Culture

Centre Pompidou renovation: get to know this 'inside out' Paris site

Centre Pompidou is one of France’s most recognisable public buildings, but it will be temporarily closed to the public from September

Five exhibitions to see in France this summer

A round up of events for your cultural calendar

Artwork borrowers: the return of the artothèque in France

The French Ministry of Culture announced a plan to expand access to contemporary art in rural France

news

France’s Fête de la Musique brings music to streets nationwide this Saturday

Up to five million people are expected to take part in this first weekend edition in years

This weekend’s European archaeology festival sees hundreds of events in France

Dig sites usually closed to the public will be opened up, many with tours and workshops

Concorde in Toulouse museum declared historic monument

The supersonic aircraft's last flight was in May 1982

Paris Nuit Blanche 2025: join in this weekend’s ‘all night’ free culture festival

Dozens of galleries, museums, and art spaces are holding events and tours

From chicken-shaped cabins to alcoholic seafood soup: eight quirky facts about Vienne

This department, located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, has some interesting, yet unexpected features

Magic of 800-year-old natural light display returns to historic French abbey

Art historian Dr Julia Faiers discovers how a medieval PR campaign about a saint’s holy relics determined the rags-to-riches story of Vézelay Abbey in Burgundy

Non-EU visitors to pay more to visit major French museums

Major attractions including Versailles and Garnier opera will raise prices from 2026 to combat budget cuts

Tourteau fromagé: The French delicacy known as 'the cheesecake of Poitou'

We speak to a tourteau specialist to learn about the history of this beloved French delicacy... and how to bake one

Fête des Voisins: 10 million neighbours in France to meet this Friday

2025 marks the 25th edition of solidarity festival, la Fête des Voisins. Revisit our 2016 interview with founder, Atanase Périfan

French museums, exhibitions and sporting events: five things to do this spring

A round up of events and activities for your cultural calendar

How the Scouting movement took off in France

French scouting and guiding grew steadily after crossing the Channel, with scouts playing an important role in the liberation

Your chance to win tickets to Jazz in Marciac in south-west France

Eight pairs of tickets for this summer’s festival are available exclusively to Connexion subscribers

Ballet lessons bring health benefits to over-55s in France

Online classes with the Silver Swans are transforming lives of older adults

Chauvet cave in south of France is slowly revealing its secrets

3D technology is revolutionising our understanding of 36,000-year-old paintings in the Chauvet Cave in Ardèche

Five famous April Fools' pranks played on the French public

The French media have pulled some classic ‘poissons d’Avril’ - here are five of the best

How does France’s April Fools’ Day differ from that in UK or US?

It is in schools where we see a real French peculiarity

Festivals, holidays and places to visit in France in April 2025

Including a gladiator battle in a Roman arena, an international garden festival and the Paris marathon

Three French art and culture recommendations

Impressionist masterpieces in Aix-en-Provence, a stylish Louvre exhibition, and a crime series to watch

English-language poets in France showcased in new anthology

29 poets from a stanza group worked together on the collection

How France looks after its historical treasures

Emmanuel Pénicaut, director of collections at Mobilier national, explains the organisation’s vital role

Pete Doherty’s new song is ode to Normandy (and making Calvados)

The track is inspired by the reformed rocker’s French home

Photos: Paris exhibition explores what people do alone at home

Behind the curtain: L’Intime Expo takes a fascinating look at people's private lives

French art gallery exhibits paintings made by a two-year-old

The abstract creations are being displayed until next week

Photos: D-Day beaches and Carcassonne put forward for UNESCO recognition

The iconic sites are set to be considered in July next year

Comment: French plan to upgrade Louvre is long overdue

A €900million revamp of the the museum has been announced by President Macron

Key cultural and practical dates in France this February

Dates for your diary: half-term school holidays, la Chandeleur, the French census deadline and more

'Montpellier is an international city, so it should have an international opera house'

This American in France is the youngest ever music director of the Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier

La Chandeleur: French ‘Pancake Day’ is on Sunday February 2

When, why and how France celebrates this centuries-old Christian Candlemas crêpe tradition

Five things they don't tell you about… guichets in France

Exploring the unique blend of courtesy and obstinacy behind French counters

PHOTOS: French villagers had no idea their neighbour was an acclaimed American artist

Frances Butler exhibited in some of the world’s leading museums, including the Victoria & Albert and British Museum in London

Photos: the best English bookshops in Paris according to Vogue France

From ‘chic’ historic addresses to ‘cutting edge publishing houses’, find your favourite

Why this French department wants to change name and what it could become

Two new names are on the shortlist

Photos: The French destinations named unmissable in 2025 by the New York Times

Two areas in France have been highlighted in the new ranking

Do foreign people living in France get free entry to museums?

