Looking for things to do in France in November? This month’s highlights include the Hospices de Beaune wine auction, the Rolex Paris Masters, Paris Photo, Beaujolais Nouveau celebrations and the first Christmas markets. Use this guide to choose dates and plan around confirmed events. For the wider seasonal picture, our best time to visit France guide and the France public holidays and festival calendar put November in context.
Things to Do in France in November: At a Glance
| Date | Event | Location | Type | Tourist Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Oct – 1 Nov 2026 (opening night 27 Oct) | Salon du Chocolat (31st edition) | Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Hall 5 | Food fair | Medium |
| 1 Nov 2026 (Sunday) | All Saints’ Day (public holiday) | Nationwide | Public holiday | Medium |
| 2 Nov 2026 | End of Toussaint school holidays | Nationwide | School holidays | Medium |
| 31 Oct – 8 Nov 2026 | Rolex Paris Masters (tennis) | Paris La Defense Arena, Nanterre | Sport | Medium |
| 7-22 Nov 2026 | C’est Pas Classique free concerts | Nice, Cannes, Mougins, Cap d’Ail and other Riviera towns | Music festival | Medium |
| 11 Nov 2026 (Wednesday) | Armistice Day (public holiday) | Nationwide | Public holiday | Medium |
| 12-15 Nov 2026 | Paris Photo (29th edition) | Grand Palais, Paris | Art fair | High |
| 13-15 Nov 2026 (auction Sunday 15 Nov) | Hospices de Beaune wine auction (Festivinales / Trois Glorieuses) | Beaune, Burgundy | Wine festival | High |
| 18-22 Nov 2026 | Les Sarmentelles de Beaujeu | Beaujeu, Beaujolais | Wine festival | Medium |
| 19 Nov 2026 (Thursday) | Beaujolais Nouveau release day | Nationwide; Beaujeu and Lyon area | Wine tradition | High |
| 11 Sep 2026 – 10 Jan 2027 (performances to 19 Dec) | Festival d’Automne a Paris | About 60 venues, Paris and Ile-de-France | Performing arts | Medium |
| From 20 Nov (Mulhouse), 23 Nov (Colmar) and 27 Nov (Strasbourg) | Christmas markets (Mulhouse, Colmar, Strasbourg, Paris Tuileries) | Alsace and Paris | Seasonal market | High |
Paris Photo Festival: Photography at the Grand Palais
When: 12 to 15 November 2026. Where: Grand Palais, avenue du General Eisenhower, Paris 8th. Type: international photography fair.
The 29th edition of Paris Photo runs from 12 to 15 November at the Grand Palais, bringing together galleries, publishers and collectors for exhibitions of historic and contemporary photography. Visitors can explore photography and photobooks in the Grand Palais exhibition spaces. Public opening hours are 1 pm to 8 pm from Thursday to Saturday and 1 pm to 7 pm on Sunday. The invitation-only preview is separate from public admission, so choose a public visiting day and reserve your ticket in advance.
Things to Do in France in November: Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction
When: the Festivinales run Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November 2026; the auction itself is on Sunday 15 November, the third Sunday of the month. Where: Beaune, Burgundy (the auction takes place in the Halles de Beaune). Type: charity wine auction and wine festival.
The 166th Hospices de Beaune wine auction takes place on Sunday 15 November at 2:30 pm in the Halles de Beaune. The charity sale also helps fund local hospital facilities and improvements. It forms the middle day of the Trois Glorieuses weekend, a trio of Burgundy wine events that also includes the Chapter of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin at the Chateau du Clos de Vougeot and the Paulee de Meursault; Beaune tourism lists the surrounding events from Saturday 14 to Monday 16 November. Many producers and merchants hold cellar tastings and special visits that weekend, usually requiring advance booking. Tip: you do not need a paddle to enjoy it. Come for the street atmosphere and cellar visits, but book accommodation and any private tastings well ahead, as Beaune is small and fills early. Confirm the exact session timings with the organisers before you travel.
