Paris: 16 reasons you should visit in 2016
It’s been a long year for Paris, but the city is exiting 2015 unified and looking to the future. I have never been prouder to call myself a Parisian. Moving forward towards 2016, we’ll turn the page and start over again, ready to take on annual occurrences and new experiences. And there are dozens of reasons to come celebrate Paris in the new year.
Here are 16 such reasons to visit Paris in 2016, when honestly the cheese and wine should be enough to convince even the most hesitant traveler.
1. UEFA Euro Finals
June 10-July 10, 2016
The football – I mean, soccer – event of the year will take place in Paris, with 24 teams hitting the field for the UEFA Euro Championships. If you don’t care about sports, there’s still something in it for you since David Guetta will be playing a free concert at the Eiffel Tower on June 9th. Yes, free!
2. Disneyland Paris’s first half marathon
September 23-25, 2016
Big news at Disneyland Paris: In addition to closing many attractions for renovations, the theme park will host its first half marathon in September. How will it stack up to the races in the American theme parks? We’ll see…
The Right Bank of the Seine may soon be car-free if the city gets its way. Photo: Chris Chabot
3. Berges of the Rive Droite
After the successful renovations along the Left Bank, the city is looking to pedestrianize the Right Bank as well. This means even more wonderful car-free strolling along the Seine, if all goes well.
4. Art will be in full bloom
There are plenty of exhibits at the city’s many iconic museums from the Louvre to the Pompidou Center. There will be a Contemporary Chinese exhibit at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, while the Impressionists have their turn at the Musée Jacquemart-André (March 18-July 25, 2016). The list goes on and on and on, so it’s best to plan a trip and see for yourself.
5. Les Halles will be finished
I hate predicting things, but according to their timeline, much of the construction around Les Halles will be finished and the new structure should be complete. Since these things tend to take longer than expected, I’m skeptical, but one can hope.
The Ritz in Paris will finally open after renovations in 2016. Photo: Tom Flemming
6. The Ritz will REALLY open
Again, according to their PR team, the Ritz should open in early 2016. While cocktails at the Hemingway Bar might not be on every Cheapo’s list, a visit to the renovated hotel, Chanel’s former haunt, is still a fun thing to do while passing through Place Vendome. (If you need a place to stay that’s a bit more affordable, you can check out EuroCheapo’s 10 favorite budget hotels in Paris.)
7. Divas in concert
Yes, 2016 is the year of the diva in Paris. Concerts featuring some of the world’s best leading ladies will take place this year, including Celine Dion (June/July 2016), Rihanna (July 30, 2016), and Adele (June 10, 2016). Most of the shows sold out in minutes, but expect people to start reselling their seats closer to the dates.
8. Temperatures on the rise
This year was the UN’s global climate conference in Paris, called COP21. But if this summit doesn’t work out and world leaders can’t agree on how to end climate change, we can expect warmer temperatures to be the norm in Paris. Paris Plage might become a year-round thing!
The famous bookshop Shakespeare and Co now has a cozy cafe. Photo: Ib Aarmo
9. Shakespeare and Co. and Bob
The iconic bookstore famous worldwide to English-speakers, Shakespeare & Co. has recently opened a new café next door. Run by Marc Grossman, owner of Bob’s Juice Bar and Bob’s Bake Shop, the café features pies, brownies, cookies, and other fresh pastries to pair with coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. With views of Notre Dame just across the river, it’s well worth the visit.
10. Escape the 2016 presidential campaigns
If there is any reason to come to Paris in 2016, it’s to escape the US presidential campaign that will no doubt take over every media outlet (even more than it already has). In Paris, you’ll be able to sit in café, go for a stroll, browse the boutiques, and forget all about who-said-what at the last Clinton-Trump debate (just speculation!).
11. Musicals galore
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s infamous musical “Cats” has been prolonged through July. How can you come to Paris and not hear “Memories” sung by cats… in French? If feline singers aren’t your thing, maybe glamorous monarchs are. “Marie-Antoinette et le Chevalier de Maison-Rouge“, a musical dedicated to Marie Antoinette and one of her alleged trysts, might just do the trick. The cast recording has already been introduced in France, and now the stage show is on its way.
Scooter share may soon be coming to Paris. Photo: Curt Smith
12. Scoot through Paris
You know the Velib’ and the Autolib’, but Paris in 2016 might have its own scooter share. The mayor has the Scootlib’ in mind as a name, but one entrepreneur hopes to introduce his version, called Cityscoot, sometime in 2016. Nothing is confirmed, but it’s a distinct possibility.
13. New Musée de l’Homme
After extensive renovations, the new Musée de l’Homme, located just across the river from the Eiffel Tower, is open for business. It’s dedicated to all sorts of anthropological and cultural discoveries. They even have a new café/restaurant to check out in between sightseeing.
14. Things will get back to normal
The concerts, the film festivals, the races, the July 14th fireworks, the markets—there’s something every month, so there’s really no reason not to come. The tragic events of November 2015 have only made Paris even stronger, and possibly safer.
The beautiful Bataclan music venue plans to reopen in 2016 after the tragic events of November 2015. Photo: here
15. The Bataclan will reopen
Recent news reports have said that the owners of the Bataclan venue will push to reopen in 2016. Following the terrible events at the venue in November, the city won’t be held down. The city’s motto, “Tossed in the waves but never sank“, couldn’t ring more true. No word yet on who may eventually headline the first concert.
16. Because Paris needs YOU
Businesses are urging Parisians to go back to their restaurants and terraces, and back to the way of life that makes this city so great. We’re all urging tourists to do the same. It’s never been so important to come to Paris, to support local businesses, to keep the city moving forward.
Paris needs you to come, to visit its museums and monuments, to eat its macarons and baguettes. 2016 is a pretty good time to start.
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And because I will have my second photography exhibit in March in the Marais
Sold! I have been looking forward to seeing what the berges on the Right Bank will be like.