News and events in the La Défense district

Aerial view of the Paris La Défense business district

If one had to compare it with a conurbation, Paris La Défense would be a city within the city. With its 42,000 inhabitants, its living district straddling four communes where residents, employees, students and millions of annual visitors live side by side, it is a living district in perpetual motion !

The La Défense district is constantly being transformed and modernised and every day offers a multitude of events for young and old alike!

Art is omnipresent! Throughout the year and throughout the seasons, you will find flagship exhibitions, festivals, entertainment, a large Christmas market and so much more.

In June, "La Défense Jazz Festival", a not-to-be-missed event for jazz artists, takes place in the open air on the square in front of La Défense. Every year, awards (Group Prize, Instrumentalist Prize) are given to a large number of musicians who have become leaders on the French and international scene.

In the summer, on more than 5,600 sq.m. of grounds, the "Garden Parvis" festival offers residents and visitors six weeks of open-air festivities. An outdoor living space with a programme of concerts and DJs, activities and workshops for adults and children, all in an atmosphere that smells like the holidays.

During the summer season, you will find a new edition of the contemporary art exhibition "Les Extatiques". Born from the imagination of Fabrice Bousteau, this extraordinary artistic journey between the area and the artists can be visited in the gardens of the Seine Musicale and on the esplanade of Paris La Défense.

At the start of the school year, take part in the street culture festival or "Urban Week" which, as its name suggests, is dedicated to urban culture in all its forms. And remember that graffiti is not the only thing in life!

At the end of the year, the largest Christmas market in the Île-de-France region is taking place in the La Défense district. A must-see event since 1995, the Christmas village covers more than 13,000 sq.m., with 200 chalets and more than 350 exhibitors offering gift ideas, festive decorations, local or traditional products, hot spots where you can eat and experience the Christmas atmosphere.

Paris La Défense is also an area of mutual aid and commitment. The environment, sustainable development and sharing are at the heart of the district with its label "Paris La Défense acts", and tend towards more responsible and solidarity-based consumption. The aim is to fight against great precariousness by setting up actions that enable sustainable action to be taken on environmental and societal concerns.

Developing the place of nature in the city is also one of Paris La Défense's ambitious objectives, and the wager is on the way to success with its 37 hectares of green zones. Today, 35% of the district's pedestrian area is green.

Every day, find on our website all the practical information you need to attend events in Paris La Défense, all the news and the agenda of all the events in the area.

Live concert during the Jazz Festival at La Défense © Sabrina Budon

Events calendar

All the meetings and events, classified by theme, that are currently taking place or will be taking place at Paris La Défense in the coming months can be found in the events calendar. Conferences, rugby matches, solidarity races, concerts, you can access all the information about these events.

Garden Parvis, the summer event at La Défense © Benedite Topuz

The major events

Every year, major events are organised in and by Paris La Défense, making the district an essential space for life and culture. From jazz festivals to Christmas markets and open-air art exhibitions, Paris La Défense offers annual events to meet up, relax and enjoy the business district in a different way.

Aerial view of the Paris La Défense business district

All news

Find out all the latest news from the La Défense district: the must-see events in the arts and culture and the activities taking place there. Access daily information on transport and regional planning, as well as on the environment and solidarity. You can also find out about the latest places to go and activities to try out.

Folder : Higher Education in Paris La Défense © 11h45

All our folders

The dossiers will provide you with additional information on important subjects for Paris La Défense, such as higher education, the Nature en ville initiative, commitments to energy savings throughout the area and CSR initiatives. It's also an opportunity to (re)discover the latest editions of Extatiques or find out more about the development of the new Nanterre district, Les Groues.

Work on a tower in La Défense

Worksite news

La Défense is constantly on the move: property renovation, management of green spaces, parks and gardens, work on roads and pedestrian walkways. There's always a project underway to transform, modernise and revitalise the district. Site info provides all the information you need about the work taking place in the various neighbourhoods and the projects in progress.