Make the most of the last few weeks of warm weather by staying active this September in Lyon. Despite event cancellations and temporary closures of businesses as a result of COVID-19, there’s still so much to do! Experience the Tour de France as riders pass through Lyon, attend the totally free Ninkasi Festival, or marvel at art by Lyonnais painter Jean Couty. September in Lyon is sure to make for a month of fun-filled activities and we’ve listed some of them here for you!
Kayak Down the Saône
The Lyon Kayak & SUP (Stand-Up Paddleboarding) event kicks off the weekend of September 19-20, providing a great opportunity to see Lyon from a unique perspective. Come with your own equipment or rent a two seater canoe when you register.
There are 3 different routes down the Saône river for participants to take: Family 6km, Discovery 14km, and Chrono 21km.
The separate Lyon Family Kayak course takes place on Sunday, September 20, departure at 12 p.m. from the Masaryk bridge.
Also, don’t miss out on the other activities happening during the Lyon Kayak event such as the Australian kayak races, the Multi-Paddle Challenge and the Dragon-Boat Festival.
Tune in to the Livestreamed Peristyle Festival
Ongoing until September 4th, take the opportunity to “attend” the Opera Peristyle Festival and watch a variety of different artists, all through a Youtube livestream.
As a precautionary act against COVID-19, the Peristyle Festival is recorded and streamed live on Youtube so people can have the experience from home. Artists such as The Wassily Quartet and Forro de Rebeca are performing in the festival. Performances begin at 7pm and 9pm on festival days.
See Outremonde – Laura Henno Exhibition Until September 12
Laura Henno tells the story of Slab City, a former World War II military base, dismantled in 1956 and then occupied by soldiers when it closed.
In an effort to create a form of modern humanism, Henno travelled to Slab City several times, taking photographs and making a film of her subjects there. Laura Henno’s Outremonde exhibition is open until September 12 at the Galerie le Bleu du Ciel.
The exhibition centers around the actions of a family: Mary Ann, Ethan and Jack, alongside the other residents of Slab City (Pastor Dave, Benjamin, Julie, Michael, Connie and the Chronos and Zero dogs). The portraiture of this community is admirable and something you don’t want to miss out on seeing.
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, no more than 4 people are allowed inside the exhibition space at the same time and hands should be disinfected upon entering.
Attend a Week of Free Concerts at the Ninkasi Festival
The Ninkasi Festival returns for its second year this September 7-13. Check out the agenda here. Considering Ninkasi is primarily known for its beer, accompany your evening of live music at each 11 Ninkasi location with some good food and great beer.
Artists such as Volt, Big Chiefs, Ayse, and Sam Arcande are performing for the festival.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, masks are required and a distance of 1.5m must be kept between each person. Surfaces are disinfected every 30 minutes and each person must use the provided hand sanitizer upon arrival.
Admire Paintings by Picasso at the Musée de Beaux Arts
Are you a fan of Picasso’s work? Visit the Musée de Beaux Arts to see more than 150 sculptures, paintings, films and drawings centered around “the bather,” one of Picasso’s traditional subjects.
Picasso’s Woman Seated on the Beach(1937) © MBA / Alain Basset
The exhibition is based around Picasso’s Woman Seated on the Beach(1937), a now iconic symbol of the Musée de Beaux Arts collection.
This exhibition, open until January 3, 2021, also presents followers of Picasso who were interested in Picassian bathers and found a source of inspiration in them. Due to COVID-19 preventative measures, tickets are to be bought online and tickets are “timed,” meaning that visitors are only allowed to be in the exhibit for a certain period of time before the next round of visitors.
Take a Trip to the Vivienne Westwood exhibition at Musée des Tissus
From September 10 until January 17, the Vivienne Westwood exhibition is at the Musée des Tissus. This event was made possible thanks to Lee Price, an English collector who lives in Lyon and collaborated closely with Vivienne Westwood, the iconic British fashion designer.
This exhibition showcases more than 200 textile pieces, costumes, accessories, shoes, art objects, paintings and drawings, all in an effort to provide a better understanding of the creative process of Vivienne Westwood.
The Musée des Tissus organizes the exhibition chronologically, taking you through five different sections and immersing you in the progression of the different styles of Vivienne Westwood.
34 Rue de la Charité, 69002 Lyon, France
Spectate the Tour de France 2020 in Lyon
Initially scheduled from June 27 to July 19, the Tour de France has been rescheduled to take place from August 29 to September 20. Bicyclists of the Tour are set to arrive in Lyon on September 12 after a long race of 197km from Clermont-Ferrand. The riders will climb the three hills in Lyon from la Croix-Rousse, La Duchère, and Fourvière.
froome (christopher) – (gbr) –
The city of Lyon has welcomed 11 stage arrivals of the Tour de France since 1947, the most recent in 2013. Lyon is the scene of the start of the 15th stage of the Tour this year, riders departing from the Gerland district where the Tour Village should be located.
Experience “Here” Exhibition by Jennifer Douzenel
During her travels in China, Jennifer Douzenel filmed various topographies to create a sobering, sophisticated display of life’s ephemeral tendencies. The “Here” exhibition is open until September 18 at the Museum of the New Franco-Chinese Institute of Lyon.
There are two separate installations. The first installation consists of seven superimposed and simultaneous projections showing the mingling of the blackness of the water of the Hong Kong Strait and the reflections of the skyscrapers.
The second installation contains three pieces from China with “Voile”, “Théâtre” and “Paris”, through the lens of three observation boxes.
2 Rue Sœur Bouvier, 69005 Lyon, France
Marvel at the “Landscapes From Here and Elsewhere” Exhibition
Head over to the Jean Couty Museum to see the “Landscapes From Here and Elsewhere” exhibition, available until October 4.
Jean Couty, a Lyonnais painter, had a true passion for the city of Lyon. Jean Couty’s paintings reveal the beauty of the world and its landscapes, from the Lyon countryside to the borders of the African desert. Numerous paintings and drawings are included in the collection, some dating back to the 1930s.
Wearing a mask is required for everyone over the age of 12 and hand sanitizer will be provided. Social distancing of 1m between guests is expected and marks will be placed on the floor to set up the direction of movement for visitors.
1 Place Henri Barbusse, 69009 Lyon, France
Discover Historic Monuments in Lyon during Journée du Patrimoine
The 37th edition of the European Heritage Days takes place in Lyon on September 19 and 20, despite doubts prompted by the COVID-19 situation.
Journée du Patrimoine is an annual event in which public buildings, museums, private homes, historical monuments, and other cultural sites are opened up to the public, free of charge.
These two days are the perfect chance to discover or rediscover the heritage of Lyon. Nearly 1,500 sites take part in the event to create an unforgettable experience of shows, guided tours, workshops, exhibitions and demonstrations.
Visit the Museum of Confluences
The Museum of Confluences has two temporary exhibitions you’ll want to see this September.
The Universe Upside Down exhibition (available until Nov. 1, 2020) showcases a collection of pieces portraying an alternate, burlesque universe. This exhibition is known for having elements of humor and quirkiness.
Traces of the Living (available until April 4, 2021), a collection of bones, teeth, and horns, delves into the evolution of species and questions the remnants of our past. Traces of the Living also analyzes how humans have used bones as tools, art objects, jewelry, and musical instruments throughout history, mainly during prehistoric times.
Source - This is Lyon : https://thisislyon.fr/things-to-do/top-things-to-do-in-lyon-september-2020/