand Prix Hermès, takes place on Sunday afternoon.

Eco Trail, 22 & 23 March 2025 

The eco-responsible and sporting Eco Trail event allows participants to choose from several trails: 10, 18, 30, 45 or 80 km. There are various natural surroundings throughout the western suburbs of Paris. Pack your sneakers and enjoy the beautiful green space the City of Light has to offer!

La Grande Course RATP du Grand Paris Saint-Denis, 30 March, 2025

La Grande Course du Grand Paris returns in 2025 for a 5k, 10k, and half-marathon, with an exciting finish at Stade de France.

MUSIC AND DANCE

Candlelight: Tribute to Hans Zimmer, Maison de l’Océan, 1 & 7 March, 2025

As a part of Fever’s Candlelight concerts, a Tribute to Hans Zimmer will be performed at the Maison de l’Océan in the 5th arrondissement. The String quartet – Agence Musicale de Paris will be performing Zimmer’s music from Pirates of the Caribbean, Dune, Sherlock Holmes, and more.

Clara Luciani, Accor Arena, 6 & 7 March, 2025

Clara Luciani, French singer-songwriter, will perform at Accor Arena. She released her latest album, “Mon Sang”, in November of 2024.

Marie Antoinette at Opéra Royal Château de Versailles, 6 – 9 March, 2025

The Opéra Royal at Versailles will showcase the Malandain Ballet Biarritz in a ballet performance. Through captivating dance choreographed by Thierry Malandain, the performance will tell the fascinating and tragic story of Marie Antionette.

Sabrina Carpenter, Accor Arena, 16 and 17 March 2025

The pop singer is currently on her “Short N’ Sweet” tour, and you can catch her in Paris at the Accor Arena.

Pelléas et Mélisande at the Opéra Bastille, 28 February – 27 March, 2025

Pelléas et Mélisande by Claude Debussy is an Opera in five acts about forbidden love, which first premiered in 1902. You can see the Opera at Bastille until March 27th.

Rigoletto / Opéra Palazzo, Musée Jacquemart-André, until 21 June 2025

Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Rigoletto will be showing until June at the beautiful Musée Jacquemart-André. This dramatic performance of passion and betrayal will take place in the Museum’s salons for a unique Opera experience.

CHILDREN

Mille & Une Orchidées, Grandes Serres du Jardin des Plantes, until 10 March, 2025

This is the 12th edition of Mille & Une Orchidées, an exhibition held in the Jardin des Plantes greenhouses. After a long Parisian winter, families can discover a colorful display of orchids and their natural environment. There will also be educational activities for children to learn more about orchids and how to plant them!

Le Petit Grand Festival, Cité de la Musique, 29 & 30 March 2025

Le Petit Grand Festival is a festival about music created for young audiences. There will be plenty of activities and shows centered around music, including marionettes, film-concerts, and children’s choirs.

Grotte Chauvet, l’aventure scientifique, Cité des sciences et de l’industrie, until 11 May, 2025

The exposition Grotte Chauvet, l’aventure scientifique allows children to take on the role of scientist and explore an archaeological finding from the Palaeolithic period. They will learn about the secrets of the Chauvet cave discovered just 30 years ago.

Mon ours en peluche, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, until June 22, 2025

This exhibition at Musée des Arts Décoratifs presents the history and rise in popularity of the teddy bear. Kids and adults alike will be fascinated to learn the story behind this symbol of childhood.

Le Roi Lion, Theatre Mogador, until 28 June 2025

This musical theatre production of The Lion King is a perfect family activity for a rainy day. Tickets to the show also include access to a Lion King exhibition at the theatre.

RELATED LINKS

• Looking for things to do in the off season in Paris? Here is our round up of what to do in Paris in February.
• If you’ve lived in France a while inevitably you get asked the question: are you fluent in French? Find out how one writer answers this complex question.
• In order to truly assimilate, besides learning the language, you should try and grasp these 7 French Cultural Rules to Live By .

Written by Joanna Todorova for the HiP Paris, updated by Zoe Adams. Looking to travel? Check out Plum Guide and our Marketplace for fabulous vacation rentals in Paris, France or Italy. Looking to rent long or short term, or buy in France? Ask us! We can connect you to our trusted providers for amazing service and rates or click here. Looking to bring France home to you or to learn online or in person? Check out our marketplace shop and experiences.