Beaujolais Nouveau Day and Les Sarmentelles de Beaujeu
When: Thursday 19 November 2026 for the release; Les Sarmentelles runs 18 to 22 November. Where: Beaujeu (Beaujolais), plus bars, bistros and wine shops across France and Lyon. Type: wine release and festival.
Beaujolais Nouveau goes on sale at midnight on the third Thursday of November, a rule in place since 1985; in 2026 that falls on 19 November. Several calendars and retailers abroad advertise events for the same date, which confirms it. In Beaujeu, the 38th Sarmentelles festival is described as five days of tastings of the 12 Beaujolais appellations, parades, concerts and dinners, with a midnight tapping ceremony and fireworks as the new vintage is opened between 18 and 19 November. Tip: Beaujolais is easy to reach from Lyon, so a day trip works well, but check train and bus timings for the late-night ceremony before you plan a return journey. Our Lyon hotel guide helps you choose a base. If your trip runs into early December, see our December events calendar for what’s on next.
Festival d’Automne a Paris
When: 11 September 2026 to 10 January 2027, with performances through 19 December and visual-arts exhibitions into January. Where: around 60 venues in Paris and Ile-de-France. Type: contemporary theatre, dance, music and arts.
Listings describe 75 projects and about 450 performances this year. November is mid-festival, so you can usually find something on any given week. Many shows are in French or are non-verbal (dance, music, performance), but check the programme for surtitles. Book popular shows early, and verify each date on the festival programme, since individual performances sell out and schedules shift.
Salon du Chocolat, 28 October to 1 November
When: 28 October to 1 November 2026, with an opening evening on 27 October. Where: Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Hall 5. Type: chocolate and pastry fair.
The 31st edition is listed as open daily from 10 am to 7 pm, with demonstrations, tastings and workshops. It ends on Sunday 1 November, which is also All Saints’ Day, so travellers arriving at the very start of November can still catch the last day. Expect crowds and queues, particularly on the final weekend.
Rolex Paris Masters: Things to Do in France in November
When: 31 October to 8 November 2026. Where: Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, not the former venue at Bercy. Type: ATP Masters 1000 indoor tennis.
The Rolex Paris Masters runs from 31 October to 8 November at Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre. Allow extra travel time on match evenings, particularly during the final days of the school holidays.
C’est Pas Classique on the Riviera, 7-22 November
When: 7 to 22 November 2026. Where: Nice, Cannes, Mougins, Cap d’Ail and other towns. Type: free concerts.
The programme is described as more than 30 concerts by about 230 musicians, with the Orchestre National de Cannes, the Orchestre philharmonique de Nice and the Ensemble baroque de Nice, plus some jazz and electronic acts. The Nikaia venue in Nice lists the 7 November opening concert. Entry is free, but advance reservations are required for some concerts. Check the programme for available performances and venue details. If you are basing yourself there, see our Nice and French Riviera hotel guide.
Strasbourg Christmas Market and Other November Openings
Alsace Christmas markets start in the second half of November, with Mulhouse first. Mulhouse lists a run from Friday 20 November to 27 December 2026 (closed 25 December), although a few aggregators still show 23 or 24 November, so confirm with the Mulhouse tourist office. Colmar’s markets are listed from Monday 23 November to 29 December, with the gourmet market open to 3 January 2027, per the Colmar tourist office listing and local guides. The Strasbourg Christmas market is officially scheduled from 27 November to 24 December. Stalls open at 2 pm on the first day, generally operate from 11 am to 9 pm afterward, and close at 6 pm on 24 December. In Paris, the Tuileries Christmas market is listed from 14 November 2026 into early January 2027, but we found this on only one reliable listing, and the Champs-Elysees lights (launched on 16 November last year) and the department-store windows on boulevard Haussmann have no confirmed 2026 date, so check the organiser. If your dates are flexible, the first week of a market is quieter than December weekends.
