Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, jardin à la française lors de la soirée aux chandelles, feu d'artifice

The Best Sound & Light Shows of the Summer Season

Every summer, monuments in and around Paris – from the Invalides to the Château de Versailles – stage idyllic evenings, with fireworks and light displays worthy of the Sun King!
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Summer in Paris: a sense of dolce vita, bustling terraces, picnics by the Seine and warm, winding streets perfect for moonlight strolls. But there's more: the arrival of summer also marks the return of the unmissable, open-air sound and light shows. These annual displays highlight the most beautiful monuments of Paris Region in all their nocturnal glory.

Versailles in the moonlight

To relive the grandeur of Louis XIV's reign, make for the Gardens of Versailles any Saturday evening between June and September. Amidst the illuminated fountains and verdant groves, the Musical Fountains Night Show offers a majestic water ballet set to the music of Lully and Rameau. The evening is crowned by a magnificent fireworks display.

Château de Versailles et les Parterres d'eau durant Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes.
Domaine de Versailles%252C les jardins%252C Bassin et Parterre de Latone pendant les Grandes Eaux Musicales Nocturnes.
Domaine de Versailles%252C les jardins%252C Bassin et Parterre de Latone pendant les Grandes Eaux Musicales Nocturnes.

A midsummer night's dream

Each summer, the sublime Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, just south of Paris, becomes even more beautiful during the Candlelit Evenings, which echo the sumptuous parties held by the original owner of the estate, Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV's finance minister. With Champagne and macaroons in hand, settle yourself comfortably in one of the chairs at the Songe de Vaux bar and admire the garden's alleyways flickering in the flames of a thousand candles, along with the superb fireworks display.

Soirée aux Chandelles à Vaux-le-Vicomte 2014

Summer stars in Meaux

From June through September, more than 500 volunteers, musicians, dancers and acrobats proudly celebrate the 1,000-year history of the picturesque town of Meaux, 50 km from Paris. The show, entitled “Folles Epoques“, takes place in the town centre, with as backdrop its sublime Roman cathedral. Set to music, the spectacle takes audiences on a whistle-stop tour through Meaux’s history, focusing on its great historic figures, including the theologian Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, Napoleon, Victor Hugo, and the essayist and poet Charles Péguy.

Spectacle Historique de Meaux « Folles Epoques !
Spectacle Historique de Meaux « Folles Epoques !

Our selection

Latone et Grand Canal
The Gardens of Versailles
Art & culture Nature & outdoor
Lighting effects and optical illusions, masterful use of perspective, the sublimation of art and nature — the gardens are undoubtedly the soul of the Versailles estate.
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
Art & culture
South of Paris, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, with its magnificent formal French garden, is a jewel of 17th-century architecture, so sumptuous that the Sun King himself is said to have been envious.
Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
Art & culture
Part of the Hôtel National des Invalides, the Army Museum contains hundreds of thousands of objects linked to French military history, which will fascinate young and old alike.

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  • Copyright image: Jarry-Tripelon / CRT Paris Ile-de-France