In the heart of winter, pleasures are plentiful! Whilst respecting the health measures in force, take the opportunity to go and see the major exhibitions of 2022 before they end or discover some of the new exhibitions that are showing at the start of 2023! Otherwise, you can discover all the cultural treasures that have been made accessible online by institutions worldwide. Whatever the context, life goes on!
Paris hosts Fashion Week in January, with lots of fabulous events for style aficionados to enjoy. The city is a great shopping destination at any time of year, January in particular because it marks the start of the winter sales. Get ready to shop until you drop!
KEY EXHIBITIONS IN JANUARY 2023 IN PARIS
Winter is the perfect time to catch up with all the current exhibitions – while staying warm indoors. Although museums have been closed for several weeks because of the health crisis, a number of them have adapted to the situation by offering online visits and highlighting upcoming major, surprising or original events. And it is highly likely that some will be prolonged to enable visitor to discover them as soon as museums reopen. Major exhibitions to look out for should establishments reopen in January:
To get the year off to a good start, the capital’s many museums are the places to go to see eagerly awaited, surprising and original exhibitions.
If you didn’t see some of the top exhibitions of 2022, don’t miss:
- Fuseli, The realm of dreams and the fantastic at the musée Jacquemart André, until 23 January 2023.
- Sam Szafran – Obsessions of a painter, at the musée de l’Orangerie, until 16 January 2023.
- Monet – Mitchell. Dialogue and retrospective, at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, until 27 February 2023.
- Things – A History of Still Life, at the musée du Louvre, until 23 January 2023.
- Cézanne, the Lights of Provence, at l’Atelier des Lumières, until 2 January 2023.
- Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899), at Musée d’Orsay, until 15 January 2023.
- Mirror of the world. Masterpieces from the Dresden cabinet of curiosities, at musée du Luxembourg, until 15 January 2023
- Oskar Kokoschka, Enfant terrible in Vienna, at musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, until 12 February 2023.
- Facing the sun, at musée Marmottan Monet, until 29 February 2023.
- Francisco Tropa. The Lung and the Heart, at musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, until 29 January 2023.
But also, a glance at must-see exhibitions to put on your list of good resolutions:
Starting with Frida Kahlo, beyond appearances, at the Palais Galliera. Until 5 March 2023, the Paris Fashion Museum pays tribute to one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. This special exhibition brings together more than 20 objects from Casa Azul, the house where the iconic Mexican painter was born and where she grew up.
- Rêves d’Egypte (‘Rodin’s Dreams of Egypt’), at musée Rodin, until 5 March 2023.
- Pierre Moignard. ‘Mentir vrai’, at musée Picasso, until 2 April 2023
- Fabrice Hyber – ‘The Valley’, at Fondation Cartier, until 30 April 2023.
- Kimono, at musée du Quai Branly, until 28 May 2023.
- Art deco France – North America, à la Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, jusqu’au 6 mars 2023
- ‘La photographie à tout prix’. A selection of works by prize-winning photograpers à la BnF, at Bibliothèque Nationale de France – site François Mitterrand, until 12 March 2023
The fashion Week
In January each year, Paris is top dog on the catwalk during Fashion Week. On this occasion, the biggest names in fashion, celebrities and journalists flock to Paris to discover the new trends in ready-to-wear for men (from 17 to 22 January 2023) and haute couture (from 23 to 26 January 2023) for the next year. Whilst uncertainty remains as to whether or not to hold fashion shows in public, presentations of the creations will nevertheless go ahead via online fashion shows. What’s more, if the events take place in public, the whole show also takes place outside, especially around important Parisian landmark sites particularly in the vicinity of top Parisian venues like the Grand Palais, Palais Brongniart or the Palais de Tokyo, where you can easily spot famous faces including models and fashion designers. Keep an eye out!
Winter sales 2023
Fashion is of course related to shopping. And this is one area where Paris comes into its own. The city is a genuine shopping mecca. If you’re looking to refresh your wardrobe, pick up a must-have accessory or purchase the It-bag of the moment, there’s no better time for it. January, as all Paris fashionistas know, offers rich pickings with the start of the much-awaited winter sales on Wednesday 11 January until Tuesday 7 February 2023: four whole weeks of bargains, with reductions of up to 70%.
PARISIAN CONCERTS AND SHOWS IN JANUARY 2023
Parisian cultural life goes on, preferably in compliance with the French government’s health recommendations. So, begin the year 2023, by heading to one of the capital’s famous concert and show venues to see this new season’s unmissable line-up.
