November is one of Paris’s most important months for photography. The city combines the return of Paris Photo at the Grand Palais with museum exhibitions on Gustave Le Gray, the Louvre’s photographic history, contemporary art and the Centre Pompidou’s photography collection.
Here are the exhibitions and events worth seeing in Paris this month.
Paris Photo at the Grand Palais
Paris Photo 2026 takes place at the Grand Palais from November 12 to 15. The 29th edition brings together galleries, artists, publishers and collectors from around the world, spanning historical photography, contemporary practices and digital image-making.
The fair is organised into five sectors: Main, including large-scale Prismes projects; Voices, curated by Zasha Colah and Francesco Zanot; Digital; Emergence; and Book. It also includes conversations, book signings, performances and the Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards.
For visitors interested in photography, this is the central event of the month. The fair is open from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. from Thursday to Saturday, and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Revealing: Centre Pompidou’s Photography Collection
Also at Paris Photo, Revealing: Centre Pompidou’s Photography Collection brings together around 100 works by nearly 30 historical and contemporary artists.
The exhibition is organised around four themes: Making the Image, To Infinity, The Studio and Identities. It offers a cross-section of photographic practice from the early twentieth century to today, including recent acquisitions from the Centre Pompidou collection.
This is a strong exhibition for understanding photography not only as a medium of documentation, but also as a field of experimentation, authorship and identity.
Gustave Le Gray at the Musée d’Orsay
At the Musée d’Orsay, Gustave Le Gray, Painter and Photographer opens on November 10 as part of the bicentenary of photography.
Le Gray was one of the most important figures in nineteenth-century photography, working at the intersection of painting and the photographic image. The exhibition is a good complement to Paris Photo, placing contemporary photography within a longer history of the medium.
Louvre Photo
Louvre Photo opens at the Louvre on November 4 and presents more than 300 photographs tracing the museum’s own history through photography.
The exhibition examines how the Louvre has been photographed, represented and reimagined over time. It is a particularly interesting choice for visitors interested in museums, archives, architecture and the relationship between photography and cultural memory.
Contemporary art in Paris
Beyond photography, several exhibitions continue or open across the city.
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Cezanne and Us remains on view at the Grand Palais until January 17, 2027, placing Cézanne’s work alongside artists influenced by him across modern and contemporary art.
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Kurt Schwitters: The Chaos-World, 1918–1948 continues at the Musée national Picasso-Paris until February 7, 2027, with more than 300 paintings, sculptures and collages.
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Mary Cassatt: Being Independent continues at the Musée d’Orsay until January 31, 2027.
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Silent Violence: Through the Eyes of Romeo Mivekannin opens at the Musée du quai Branly–Jacques Chirac on November 10.
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Révéler. Collection de photographie du Centre Pompidou opens at the Grand Palais on November 12, coinciding with Paris Photo.
Public art and free events
Paris also has several free and public art events in November.
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The street art and contemporary art festival at La Poste du Louvre returns from November 14 to 22.
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We, the Grotesques by Guillermo Forchino is presented at Galerie Joseph from November 6 to 29.
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Blancs by Josep Navarro Vives opens in Paris from November 4 to 8.
How to plan your visit
For a photography-focused visit, plan around Paris Photo from November 12 to 15, then add Louvre Photo, Gustave Le Gray and Révéler at the Grand Palais.
For a broader itinerary, pair one photography exhibition with a modern-art show such as Cezanne and Us or Kurt Schwitters. November offers a particularly good balance between photography, modern art, contemporary practice and public art across Paris.
