Children’s shows in Paris

148 shows on stage in Paris — 7 of them free and median entry price €16. Listings updated on .

Shows for young audiences have their own venues and their own calendar, and that is exactly what makes them hard to find in a general listings site. Among the upcoming dates in our catalogue, the stages that programme the most are La Comédie Saint-Michel with its two rooms, Essaïon, À la Folie Théâtre, Théâtre Paris-Villette, Le Funambule-Montmartre, La Maison des Métallos, Espace JKM and La Scène Parisienne. The category covers theatre for children, puppetry, musical tales and circus, in formats designed for very precise age brackets.

The calendar is the first thing to know. Most performances take place on Wednesdays, at weekends and during French school holidays, almost always in the morning or early afternoon; outside those slots the offer thins out sharply. The second thing is the recommended age: a show announced “from three” and one announced “from eight” differ in length and in subject, and getting it wrong spoils the outing. That information comes from the venue, whose page is linked from every listing.

This page gathers the children’s shows on stage in Paris, ranked by popularity, each listing carrying the venue, the next performance, how many dates remain and a link to the official box office. It is the cheapest category of Paris theatre: entry usually sits between ten and twenty euros, and many venues have a separate child rate. Running times are short — from thirty-five minutes for toddlers to about an hour and a quarter beyond the age of eight — which leaves room for something else the same afternoon.

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148 shows · sorted by popularity

Frequently asked questions

When do children’s shows play in Paris?

Mostly on Wednesdays, at weekends and during French school holidays, in the morning or early afternoon. Outside those slots the choice narrows considerably.

How do I know if a show suits my child’s age?

Every production announces a recommended minimum age, set by the venue. Follow the link on the listing to the venue page: length and subject differ a great deal between a show for three-year-olds and one for eight-year-olds.

Are these shows in French?

Almost always. Puppetry, circus and visual formats travel well regardless, and the venue page states when a show has little or no dialogue.