France’s ‘national museums’ are run by the state with certain people able to access them for free

Photos: These are France’s top five most visited national monuments in 2024

How many have you been to?

Experts share top five recommendations for discovering French comics as an adult

First-time readers of bandes dessinées might want to start with this list of suggestions

British illustrator is a star in the Franco-Belgian world of comics

We speak to Posy Simmonds MBE, winner of one of the most prestigious awards for graphic novelists

Discover the capital of comics books in the west of France

We hear from the advisers of Angoulême's museum ahead of the festival which runs from January 29 to February 2

French cinema’s 2024 performance makes it unique in world

France was the only country in which cinema attendance increased

The world’s oldest cave paintings discovered 30 years ago in France

A special visit is being held at the reproduction of the ‘prehistoric Sistine Chapel’

Train set and other objects belonging to Charles de Gaulle sold at auction

The auction comes after a historical exhibition that included ‘the most important manuscript in French history’ as well as a vintage train set from the Soviet Union

Photos: Magical images as Lyon launches its 25th Fête des Lumières

Stunning light shows take place in the evenings at 32 different venues

Ancient Gaulish village unearthed in south-west France

Discoveries by local farmers spark significant archaeological excavations, revealing a fortified settlement

What are some good radio shows to learn about French culture?

France places pride on its cultural output, and this is reflected on the radio

A Corsican drink is 'behind the creation' of Coca-Cola, researchers claim

A new owner of brand is leading the fight with the US giant for recognition

Americans were biggest foreign donors to Notre Dame restoration after fire

Two foundations donated $10 million each in wake of devastating 2019 fire

Wokisme, vegan: The ‘new’ words added to French dictionary

The latest edition of the dictionary has taken decades to create and publish

Learning French: the origins and meaning of impossible n’est pas français

This patriotic proverb was also a presidential campaign slogan

How you can fly to Nice, Paris, Marseille, or Bordeaux from the cockpit

Flight simulators are becoming an increasingly popular activity or gift, as Samantha David found when taking a plane for a virtual spin along the French Riviera

France celebrates a century of naturism

Marseille exhibition lays bare the continuing allure of French naturist culture

Amazon tests free book delivery despite law designed to ban it

E-commerce giant now offers free collection of books from its collection points across the country

Explore the idyllic Normandy village that inspired a tragic literary masterpiece

Shortlisted as one of France’s favourite villages, Ry was also the setting for Flaubert’s Madame Bovary

France’s top literary prize 2024 awarded to author Kamel Daoud

The Prix Goncourt is widely seen as France’s version of the Nobel prize for literature

How France's high-rise housing solution to post-war boom became an urban nightmare

The grands ensembles, high-rise public housing units, were meant to provide desperately needed accommodation in big cities in the 1950s but the plan was abandoned only two decades later

Toulouse bishop consecrates the city as mechanical monsters run amok

A controversial street theatre featuring demonic figures prompts some Christian groups to condemn the 'satanic' representations

Five audiobooks to listen to improve your French

Classic works of French literature will deepen your understanding of the country’s culture and enhance your language skills

Minister wants €5 entrance fee for Notre-Dame visitors

Money raised would go towards renovations of other religious sites. Higher ticket prices for non-EU visitors to tourist attractions is also proposed

Who was France’s fiercest female pirate, the ‘Lioness of Brittany’?

After King Philip VI of France executed former noblewoman Jeanne de Belleville's husband for treason during the medieval Breton War of Succession, she turned to piracy to avenge his death

What does the French word ‘wesh’ mean and why is it being used in UK

Discover the origins of this informal interjection that is now part of London slang

Blacksmith’s historic and unusual home for sale in Rouen

The Maison Marrou, an iconic feature of the city of Rouen, is being sold by online auction

Francophonie: countries with the most French speakers apart from France

France is one of the top five most-spoken languages worldwide

Creative workshops boom in France as people flock to write

Millions are finding inspiration and community in affordable, diverse courses across French cities

Michel Blanc, often described as France’s Woody Allen, dies aged 72

The actor became a household name for his performances in the Les Bronzés films

31-year treasure hunt for €150,000 golden owl in France is resolved

Second-longest treasure hunt in world ends after statue unearthed in France

Strikes, French property tax deadlines: Key dates in October

The month sees several administrative changes - as well as a celebration of French architecture

Van Gogh’s final years exhibition extended for another year

It will be closed from September 30 to October 18 for additional works to be hung

Foires et fêtes d'automne: get ready for feasting, fun and French food at its finest

Mellow fruitfulness awaits as French towns and cities play host to celebrations of local produce and funfairs

Feminist remake of Emmanuelle erotic film opens in French cinemas

‘I was interested in exploring taboo subjects such as women's sexuality and nudity’ against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, says the leading actress