Things to Do in France in January: Ultimate Event Guide

The 95th edition runs on public roads, which means spectating is free but demanding: stages are reached by car or on foot along closed mountain roads, in winter conditions that can include snow and ice. Road closures start well before each stage, and the organisers and local authorities publish spectator zones. If you only want the atmosphere, the service park and the start and finish ceremonies in Monaco are easier than a remote hairpin. The Automobile Club de Monaco organises a separate 27th Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique for classic cars, from Wednesday 27 January to Wednesday 3 February 2027, with regularity stages rather than a flat-out race and a stage town in Valence.

Monte Carlo Circus Festival: January Performances

When: 22 to 31 January 2027. Where: the big top at Fontvieille, Monaco. Type: circus festival with a competition.

This is the 49th edition, chaired by Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, with clowns, acrobats, equilibrists and magicians, and the 14th edition of the New Generation competition. Ticket categories and prices vary by performance. Check the current options before booking. Tip: Monaco is small, and Nice is a short train ride away, so many visitors stay in Nice and come in for the evening show. Our guide to where to stay in Nice and the French Riviera covers the options. For what’s happening right after the festival wraps up, see our February events calendar.

Festival Premiers Plans, Angers

When: 23 to 31 January 2027. Where: cinemas in Angers, Loire Valley. Type: European first-film festival.

Now in its 39th edition, Premiers Plans is a showcase for first and second features, shorts and student films, plus retrospectives. The Ateliers d’Angers script workshops run 25 to 29 January, and the 2027 theme is announced as “The Age of Machines”. It is a professional-leaning festival but open to the public, and it works as a pretext for a winter visit to Angers, a city of château, tapestries and Loire wine. Book trains and rooms early for the final weekend.

Saint-Vincent Tournante, Burgundy

When: 30 and 31 January 2027 (some packages start on 29 January). Where: Volnay, about ten minutes from Beaune. Type: wine festival and winegrowers’ tradition.

The Saint-Vincent Tournante honours the patron saint of winegrowers and moves to a different Burgundy village each year; the 83rd edition is hosted by Volnay. It brings together winegrowers, wine brotherhoods and the general public, with tastings, processions and local food. Cellars open in a way they do not on a normal January weekend, so this is the single best winter date for wine-minded travellers in the Côte d’Or. Tip: the village is tiny, so arrive early, wrap up warmly and plan to sleep in Beaune or Dijon.

Paris Fashion and Haute Couture

The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode lists the spring-summer 2027 Haute Couture Week for Monday 25 to Thursday 28 January 2027, and a fashion-industry calendar gives Paris Men’s Fashion Week (autumn-winter 2027-28) as Tuesday 19 to Sunday 24 January. Shows are mostly invitation-only, so this matters to visitors chiefly for the buzz around the Faubourg Saint-Honoré, hotel pricing and restaurant bookings; the exact show schedule is set by the houses, so check the federation’s site. For a Paris base, see Right Bank, Left Bank and Marais hotels.

Other January Dates Worth Knowing

The Gérardmer Fantastic Film Festival, in the Vosges lake town, runs 26 to 31 January 2027 for its 34th edition, with competition screenings, masterclasses and the Zombie Walk. In Paris, the 46th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain takes place at Cirque Phénix from 21 to 24 January 2027, with evening shows Thursday to Saturday and matinees on Saturday and Sunday; it showcases young circus artists before an international jury and is a shorter, cheaper alternative if you cannot reach Monaco. Maison&Objet, the home-decor trade fair at Paris-Nord Villepinte (14 to 18 January 2027), is aimed at professionals, but it fills Paris hotels, so expect higher rates that week.

Angoulême Comics Festival

The 2026 edition was cancelled, and the festival is being reorganised: the Morgane group (which also runs the Francofolies in La Rochelle and the Printemps de Bourges) was named in April 2026 to run it from 2027, with a four-to-six-day event planned for the first quarter of 2027. Press reports say it need not take place on the traditional last weekend of January, and one site gave an estimate of 28 to 31 January that I could not confirm; no official date had been announced in the sources I checked. Treat this as dates to be confirmed — check the organiser, and do not book non-refundable travel until the dates are published.

Smaller Moments

Epiphany falls on Sunday 3 January in France, because it is celebrated on the Sunday between 2 and 8 January; bakeries sell galettes des rois with a frangipane filling (a brioche version in the south) and a hidden fève, and the season lasts through January. The Nuits de la lecture, run by the Centre national du livre, take place 20 to 24 January 2027, with free events in libraries and bookshops on the theme of childhood. Lunar New Year falls on 6 February 2027, so the big Paris and Lyon parades come after this month; the Menton Lemon Festival runs 13 to 28 February, so neither belongs in a January itinerary.

Public Holidays, School Holidays and Strike Risk

The only national public holiday in the month is New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January 2027, when most museums, many shops and some transport run reduced service; check each venue. The Christmas school holidays run until Monday 4 January, so the first days of the month are still busy at ski resorts and family destinations. Winter holidays start on 6 February for Zone C, 13 February for Zone A and 20 February for Zone B, so late January is the last relatively quiet window before ski prices climb. I did not find a confirmed strike calendar for January 2027; transport strikes can be announced with short notice, so check SNCF Connect and your airline before travelling, and keep flexible tickets for long connections.

What Is January Like for Travelers

January is cold across most of France; in Paris, climate sources put average highs near 7°C and lows around 1 to 2°C, with roughly 57 mm of rain over about 12 days (figures vary slightly by source and reference period). with short days, frequent rain in the west and north, frost and snow inland and in the mountains, and milder weather on the Riviera. Mountains are the peak season for skiing, while city attractions have shorter queues than in summer, though some small museums and seasonal sites close for maintenance. Hotel prices in Paris and most cities are typically at their lowest of the year outside event weeks; ski resorts and Monaco are the exceptions. Pack layers, waterproof shoes and a hat, and expect restaurants to be easy to book except around weekends.

Where to Stay

Choose accommodation by cluster. For Monaco’s circus and rally, the Riviera works best: base yourself in Nice, where rail links reach Monaco, using our Nice and French Riviera guide. For the Burgundy wine weekend, Beaune is the practical base, but it fills fast, so Dijon or Lyon are the fallback; see where to stay in Lyon by neighborhood for a larger city with strong rail links. The Loire festival in Angers pairs well with a Paris stop. For the sales and fashion, central Paris stays are easiest; compare Paris hotel areas and consult the Paris travel guide. If you want a cooler, food-and-wine city break, Bordeaux neighborhoods and hotels are good value in winter. For skiing, see ski hotels in Chamonix, and book early for weekends.

What Should Tourists Prioritize

1. Saint-Vincent Tournante (30 to 31 January). A distinctive Burgundy tradition that works best as a weekend trip.
2. Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival (22 to 31 January). A real spectacle and easy to combine with the Riviera.
3. Winter sales (from 6 January). Worth planning around if you shop for fashion and homeware in Paris.
4. Rallye Monte-Carlo (21 to 24 January). Exciting if you like motorsport and can handle mountain roads.
5. Premiers Plans in Angers. Best for film lovers.
6. Gérardmer and the Cirque de Demain. Good short breaks for horror-film fans and circus lovers.
7. Angoulême and Haute Couture. Wait for confirmed dates (Angoulême) or invitations (couture).

Bottom Line

January is a good month for travelers who want low prices and a few strong events: book the circus, the Burgundy wine weekend and the sales first, treat Angoulême as unconfirmed, and check strike news and organiser pages before you commit.