Concerts in early 2023
For New Year’s Eve, you can attend one of the traditional classical concerts given at the Saint-Louis-en-l’Île church (gospel concert, Sunday 1 January 2023 at 8 pm), at the Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre church (gospel concert, Sunday 1 January at 4 pm), at the Saint-Philippe-du-Roule church (New Year’s Concert Soprano & String Trio, Sunday 1 January at 4 pm) or at the Eiffel Tower (Strauss waltzes and polkas, Romanian dances, and opera arias, Sunday 1 January 2023 at 6pm).
January promises concerts from top artists on the pop, rock, blues and hip-hop scene! The Accor Arena welcomes Clara Luciani, several times a winner at the Victoires de la Musique (31 January 2023). The famous rappers from Toulouse Bigflo and Oli perform at L’Olympia Bruno Coquatrix for a single concert date on 27 January 2023. At the Théâtre du Châtelet, Mélissa Laveaux brings her pop, blues, and folk rhythms to a special concert on 20 January 2023.
Family shows
New Year is the ideal time for families and friends to see unusual shows such as the Slava’s Snowshow at the Trianon (jusqu’au 8 janvier 2023). At the Paradis Latin, kids and adults can discover the new family show Mon premier cabaret by Kamel Ouali. Finally, at the Défense Arena, the Spanish Riding School of Vienna will delight audiences of all ages on 7 and 8 January 2023.
Sporting events in January 2023
As for sport, the month of January is full of events. At the Accor Arena, the year kicks off with some of the biggest sporting events of the year: the Paris Basketball Games 2023 (le 22 janvier 2023), the French Hockey Cup Final (le 29 janvier 2023), and the NBA Paris Game 2023 (le 19 janvier 2023).
Musicals in Paris at the start of 2023
The great classic musicals are always a great way to start the year with music and with the family. At the Théâtre Mogador, the hit musical « Lion King » continues to thrill audiences. From 21 to 29 January 2023, at the Palais des Congrès de Paris, the musical by Essaï Altounian, ‘Noé, la force de vivre’ tells the story of the flood and Noah’s rescue of the animals. To see one of the most famous rock operas in the history of music, go along to the SeineMusicale at Boulogne-Billancourt, where Starmania runs until 29 January 2023. Combining acrobatics with pop rock hits performed by a live philharmonic orchestra, the Phénix circus (Pelouse de Reuilly) rolls out a new show Rhapsodie, a unique spectacle.
At the Théâtre de Paris, Alexis Michalik stages Producteurs, an adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical. Equally renowned, the cult musical Cabaret is playing at the Lido2Paris.
Operas in January 2023
For Opera lovers, Verdi’s Il Trovatore, Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde and Bizet’s Carmen are at the Opéra Bastille (from 17 January, 21 January and until 25 February 2023 respectively). From 23 January 2023, the Opéra Garnier will present Peter Grimes, Benjamin Britten’s very first opera. At the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, audiences of all ages can discover Une Cenerentola, based on Gioachino Rossini’s opera of the same name, in a version specially adapted for young audiences, starting on 29 January 2023.
TRADE SHOWS, FESTIVALS AND OTHER EVENTS IN PARIS
Today, after a year and a half’s absence due to the health crisis, the major trade fairs and trade shows are resuming in physical formats. From 28 to 30 January 2023, the trade fair Playtime Paris returns to the Espace Evénements at the Parc Floral de Paris. Playtime Paris is the international children’s and maternity trade show that takes place in Paris twice a year. The event brings together more than 500 international brands. It is the must-attend event where industry professionals including designers, buyers, bloggers, journalists, and artists gather. And from 19 to 23 January 2023, the trade show Maison et Objet will be back at the Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte. More than just a trade show, it is the benchmark event for all those involved in the art of living, home fashion, interior decoration, and design.
The New lunar Year celebrations take place on 22 January 2023 and welcome the Year of the Rabbit. The many performances and attractions are back again this year, and the decorations in several districts of Paris are worth a visit !
Literature related events
The 6th edition of the event Nuits de la Lecture (19 to 22 January 2023) will delight literature enthusiasts. Organized like the Nuit des Musées event, it brings people together and makes literature more accessible. The public are invited to physical or digital (free) events around the theme of fear. Once again, libraries, bookshops, schools and cultural venues are opening their doors for this unique evening to share their love of literature at special events. A performance reading of ‘Horla’ by Maupassant at the Maison d’Auguste Comte, Surrealist reading Alberto Giacometti / Salvador Dalí at the Institut Giacometti, a reading of ‘Spies on the Thames’ as part of the exhibition Top Secret at the Cinémathèque française, readings at the Archives Nationales, a poetic consultation at the Musée de la Vie Romantique, and more.