The calendar of France's major autumn fairs 2026: Châlons, Strasbourg, Marseille, Metz, Montpellier, Paris and Dijon, with confirmed dates and the profile of each fair.
When autumn arrives, the big general fairs take back France's exhibition centers. These are nothing like niche trade shows: they are large public, generalist events that gather hundreds of exhibitors across tens of thousands of square meters. Home, food, well-being, garden, crafts, people come with the family to browse, compare and often leave with a good deal. For international visitors, they are also one of the best ways to feel the local culture of a French region in a single visit.
These fairs rank among the biggest events in their city: the Marseille Fair expects around 300,000 visitors, and Dijon nearly 170,000. For an exhibitor, it is a massive local showcase. Here is the calendar of France's major autumn fairs in 2026, from late August to mid-November, with confirmed dates and the profile of each one.
| Fair | City | Venue | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Châlons Fair (80th) | Châlons-en-Champagne | Le Capitole en Champagne | 28 August to 7 September |
| European Fair (94th) | Strasbourg | Wacken Exhibition Park | 4 to 13 September |
| Marseille Fair (102nd) | Marseille | Parc Chanot | 25 September to 5 October |
| Metz International Fair (91st) | Metz | Eurométropole Exhibition Park | 25 September to 5 October |
| Montpellier Fair | Pérols (Montpellier) | Pérols Exhibition Park | 9 to 19 October |
| Paris Autumn Fair | Paris | Porte de Versailles, Hall 7.2 | 25 October to 3 November |
| Dijon Fair (gastronomic) | Dijon | Exhibition and Congress Center | 31 October to 11 November |
Dates are taken from each fair's official website. They remain subject to change: always check before traveling or booking a stand.
The season opens in the east and south, with three heavyweights that overlap.
This is the first big fair of the new season, and one of the best known in France for its mix of agricultural, economic and political dimensions. For its 80th edition, it takes over Le Capitole en Champagne with its Foire en Scène concert festival, access to which is included in the entry ticket. A generalist event that draws the whole Grand Est region.
At the Wacken Exhibition Park, the European Fair celebrates its 94th edition. True to its cross-border DNA, it puts a country or region in the spotlight every year, and blends shopping, home, food and major festive gatherings. It is Alsace's big public event of the season.
The largest fair in the south. For its 102nd edition, the Marseille International Fair takes the Mediterranean as its theme and transforms Parc Chanot for eleven days. It gathers around 1,000 exhibitors and expects nearly 300,000 visitors across home, food, well-being and garden sectors, with its famous gourmet evenings and late-night openings until 11 pm.
In parallel, the FIM runs its 91st edition at the Eurométropole Exhibition Park in Metz. Around 550 stands across 44,000 sq m, 25 sectors and a new escapist theme every year (Polynesia in 2026). It is Moselle's big family event of the season.
Autumn continues with three major fairs, right up to the doorstep of winter.
At the Pérols Exhibition Park, the Montpellier International Fair offers eleven days of discovery across five worlds: home and garden, food, shopping, better living and discovery of the nations of the world. A must in the Hérault.
Not to be confused with the Foire de Paris, which takes place in spring. The Autumn Fair is held at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and focuses on the home, good deals and the novelties of the Lépine competition inventors. A tighter format but very busy, right in the middle of the Toussaint holidays.
The Dijon International and Gastronomic Fair closes the season in style. At the Exhibition and Congress Center, it gathers around 400 exhibitors and nearly 170,000 visitors around gastronomy, crafts and a guest country. A Burgundy institution that runs near full capacity every year.
The two are often confused, but the intent is not the same. A fair is a large public, generalist event: it spans every sector (home, food, leisure) and targets the individual visitor who comes to discover and buy. A trade show is more often themed, or even reserved for professionals, with a goal of targeted networking.
On the logistics side, however, the challenge is the same: gathering hundreds of exhibitors in one place, drawing a coherent floor plan, assigning stands and coordinating everyone for months.
Behind a fair that lines up 500 to 1,000 exhibitors, there are months of preparation: a floor plan to build, stands to assign by sector and budget, registrations to track and constant communication with exhibitors. For organizers who structure this kind of event, trade show management software like Keyqo, focused on exhibitor management and the interactive floor plan, brings these tasks together in a single tool.
The main ones are the Châlons-en-Champagne Fair (28 August to 7 September), the Strasbourg European Fair (4 to 13 September), the Marseille Fair and the Metz International Fair (both 25 September to 5 October), the Montpellier Fair (9 to 19 October), the Paris Autumn Fair (25 October to 3 November) and the Dijon International and Gastronomic Fair (31 October to 11 November).
A fair is a large public, generalist event that mixes every sector and targets individual visitors who come to discover and buy. A trade show is more often themed or reserved for professionals, with a goal of targeted networking. In both cases, the organization relies on exhibitors, stands and a floor plan to coordinate.
Entry is generally paid, in the range of a few euros, with reduced rates and often free admission for children. Invitations and discounted tickets are frequently available online on each fair's official website. It is best to check the terms before traveling.
The Marseille International Fair takes place from 25 September to 5 October 2026 at Parc Chanot, for its 102nd edition. It gathers around 1,000 exhibitors and expects nearly 300,000 visitors over eleven days, with its late-night openings and gourmet evenings.
You need to contact the organizer of the fair you are targeting, ideally several months in advance, since the best locations go early. You choose a stand based on your sector and the surface you want, then prepare your setup. The official fair websites offer an exhibitor area with rates and registration steps.
If you organize or attend other types of events in France, here are our complementary guides:
Sources:
Student fairs in France 2026, city by city (Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Lille): the key periods from the autumn season to Parcoursup, the European Education Fair date and how to prepare your visit.
Cannes, La Rochelle, Cap d'Agde, Paris: the 2026 calendar of France's major boat shows, with the autumn season dates and tips for exhibiting.
Nancy, Brive, Colmar, Montreuil, Nantes: the 2026 calendar of France's major book fairs, with autumn dates, cities and tips for exhibiting.