Cambridge Society of Paris

Musée d'Orsay - Sargent Exhibition - Dazzling Paris (1874-1884)
2025-11-13 17:30 - 19:00 (Europe/Paris) | Musée d’Orsay, Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Paris, 75007, France
Sargent Exhibition – Dazzling Paris (1874-1884)
Event sold out

13 November 2025
An exclusive guided tour organised by the Cambridge Society of Paris. Visit the Musée d’Orsay to see a specially curated exhibition of Sargent Paintings – a rare opportunity for members to view the exhibition. Marta, our highly competent guide, will peacefully take you through the collection with live commentary.

John Singer Sargent (Florence, 1856 – London, 1925), along with James McNeill Whistler, was the most famous American artist of his generation and certainly one of the greatest painters of the 19th and early 20th century. Revered in the United States (his Portrait of Madame X is regarded as the Mona Lisa of the American art collection conserved by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York), he is also famous in the United Kingdom, where he spent most of his career. In France, however, his name and work remain largely unknown, a situation that the exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay hopes to change in the autumn of 2025.Assemble at 17:30 on the esplanade of the museum by the sculpture of the Rhino (on the river bank) Esplanade Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, 75007 Paris. Priority access is provided, but we need to pass the security check, leave any bags or coats in the cloakroom and get the audiophones. Please be there on time to be sure to enter on time as our tour slot is booked for 18:00 and we must not be late starting. Marta will be there to greet us and has made all necessary arrangements.
Price: €30 per person. all-inclusive of entrance fees, guide charges, the audiophones / headphones
Optional Dinner is possible after the visit at the Café Orsay in the same street as the Museum. Good food and reasonable fixed menu options available. Cost around €40 per person. Please indicate if you intend to stay on for dinner when making your tour reservation. Payment for the meal will be at the restaurant by each diner.
Event sold out: and there is already a long waiting list so it is no longer possible to register for this event.
Contact: events@camsocparis.org for more information.

Fontainebleau Day - Saturday 29th November
2025-11-29 10:00 - 16:00 | Fontainebleau
An invitation to live like a sovereign for a day, right in the heart of Fontainebleau!
Saturday 29th November 2025

After last year’s successful event, CamSoc’s very own committee member and Fontainebleau resident Sylvie Leger is again very kindly organising a visit to the town across Saturday 29th November.
Sylvie will host a lunch at l’Hôtel Mercure Château de Fontainebleau Demeures de Campagne, followed by an address from a speaker from Fontainebleau’s INSEAD business school, before leading the way to the town’s exquisite Château (summer residence of France’s sovereign rulers for eight centuries) for a visit to the internationally renowned Salon du Chocolat.
Coming to Fontainebleau, a town of character next door to Paris, will give you the opportunity to feel immersed in a stunningly welcoming universe. Spending one day in Fontainebleau will not only give you an insight into the splendours of its famous Château, but also a chance to live like a Bellifontain(e)!
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AGENDA
Lunch & Speaker
12h00: Lunch at l’Hôtel Mercure Château de Fontainebleau Demeures de Campagne a few steps away from the Château.
After lunch, there will be a speaker from the INSEAD Business School.
Tickets for the lunch, which includes soft drinks and wine, are €52 per person.
Salon “Impérial Chocolat & Gastronomie”
After the speaker’s address: Sylvie Leger will lead the group to the annual Salon taking place at the Château itself (outdoors and indoors), supervised by the famous chef Fréderic Cassel who owns a store in Fontainebleau.
The making of chocolate, tasting, chocolate sculptures of animals, and famous Parisian monuments are amongst the highlights. For those staying longer, the salon lasts two days: Saturday 29th November and Sunday 30th November.
Tickets for the Salon are €9 per person.
Fontainebleau Visit
16h00: Sylvie will guide a walking visit of the highlights of Fontainebleau (weather permitting!) for those interested, starting from outside the Salon.

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TICKETS
Registration for the Lunch (€52 per person) and the Salon (€9 per person) are available through the ticket section below. You can attend just the lunch, or just the Salon (in which case meet at the restaurant at 14:00 to get your ticket) but we hope most of you will come to both. You are also welcome to purchase Salon tickets separately via the official website or on-site, if you wish to visit on a different day.
If you have any questions about the day, please contact Sylvie Leger.

