The Moon Festival is back for another year at the Paris Centre Town Hall, in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. On this Sunday, September 27, 2026, the town hall courtyard will host a tasting of Chinese tea and mooncakes, ahead of a concert that traces centuries of Chinese culture.
We’ve been following this event for several editions, and it still carries the simple charm of a neighborhood festival. This year, it embraces a lovely theme: “Under the Same Moon, Let’s Gather in Paris.” Organized with the support of the city hall, this Franco-Chinese cultural gathering highlights the traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival through food, music, and the arts.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, known in Chinese as Zhongqiu Jie, falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. It’s the night when the full moon is said to be at its roundest and brightest of the year. In 2026, it lands on Friday, September 25, and the Paris celebrations run all weekend.
That day, families gather to admire the moon and share gâteaux de lune, those small round pastries filled with lotus paste, red bean, or salted egg yolk. Their round shape, echoing the moon, symbolizes reunion. The festival is also tied to the legend of Chang'e, the goddess who fled to the moon after drinking an immortality elixir.
The afternoon kicks off outside, in the town hall courtyard, with two tasting stalls. Like a cup of tea slowly steeping, the celebration then builds indoors, moving from official speeches to a musical program billed as “月下千年 (Moonlight Through the Ages).” Here’s what to expect:
The musical program draws, in particular, on classical Chinese poetry. Each piece unfolds like a page turned in an old family photo album, moving from one era to the next, culminating in a collective finale.
The festivities kick off at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the Mairie de Paris Centre, on Rue Eugène Spuller in the 3rd arrondissement. Tea and mooncake tasting will be held in the courtyard and are open to the public. A note of caution: the concert inside the town hall is by invitation only and requires a reservation, with attendees needing to confirm their presence with the organizers.
The event is presented by Visions France, which outlines the edition on its dedicated page. For any questions about arrangements at the town hall, the official site of the Mairie de Paris Centre remains the proper entry point. To get there, the Temple station (line 3) and Arts et Métiers (lines 3 and 11) are within a short walk.
Because there aren’t many opportunities to savor a moon cake with a cup of tea in the courtyard of a Paris city hall on a Sunday afternoon. The format stays short and human-sized, far from the crowds. This moment is aimed at families, those curious about Chinese culture, food lovers, and anyone hoping to experience the Mid-Autumn Festival without getting on a plane.
The place also has significance. The Arts-et-Métiers district, around Rue au Maire and Rue Volta, is home to one of the oldest hubs of Paris’s Chinese community, established there in the interwar years. Celebrating the Moon just a stone’s throw from these streets is a bit like coming full circle.
After the tasting, the Temple Square next door is ideal for a quiet pause. The Carreau du Temple faces the town hall, and the Marché des Enfants Rouges is only a few streets away to extend the afternoon on the gourmet side. For more ideas, our guide to the République and Arts-et-Métiers district and the Marais guide give you plenty to fill your Sunday.
Want to extend the mid-autumn vibe? Our guide Moon Festival 2026 in Paris brings together the capital’s other celebrations. And to bring a few treats home, our picks for buying mooncakes in Paris are worth a look. The rest of the day’s plan can be found in our roundup What to do this Sunday, September 27, 2026 in Paris.
Here's a lovely lineup you won't want to miss! Happy Fete de la Lune!
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Dates and Opening Time
On September 27, 2026
Starts at 02:30 p.m.
Location
Paris Centre City Hall
2 rue Eugène Spuller
75003 Paris 3
Route planner
Accessibility info
Prices
Free
Recommended age
For all
Official website
www.visionsfrance.fr
