Your Paris Weekend Program

© Sotheby's - Atelier Kokedama. 

Despite the unpredictable weather, take advantage of the occasional sunshine to stroll around Paris and enjoy these fantastic events. Mark your calendars for the best outings during the European Night of Museums, the design and glam exhibitions to see at Christie's and Sotheby's, the celebration of love at the Hôtel de Ville square, Indian-inspired pieces at the Bloom pop-up, the largest vinyl sale in Paris, and a Kokedama workshop to reconnect with nature.

For its 20th edition, the European Night of Museums pulls out all the stops with its array of wildly arty and festive events. This Saturday, May 18th, explore our favorite museums at night, as they open their doors for free to showcase stunning exhibitions and offer special programming...

Versailles lovers can visit the Trianon, its pavilions, and gardens accompanied by music: musicians from the Versailles Regional Conservatory will be scattered throughout these places, playing pieces from different eras on the theme of nocturnes. Royal! Access through the Queen's Gate, Boulevard de la Reine, Versailles. From 7:30 pm to midnight. Free entry.

The very chic Quai Branly Museum offers various tours around its collections during express visits across continents. With its sublime exteriors, the venue takes us on a journey through its illuminated gardens and panoramic roof, while storytellers engage their audience in discovering night myths. 37 quai Jacques Chirac, Paris 7th. From 6 pm to midnight. Free entry.

Madame Arthur's legendary cabaret artists will perform festive and extravagantly extravagant performances at the Montmartre Museum! Visitors can also explore the museum's exhibitions, the Valadon workshop, and enjoy the gardens and Renoir café under the stars. 12 rue Cortot, Paris 18th. From 7 pm to 10:30 pm. Free entry.

To end on a high note, the Army Museum will host breakdance battles in the heart of the Hôtel des Invalides alongside the exhibition "Duels. The art of combat" and the introduction of the discipline to the 2024 Olympic Games. Choreographic shows will be organized throughout the evening... and visitors will be invited to participate! Unmissable. 129 rue de Grenelle, Paris 7th. From 7 pm to midnight. Free entry.

20th European Night of Museums, May 18th. Free entry with some reservations. Expect some queues for certain entries. Online information.

© Musée du Quai Branly, Nicolas Borel - Musée Montmartre (@museedemontmartre), Richard Walter - Le Petit Trianon, EPV / Thomas Garnier.

Quite original! This weekend, we suggest making your own Kokedama. "OK, but what's a Kokedama?"... we hear you ask. It's moss spheres on which plants grow. For 2 hours, florist Lily and her team welcome the most inspired curious ones to their workshop and introduce them to plant composition. Create your mini suspended garden by choosing your favorite plant according to your tastes and interior, then make your vegetal sphere. All that's left is to assemble the two to get your little Japanese plant! A touch of zen and perfect elegance to bring some greenery to your home sweet home.

Bonus tip: Lily also offers a dried flower workshop in her second workshop in Banche. Book now!

Kokedama Workshop, 110 Avenue Parmentier, Paris 11th. Sunday, May 19th, from 3 pm to 5 pm. Price: €50. Online booking.

© Atelier Kokedama.

C’est le temps de l’amouuur, sings Françoise Hardy! On the occasion of the International Day Against LGBTphobia, the city of Paris is organizing several free events including the "Bal de l’Amour". Following the success of the first edition, all Parisians are invited once again to celebrate love and advances for LGBTQIA+ rights by dancing all night this Friday. The program for this festive evening organized by À la Folie and Olympe includes a giant karaoke, flower throwing, a cabaret show with drag queens Morphine Blaze, Diamanda Callas, and Stan Believe, DJ sets, and Pole Dance performances. A program that will raise the temperature...

Bonus tip: conferences and roundtable discussions will take place all day at the Hôtel de Ville to inform and raise awareness about LGBTQIA+ struggles and journeys in France and abroad.

The Bal de l’Amour, May 17th at the Hôtel de Ville square, Paris 4th, from 6:45 pm to midnight. Free entry. Online information.