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PRACTICAL INFORMATION
i) Train from Paris
You are welcome to make your own way to Fontainebleau, but if you follow the schedule below, Sylvie will be waiting to guide you on arrival at Fontainebleau-Avon station. If you make your own way to the restaurant, please be there by 12 noon.
Departure from Hall 1 Gare de Lyon, 10h08 – Arrival time at Fontainebleau-Avon 10h57
(Stops: Melun; Bois le Roi; Fontainebleau-Avon. The train ride lasts 40 minutes. The train continues to Montargis or other towns. They are surface trains.
Tickets are €2.50 one-way as long as you have a Navigo card, which means your metro/RER travel to Gare de Lyon is also included. You will need to present your Navigo pass when you leave the station (do not go down the stairs). If necessary, you can load your pass with the amount required for the return trip to Paris at Fontainebleau-Avon station.
ii) Bus to Fontainebleau
Upon arrival at Fontainebleau-Avon station, Sylvie will be there on the platform to welcome you.
A 10-minute bus ride will take us to the town centre and so the Château. Tickets are €2.50 one-way (€1.49 if you have a Navigo Easy Pass). It is bus Line 1 if you miss the 10h16 train and so need to make your way to the restaurant on your own.
Bus and train tickets are not included in the event registration to accommodate those wishing to make their own way.
iii) L’Hôtel Mercure Château de Fontainebleau Demeures de Campagne
Address: 41 rue Royale, 77300 Fontainebleau.
3-course meal
Soft drinks and wine included
iv) Salon du Chocolat
Address: Château de Fontainebleau, Place Charles de Gaulle, 77300 Fontainebleau
v) Return to Paris
Sylvie will indicate the bus station in town, so that everyone can go back to the railway station according to their own schedules. There are trains approximately every 30 minutes back to Paris, Gare de Lyon.
For those of you who would like to stay overnight and enjoy the Sunday morning market, there are many options. Sylvie can easily advise you if you need directions or inspiration.
If you have any questions about the day, please contact Sylvie Leger.

Carol Singing at the Travellers Club
2025-12-09 18:30 - 20:00 | The Travellers Club, 25 avenue des Champs-Elysées, Paris, 75008, France
This event is SOLD OUT

Christmas is coming, and the Oxford and Cambridge Societies, ably assisted by members of the English Speaking Union and The Arts Society – Paris, will once again be raising the roof at the Travellers Club on the Champs Elysées at the now traditional Carol Singing. Mince pies and mulled wine will be served.
The singing will again be led by Christopher Wells and John Thompson
Event sold out

CAMentrepreneurs 2026 Kick-off drinks
2026-02-05 19:00 - 22:00 | Pub Saint Hilaire, 2 rue Valette, Paris, 75005, France
CAMentrepreneurs invite our members to their 2026 Kick-off drinks. Here is their invitation message;
Join us for an informal evening of networking, idea-sharing, and entrepreneurship with the CAMentrepreneurs Paris community.
5 February 2026 | 19:00–22:00
Pub Saint Hilaire, 5th arrondissement
Open to Cambridge entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, alumni, and like-minded professionals.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/paris-2026-kickoff-drinks-tickets-1979744898284?aff=oddtdtcreator
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Camila, Pierre, Luis
CamEnt Paris

Cambridge Society of Belgium Annual Dinner
2026-02-27 18:30 - 23:00 | Cercle Royal Gaulois, Rue de la Loi 5, Brussels, 1000, Belgium
An invitation to our members from the Cambridge Society of Belgium – their invitation is reproduced below:
Friday, 27th February 2026 from 6:30pm
The President and the Committee request the pleasure of your company at the Cambridge Society Annual Dinner 2026.
We are most pleased to announce that this dinner will be held once again at the prestigious Cercle Royal Gaulois, Rue de la Loi 5, 1000 Brussels.

The dress code is black tie or smart evening dress. Smart lounge suits and smart ladies’ business attire is acceptable. Gentlemen are expected to wear ties. Academic attire and national costumes are especially welcome.
Speaker and Guest of Honour
We are proud to welcome Lord Smith of Finsbury, the Chancellor, former Master of Pembroke and former Cabinet Minister, as our Speaker and Guest of Honour.

