Classical Concert Tickets at Madeleine & Saint-Sulpice Churches Paris

La Madeleine: a temple-like church in the 8th arrondissement

La Madeleine looks more like a Greek temple than a church. Begun in the eighteenth century and redesigned in the early 1800s as a monument to the French army, it was finally consecrated as a church in 1842. Fifty-two Corinthian columns, each around twenty metres high, surround the building, and inside there are no side windows: light falls from three great domes onto marble, gilding and a sculpted high altar.

That warm, enclosed space gives a La Madeleine concert its rich sound. The church stands at the end of Rue Royale, a short walk from Place de la Concorde and the Opéra, so it is easy to combine dinner nearby with an evening concert. La Madeleine is the default option on this page and offers the widest choice of concert dates during the season.

Saint-Germain-des-Prés: the oldest church in Paris

The church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés grew from an abbey founded in the sixth century, with its first stone laid in 558. Its bell tower, built around the year 1000, is one of the oldest in France, and the nave blends Romanesque arches, a Gothic choir and nineteenth-century painted decoration in deep blues and golds.

Concerts take place in the central nave, where the music rises among columns that have watched over the Left Bank for a thousand years. The church gives its name to one of the liveliest quarters of Paris, with historic cafés, bookshops and galleries all around the square. A Saint-Germain-des-Prés concert is a fine way to end a day exploring the Left Bank and the Luxembourg Garden.

Saint-Sulpice: a giant of the Left Bank

Saint-Sulpice is one of the largest churches in Paris, built from 1646 over more than a century. Its facade, with two unmatched towers and a double row of columns, faces a square with a monumental fountain. Inside, look for the giant seashells used as holy-water fonts and the brass meridian line set in the floor in the eighteenth century to track the sun.

Above the entrance rises one of the grandest organs in France, and the immense nave gives a Saint-Sulpice concert a spacious, resonant sound. The church lies between Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Luxembourg Garden, so all three venues are easy to reach by metro from anywhere in central Paris. Saint-Sulpice concerts are fewer during the season, which makes them especially sought after.

The concert experience: programmes and tips

The orchestra brings together young musicians and experienced performers, mixing tradition with fresh energy. Programmes change through the season: Vivaldi's Four Seasons paired with adagios, concertos or Mozart; great requiems; and in December, Christmas carols and festive concertos. Check the programme and start time printed on your ticket, as some evenings begin earlier than 20:45.

Arrive at the church 30 minutes before the start to find your seat calmly. Food and drinks are not allowed inside, and the printed programme is in French. Is a church concert in Paris worth it? For many travellers it becomes the most moving evening of their stay: candle-warm light, centuries-old stone and music that fills every corner.