Paris art week has become one of the most anticipated moments in the international calendar, where collectors, curators, artists, and enthusiasts converge to experience a mosaic of creative expressions. From the grandeur of Art Basel Paris at the Grand Palais to the culturally specific ASIA NOW, the experimental energy of Paris Internationale, the elegant balance of Moderne Art Fair, and the design-focused sophistication of Design Miami Paris, this season’s lineup reflects the city’s enduring reputation as a center for artistic innovation. Below is an overview of the five major fairs shaping Paris’s art landscape in 2025.

The fair now known as Art Basel Paris builds on the global Art Basel brand and its entry into the French capital: the 2025 edition will take place at the iconic Grand Palais from October 24–26, 2025 (with a preview on October 23). With 203 exhibitors from 40 countries and territories, including many first-time participants, the fair showcases not only blue-chip galleries but also adventurous institutional and partner activations. What makes Art Basel Paris stand out is its fusion of the global art-market gravitas of the Basel brand with the city of Paris’s rich cultural heritage: the show deliberately “builds bridges with France’s cultural industries.” Expect a sophisticated environment: major galleries, VIP/collector programmes, high-value sales, and surrounding satellite events across Paris. Unique to this edition are partnerships with brands like Miu Miu (its “30 Blizzards” commission at the Palais d'Iéna) and galleries such as Almine Rech, which presents 'Les Herbes folles du vieux logis' by Joël Andrianomearisoa at the Hôtel de la Marine's courtyard, both incorporated into the fair’s public programme. As such, Art Basel Paris offers the classic global fair experience—yet with Paris-based cultural resonance and a strong fashion-art crossover appeal.

Launched to spotlight Asian contemporary art in Europe, ASIA NOW returns for its 11th edition at the historic Monnaie de Paris, from October 22–26, 2025 (with preview on October 21). The fair was founded by curator/director Alexandra Fain and is positioned as “the only fair in Europe dedicated to showcasing artists from across Asia,” both emerging and historic. The 2025 edition is structured around the theme “Grow,” drawing on ideas of affective communities, transcendence of borders, and the methodology of Asia as movement and reference point. What to expect: a curated selection of galleries (representing artists from 28+ territories) combining works by rising stars and established names, plus a public programme of performances and installations. What makes ASIA NOW unique is its dedicated focus on the Asia-Pacific and diaspora, its relative intimacy compared with mega-fairs, and its presence in a distinguished Paris space. It allows visitors to engage with art world currents often under-represented in the European fair circuit. In short, for those seeking nuance, cultural commentary, and regional diversity, ASIA NOW offers a refreshing counterpoint to more commercial fairs.

Founded in 2015 as an independent, gallery-led initiative, Paris Internationale has developed as a creative, somewhat experimental alternative to the major art-fair machine. The 2025 edition takes place October 22–26, 2025 (preview October 21) around the Champs-Élysées/Rond-Point area. The fair’s ethos emphasizes collaboration, accessibility, and architectural adventure: each edition takes over a new venue (often a historic Paris building) and features a scenography that deliberately challenges the traditional “booth corridor” model of fairs. What to expect: 70–80 galleries from around the world, younger and mid-galleries alongside more established players, free public programmes (talks, performances), and a less branded, more discovery-driven atmosphere. What sets Paris Internationale apart is its nomadic, architecturally adventurous model and its focus on emerging voices rather than mega-commercial shells. For visitors, it presents an opportunity to encounter fresh, ambitious projects outside the mainstream fair formula.

Taking place at the historically significant Place de la Concorde from October 23–26, 2025, the Moderne Art Fair marks a strategic repositioning within Paris’s autumn art-week calendar. Created fairly recently (circa 2021) and held annually in October, the fair focuses on modern (20th century) art, contemporary creation, and design. The 2025 edition emphasises a “meeting place for modern, contemporary art and design,” bringing together over sixty French and international galleries and introducing an enlarged central aisle layout for improved circulation. What to expect: a panoply of works ranging from mid-century masters through to immersive contemporary works and design objects; invited galleries present both legacy artists and emerging talents. The unique feature of Moderne Art Fair is its hybrid orientation bridging modern art, contemporary art and design — less purely commercial megafair, more curated and accessible to serious collectors and wider audiences. Given its relatively young history, the fair offers a slightly less saturated atmosphere and the chance for discovery in a grand Parisian location.

Now in its 3rd edition in Paris, Design Miami Paris will be held at the elegant historic mansion Hôtel de Maisons (51 Rue de l’Université, 75007 Paris) from October 21–26, 2025 (with previews earlier). The fair is organised under the umbrella of the global Design Miami forum, known for “collectible design” of the 20th and 21st centuries: furniture, lighting, objets d’art, with museum-quality works presented by top galleries. What to expect: design galleries from around the world showing rare and exceptional pieces, curated exhibits combined with historic architecture, and often site-specific installations and commissions. For example, the 2025 edition heralds “the largest Gallery and Design at Large programme yet.” What makes this fair unique: it is not strictly a fine art fair, but a design and art-object fair in an intimate, high-end setting, blending heritage architecture with collectible design. For art-and-design lovers in Paris during the art-week rush, Design Miami Paris offers a refined alternative to the gallery-megafair zone.

Together, these five fairs create a vibrant and layered “Paris Art Week” ecosystem in October 2025: from the heavyweight global market presence of Art Basel Paris to the regional specificity of ASIA NOW, the independent energy of Paris Internationale, the fusion of modern/contemporary/design at Moderne Art Fair, and the design-collector focus of Design Miami Paris. Whether you are a serious collector, ambitious gallery-goer, or simply an art-enthusiast exploring the city, each fair offers its own atmosphere, audience and discovery potential.