© Guillaume Bontemps / Ville de Paris.

Get ready for another arty stroll with some gems to indulge in... or not! Did you know that auction sales often offer the opportunity to discover pieces beforehand during free exhibitions open to all? First stop at Christie's to admire creations by several design greats with a focus on women including Charlotte Perriand, Maria Pergay, Line Vautrin, and Ingrid Donat. Among the lots up for grabs on May 23rd: Charlotte Perriand's iconic Mexique bookcase (€100,000 - €150,000) and early creations by Maria Pergay like the Flying Carpet Bed (€60,000 - €80,000) where BB posed. Legendary! Design at Sotheby's, 9 Avenue Matignon, Paris 8th. Exhibition from May 16th to 23rd, from 9 am to 6 pm. Free entry. Online information.

Next, head to Sotheby's for an auction of the interiors and jewelry of Yolanda Eleta de Fierro on May 21st. This Madrid socialite drew inspiration from English and colonial house styles to decorate her home, such as a pair of golden palm-shaped lamps (€800 - €1200) or 20th-century George I style chairs (€1200 - €1800). But Yolanda Eleta de Fierro's real treasure is her collection of jewelry signed by Harry Winston, Tiffany & Co, or Bulgari. The highlights: significant sets of emeralds and diamonds, including a Cartier diamond ring (€450,000 - €750,000) and an emerald and diamond necklace (€500,000 - €800,000). Sold! Una Casa Una Vida: Collection Yolanda Eleta de Fierro at Christie's, 76 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris 8th. Exhibition from May 16th to 20th, from 10 am to 6 pm. Free entry. Online information.

Bonus tip: after the effort, the comfort! Treat yourself to a chic lunch at Laurent, right next to the auction houses, where Michelin-starred chef Mathieu Pacaud prepares divine feasts including pea and coriander soup (€26) and even shepherd's pie (€35) in a sublime setting designed by Cordelia de Castellane.

© Sotheby's - Christie's Images Ltd 2024.

Vinyls for less than €10? Count us in! Paris Vinyl Sale returns for its sixth edition this Sunday for a giant second-hand vinyl sale. 50 French and European labels, record stores, and collectors will offer no less than 50,000 records on the 3 floors of the Bastille Design Center. For this major clearance, expect jazz, electronic, pop, rock, or even metal. Joy: they sell for between €2 and €10. What a deal!

Bonus tip: the novelty of this edition? The presence of a Record Clinic team, the vinyl cleaning specialist who will pamper your records at reduced prices and share their best tips! Tip: come early to snag the gems of this clearance.

Paris Vinyl Sale 6 at the Bastille Design Center, 74 Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, on May 19th from 10 am to 6 pm. Entrance ticket at €6.50. Online information and reservation.

© Paris Vinyl Sale 6.

Bloom Paris is THE ultra-desirable brand of the moment offering sheets, tableware, kits, and clothing handmade in Pondicherry and Paris from Indian fabrics. Created by Pauline Favier (sister of Mathilde Favier , PR manager at Dior) and Axelle d'Hérouville, this lovely house invites you to discover its new products and items at affordable prices during a pop-up only open for a few days. Color, flowers, Parisian chic, in short, everything we love! We're crushing on the small blue and pink pouch (€24), Mathilde's basket (€160), the palm tree duvet cover (€299), or even the green robe with yellow flowers on sale (€80).

Bonus tip: take this opportunity to discover the magnificent jewelry brand by Dorothée Sausset, which will also be present at the pop-up.

Bloom Paris Pop-up, 104 Avenue Kléber, Paris 16th. Open from Wednesday, May 15th to Saturday, May 18th, from 10 am to 7 pm.

© Bloom Paris.

Romantic comedy enthusiasts featuring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant (that's us, after all) are in for a treat. The Cinémathèque française is screening 20 romantic comedies for a chance to rediscover the genre's essentials. On the lineup: the iconic lift scene from Dirty Dancing, the irresistible duo of Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's romantic misadventures, a dash of Christmas magic with Love Actually and The Holiday, the strong-willed Melanie Griffith in Working Girl, the crazy love between Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook, and Ryan Gosling's seduction lessons in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Ready for the marathon?

