Open House Anvers aux Abbesses 2025: the artists’ hidden rendezvous

Nearly 100 visual artists will open their studios in Montmartre free of charge from November 14 to 17, 2025. Our sources confirm the stability of the program, based on more than 28 years of history, with little-known venues sometimes located in private apartments. A number of new addresses remain a mystery, adding a touch of exclusivity to the event.

A unique journey in the heart of Montmartre

Portes ouvertes Anvers aux Abbesses 2025 will once again be held between the 9th and 18th arrondissements of Paris, around the mythical Butte Montmartre. The event will bring together around 100 artists in some 60 studios, restaurants and apartments. Visitors will be able to circulate freely, following the official logo affixed to each partner venue.

The focal point remains the famous Mur des Émiles, located at 30 rue des Trois-Frères. This emblematic venue presents small formats signed by each artist, offered at a fixed price of €100. Here again, the stability of this tradition ensures continuity between past editions and 2025, while revealing the vitality of the local art scene.

A three-decade-old legacy

The Anvers aux Abbesses association has been federating visual artists in the Montmartre district for nearly 30 years. The collective’s mission has always been to promote contemporary art through direct encounters with its creators. Since our research into local archives, the first edition dates back to the mid-1990s, consolidating a long-established tradition.

Every year, around a third of the artists are new participants, renewing the creative energy and avoiding routine. During our visit in 2024, we observed this singular mix of recognized local figures and fresh young talent. This dynamic is a major asset, reinforcing Montmartre’s artistic legitimacy.

The intimate experience of Parisian workshops

Unlike institutional exhibitions, Open House offers the public a direct immersion in the places where art is created. Visitors enter private spaces, rarely accessible, to discover art “in situ”: the smell of paint, tools still stained, sculptures in the process of being assembled. This proximity fosters an authentic dialogue, often emphasized by the artists themselves.

For the previous edition, several apartments on rue des Martyrs and rue Yvonne-Le-Tac were transformed into ephemeral galleries. This phenomenon sets the event apart from the usual Parisian fairs, which often focus on neutral, standardized spaces. Here, experience and authenticity come first.

“Les Portes Ouvertes d’Anvers aux Abbesses offers an astonishing discovery of contemporary art in Montmartre” – Association Anvers aux Abbesses

A key role for contemporary art in Paris

This event is not just a local fixture, it also helps to maintain Paris’s status as a capital of contemporary art. With its free admission and user-friendly format, it attracts both novice and experienced collectors. Statistics from the Mairie du 9e show that over 15,000 visitors attend each year.

This reach extends beyond the artists on display: restaurateurs, specialist booksellers and Montmartre shopkeepers also benefit from the liveliness of the district. Some workshops even take place in restaurants, combining culinary discoveries with artistic encounters, in a similar vein to the new New York Italian addresses such as Cherry.

“This event is a key moment for strengthening the link between local artists and the public” – Mairie du 9e arrondissement

An edition confirmed and expected in November 2025

Official information confirms that the 2025 edition will take place from November 14 to 17, with no major changes. As last year, admission will remain free for all, and opening hours will cover the entire weekend, plus Monday. Our sources specify that the association is continuing to expand its collaborations, in order to multiply the number of atypical venues in the heart of Montmartre.

At the same time, the Mur des Émiles is taking on an increasingly visible role, transforming itself into a veritable collective exhibition and central information point. The organizers also aim to improve mediation tools to guide the public through this maze of workshops spread between the 9th and 18th arrondissements.

While we await publication of the detailed program, certain trends are taking shape: a hundred or so artists, a diversity of disciplines (painting, ceramics, photography, mosaics) and a partial renewal every year. This balance guarantees the continuity and success of an event that is no longer to be missed in Paris.

For art lovers and the simply curious, this event remains one of the must-see experiences listed in categories such as what to do in Paris or in selections dedicated to experience, proof of its growing notoriety with each passing edition.