Montmartre Festival 2026: micro-carnival, concerts, exhibitions, workshops… this weekend’s program.

The Montmartre Festival is back to liven up the Butte from September 25 to 27, 2026, delivering three days of concerts, exhibitions, performances, workshops, and activities, most of them free, between Pigalle and Montmartre.

Three days to turn Montmartre upside down... artistically speaking! The Montmartre Festival returns for a fourth edition, from 25 to 27 September 2026, once again transforming the neighborhood into a vast open-air stage. Streets, squares, gardens and cultural venues host concerts, performances, exhibitions, screenings, workshops and guided tours, with a new highlight this year: the Carnaval de Pigalle. A program that moves creation beyond galleries and theaters and brings it straight into the street!

A last-minute change to the program, however, alters the plan. Because of the arrival of Pope Leo XIV and the security imperatives that come with it, the grand procession of the Pigalle Carnival and the flea market are cancelled. The rest of the Montmartre Festival remains on track. In place of the big parade, a free micro-carnival is organized Saturday, September 26 from 3:00 to 4:00 PM at square d’Anvers, featuring a costumed route and a 100% vinyl DJ set. The true participatory, walking edition of the Pigalle Carnival is now slated for spring 2027.

Launched in 2023 by the Mouvement Montmartre, the festival spotlights artists, cultural venues and local initiatives, with the aim of fostering a dialogue between Montmartre’s heritage and contemporary creation. Living arts, nature, immersive installations and new technologies intersect along the route, while free concerts, street theatre and performances light up various corners of the district. The vast majority of activities are free entry, with only some tours and screenings requiring reservation or tickets.

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Montmartre Festival 2026 Schedule

Throughout the Weekend

Exhibition SYNTHESIS at Anvers Square, commemorating the bicentennial of photography
Village Festival at the Anvers Market
Creators' Market within the Village Festival
Workshops on cyanotype, photography, and masks
Concerts and activities

Attention: the festive flea market has been canceled.

Friday, September 25, 2026

6:00 PM — Opening remarks
6:20 PM to 8:20 PM — Screening of the winning shorts from the film competition — reservations required
8:30 PM to Midnight — Cocktail and performances

Saturday, September 26, 2026

11am–1pm : Photographic guided tour of Montmartre Cemetery — advance booking required
12pm–3pm : Musical brunch
3pm–4pm : A mini-costume carnival and a 100% vinyl DJ set featuring Basscule Paris, Jvize From Paradize and Algreco at the Anvers Square, free entry
4pm–6pm : Outdoor DJ set at the Village Festival
6pm–8pm : Mouvement Montmartre Cabaret at the bandstand

The grand parade of the Pigalle Carnival, originally planned to wind through the neighborhood streets at that same hour, is therefore canceled due to security concerns tied to the pope's visit.

Sunday, September 27, 2026

10am–12pm: Guided tour of the 9th arrondissement galleries — reservations required
10am–11am: Concerts by local music schools
11am–2pm: Electronic brunch with live concerts
2pm–4pm: Second guided tour of the 9th arrondissement galleries — reservations required
2pm–7pm: Outdoor concerts on the main stage and at the bandstand

The grand parade is on hold until 2027. Montmartre Festival, for its part, sticks to the essentials and keeps the neighborhood buzzing all weekend.