Candlelit concerts and circus shows: explore French monuments by night this weekend

Some 30 monuments across France will be staying open after dark to host candlelit exhibitions, projections, concerts and guided tours for the second edition of the Nuit des Monuments (Night of Monuments) this weekend (April 17-19).

From chateaux to wine cellars, members of the public can visit the event’s official website and use an interactive map to find participating monuments in their region.

Attractions include an immersive light show at the Château de Beaugency (Loiret), a concert and circus performance at the Château de la Mothe Chandeniers (Vienne), a treasure hunt at the Château de Boulogne-la-Grasse (Oise), and a musical modern art experience at the Fondation Vasarely (Bouches-du-Rhône). 

Events are individually ticketed, with prices beginning at €4. Booking links can be found on the website. Note that some monuments are not opening on all three nights and event times vary across different sites.

The Nuit des Monuments is linked with the Nuit des Châteaux (Night of Castles), which will be held from October 16-18 this year. Both events are organised by French travel and tourism company, Dartagnans, and have attracted more than 180,000 visitors since the launch of Nuit des Châteaux in 2019.

These should not be confused with the Nuit Européenne des Musées (European Night of Museums), held each year in May with over 3,000 participating museums across France and Europe.