Things to Do in France in November: Holidays and Planning
- 1 November (All Saints’ Day): a public holiday, falling on a Sunday in 2026, so no extra weekday off, but many shops are shut and cemeteries are busy.
- 11 November (Armistice Day): a public holiday on a Wednesday in 2026; expect commemorations, closed banks and some shops, and possible bridge-day travel the following Friday.
- Toussaint school holidays: 17 October to 2 November 2026 for all three zones, so the first days of the month are still family-heavy at attractions and on trains. The Christmas break follows from 19 December 2026 to 4 January 2027.
- Strikes and transport: service changes can affect trains and city transport at short notice. Check departure information near your travel date.
For how holidays affect opening hours more generally, see our public holidays and festival calendar.
What to Expect from France Events in November
November is generally quieter than summer in much of France, although major events can fill hotels. Expect shorter days, cool weather and periods of rain; the Mediterranean coast is usually milder than Paris or Alsace. Pack layers and a waterproof jacket. Crowds at major museums are lighter than in summer apart from holiday weekends and the Paris Photo and Beaune weekends. Accommodation outside event weekends is usually cheaper than peak season, but rooms in Beaune, Alsace and central Paris can rise sharply and sell out when festivals fall. Check current rates; we cannot give prices here. Some seasonal attractions on the coast and in the countryside have reduced hours or are closed for the winter, so confirm opening times before a long trip.
Where to Stay
Stays cluster around three areas. For Paris Photo, the Festival d’Automne and early Christmas lights, stay in central Paris near the 8th and 1st arrondissements, or on the Right Bank for easy metro access; our Paris hotel guide comparing Right Bank, Left Bank and the Marais lays out the options, and our Paris travel guide covers the city in depth. For Beaujolais Nouveau and the wine weekends, Lyon is the practical base for Beaujeu, with good rail links; see the Lyon hotel guide by neighborhood. For Burgundy, accommodation in Beaune itself books out first, so consider nearby villages and book months ahead. Southern travellers combining culture with milder weather can base themselves in Nice using our Nice and Riviera hotel guide, and wine-minded travellers who want a calmer city break outside the festival calendar may like the Bordeaux hotel guide.
Best Things to Do in France in November: Event Priorities
- Hospices de Beaune weekend (13-15 Nov): the most distinctive event of the month; book first.
- Paris Photo (12-15 Nov): a high-quality cultural draw in a landmark building; pre-book tickets.
- Beaujolais Nouveau Day (19 Nov) and Les Sarmentelles (18-22 Nov): a lively, easy day or weekend from Lyon.
- Christmas markets in late November: worth it if dates are confirmed for your trip; go on a weekday.
- Festival d’Automne and C’est Pas Classique: flexible add-ons depending on your base.
- Salon du Chocolat and the Rolex Paris Masters: only if you are in Paris at the end of October or first week of November.
Bottom Line
For memorable things to do in France in November, choose an anchor event: the Beaune wine weekend, Paris Photo, Beaujolais Nouveau or the late-November Christmas markets. Book accommodation early for busy weekends and pack for cool, changeable weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best things to do in France in November?
Popular choices include the Hospices de Beaune wine auction, Paris Photo, the Rolex Paris Masters, Beaujolais Nouveau celebrations and the first Christmas markets in Alsace.
When is the Rolex Paris Masters?
The tournament runs from 31 October to 8 November 2026 at Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre.
When is the Hospices de Beaune wine auction?
The auction takes place on Sunday 15 November 2026 at 2:30 pm in Beaune.
Is Paris Photo festival open to ordinary visitors?
Yes. Paris Photo at the Grand Palais is open to the public from 12 to 15 November, with tickets required.
When does the Strasbourg Christmas market open?
The market is scheduled to open on 27 November and close on 24 December 2026.
Are there public holidays in France in November?
Yes. All Saints’ Day falls on 1 November and Armistice Day on 11 November.
Is November a good month for Christmas markets in France?
Yes, for markets opening in late November, particularly in Alsace. Check the opening date for each town before travelling.
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