Fête du Pain

Thirty years of celebrating French bread

The Fête du Pain was born in 1996, created on the initiative of Jean-Pierre Raffarin, then Minister for SMEs, Trade and Crafts, to highlight the know-how of French bakers-pastry chefs and the central place of bread in French culture and gastronomy. Supported by the National Confederation of French Bakery-Pastry, the festival is held throughout the country, but it is in Paris, on the parvis of Notre-Dame, that it finds its most spectacular expression.

The parvis of Notre-Dame, an open-air bakery

Every year in May, a huge 500-square-meter canopy is erected on the parvis of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral (4th arrondissement), housing a real, functioning ephemeral bakery. Bakers and pastry chefs from Grand Paris knead, shape, and bake bread live in front of the public, in a friendly and educational atmosphere. Visitors can observe every step of bread making, from flour selection to coming out of the oven.

2025 Edition: Baking, professions of the future

The 29th edition of Fête du Pain took place from May 1st to 11th, 2025 on the parvis of Notre-Dame de Paris, with the theme "Baking, professions of the future". For eleven days, bakers-pastry chefs from Île-de-France welcomed the public for kneading and baking demonstrations, educational workshops, tastings, and flour presentations by millers from the region. The edition celebrated the diversity of baking professions and their attractiveness to younger generations.

2026 Edition: The 30th Anniversary

The 30th anniversary edition of Fête du Pain will be held from May 8th to 17th, 2026 on the parvis of Notre-Dame de Paris. Ten days of festivities are planned, with an exceptional program for this jubilee. On May 15th, 16th, and 17th, Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF) will create exceptional bread dough pieces live, offering a rare quality artisanal spectacle. Demonstrations, workshops, tastings, and educational activities will punctuate this anniversary edition.

A free and popular event

Fête du Pain is an entirely free event, open to all. Families are particularly welcome, with workshops dedicated to children — dough kneading, making small breads, decorating pastries — and fun activities around bread and baking. The event helps transmit to new generations the passion for artisanal bread and respect for the know-how of French bakers.