Bonus Tip: Stick around at the Cinémathèque to explore the fantastic world of James Cameron. The "Art of James Cameron" exhibition unveils over 300 archives straight from the Canadian director's "vault", showcased for the first time in Paris. A true dive into his subconscious and filmography!

Romantic Comedy Marathon from May 8th to 24th at the Cinémathèque française, 51 rue de Bercy, Paris 12th. Starting from €3.50. Information and reservations online.

© Warner Bros. France / D.R.

The week has been exhausting, full of twists and turns, and it's time to spill it all to your bestie? Then we order you to debrief at Cali Sisters' speakeasy-style cocktail bar, a cozy cocoon where wicker chairs and terracotta fabrics serve as a backdrop to the ballet of cocktails that land on candlelit tables.

Among the refined potions to sip: the Savages (gin, yellow lemon juice, Darjeeling tea, aloe vera syrup - €14) or the Red Magic (vodka infused with purple carrot peels, yellow lemon juice, dry vermouth, Jerusalem artichoke syrup, €14). To accompany your drink, we urge you to order the truffle dices, fried tapioca dices with melting parmesan and truffle, a DI-VI-NI-TY (€9). We also recommend the white bean hummus and focaccia (€12) and the spicy tuna tartare (toasted brioche, tuna tartare, spicy salsa and spring onions, €14).

Bonus: sweet tooths won't leave until they've devoured the Pizzookie, a freshly baked cookie with smoked vanilla ice cream: completely insane (€11). While it's not officially listed on the "finger food" menu, we're giving you the cheat code. Do It at your service!

Cali Sisters, 17 rue Notre Dame des Victoires, Paris 2nd. Online reservation.

Helena Noguerra has a passion: reading. She reads every day from her childhood, starting with Oui-Oui up to Kundera today. Until June 23, Belgian actress will be reading Frida Kahlo's correspondences at La Scala, taking spectators on an emotional and captivating journey through the extraordinary life of the Mexican artist. Accompanied by the guitar of Laurent Guillet, we (re)discover various facets of the icon's life: the trauma of her accident at 18 which haunted her all her life, her passionate and toxic marriage to artist Diego Rivera, and her activism against Franco's dictatorship in Spain. A must-see!

Extra Tip: We don't go to the theater on an empty stomach! Before the play, which starts at 9 p.m., head to the counter of Brasserie Dubillot, just a stone's throw from La Scala. We highly recommend ordering the now-cult sausage and mashed potatoes (€14) and a delicious Paris-Brest (€8) for dessert. Yum!

Frida Kahlo, until June 23 at La Scala, 13 boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris 10th.

© Thomas O'Brien

You've probably seen it on our Instagram page: our stunning city guide has just hit the shelves! The Do It Team has curated a best-of featuring its 450 favorite addresses in and around Paris, categorized by neighborhood, from delicious restaurants and coffee shops to trendy concept stores, not to mention our favorite museums and secret gardens of the capital. All wrapped in a beautiful red cover, complete with 100% Parisian stickers and coloring pages at the end. In other words, the perfect Christmas gift for less than €20.

The ultimate excuse to browse the sexiest bookstores in the capital. You can ask for the Do It In Paris City Guide at L'Ecume des Pages (174 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris 6th), Galignani (224 Rue de Rivoli, Paris 1st), in Le Marais on the 1st floor of Comme un Roman (39 Rue de Bretagne, Paris 3rd), or at the chic Delamain bookstore (155 Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris 1st) and Librairie des Abbesses (30 Rue Yvonne le Tac, Paris 18th), as well as at all FNAC stores closest to you. We hope you'll love it as much as we do!

© Julia Brami

Also, discover 3 beautiful castles within 1 hour from Paris and everything you need to do in May.