The Chancellor will talk on the subject of “What is a University For?”
About the Speaker and Guest of Honour: Chris Smith – The Chancellor
We are honoured to welcome Lord Chris Smith of Finsbury, Elected Chancellor of the University of Cambridge (July 2025), as our Speaker and Guest of Honour.
Lord Smith’s distinguished career spans politics, academia, and cultural leadership. Born in 1951 and educated in Edinburgh before attending Pembroke College, Cambridge, he achieved a double first in English and later completed a PhD on Wordsworth and Coleridge. He also spent a year at Harvard as a Kennedy Scholar. His political career began in local government and quickly progressed to national politics when he became MP for Islington South and Finsbury in 1983.
During his years in Parliament, he served in several Shadow Cabinet roles before being appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in 1997. In that role he restored free admission to national museums and galleries, expanded support for the arts and sport, and championed the creative industries at a time when their economic and cultural significance was becoming increasingly visible. He also oversaw the creation of NESTA, the Film Council, Creative Partnerships for schools, and the Foundation for Youth Music, helped initiate funding for Olympic athletes, and launched the national transition to digital television. He was the first openly gay Cabinet Minister in the world.
After returning to the back benches in 2001 and playing a leading role in opposing the Iraq war, he stepped down from the Commons in 2005 and entered the House of Lords. Alongside his parliamentary work, he has held numerous leadership roles across the cultural and public sectors, including Director of the Clore Leadership Programme, Chairman of the Environment Agency, Chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority, Chairman of the Art Fund, Chair of Judges for the Man Booker Prize, and Chair of the Donmar Warehouse Theatre. He has also chaired Cambridge and South Staffs Water, served as Chair of the Intellectual Property Regulation Board, acted as a Non-Executive Director of PPL, and continues to support the Wordsworth Trust as Honorary President. From 2015 to 2025, he served as Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge.
Dress Code
Black tie or smart evening dress is preferred. Smart lounge suits and ladies’ business attire are acceptable. Gentlemen are expected to wear ties. Academic attire and national costumes are warmly welcomed. We wish that all members and guests feel comfortable but formal dress is required.
Tickets & Registration
The Cercle Royal Gaulois has limited capacity, so early registration is strongly recommended. Please reserve your ticket by midnight, 20th February 2026 via registration link pending.
Ticket Prices:

Full Members & one guest: €79 per person
Full Members aged 30 or under: €55 per person, with one guest at €79
Reciprocating Cambridge Societies (Paris & Luxembourg) – Full Members & one guest: €79 per person.
Non-Members and other guests: €95

Please note that no refunds for cancellations can be made after midnight on Friday, 20 February.
Click HERE to register and pay. Please note that this is the first time we are using Ticket Tailor for a paid event. It should save us a great deal of work. We’ve tested several means of payment – in particular the QR code is fast and efficient using your phone. Please only report bugs.

Oxford and Cambridge "First Wednesday" Drinks
2026-03-04 19:00 - 22:00 | Murphy’s House, 10 rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, 75009, France
First Wednesday drinks
We will meet at MURPHY’S HOUSE for our Monthly Drinks on 4th March.

All Oxford and Cambridge Alumni, whether or not members of the Paris Societies, are cordially invited to join us for our Monthly drinks get-together at this centrally located bar – very close to Opera metro and Auber RER stations – at 10 rue de la Chaussée d’Antin, 75009 Paris.

We have arranged to use the first floor area, but if you don’t find us ask the staff where we can be found. We will have a dedicated member of the bar staff to take our orders, but please remember everyone is responsible for paying for their own drinks so please do not leave with out settling up.
Please make sure you pay for your own drinks before leaving. On two of the last three First Wednesdays, the last person to leave has had to pay for those of you who “forgot” – which is just not fair…

Leonora Carrington at the Musée du Luxembourg
2026-03-30 18:00 - 20:30 | Musée du Luxembourg, 19 rue de Vaugirard, Paris, 75006, France
The exhibition highlights the exceptional legacy of this perpetual traveler, always in search of self-knowledge.
At Musée du Luxembourg,
Monday 30th March 2026 at 6h30 pm

One more occasion to be all together and share pleasant times. An exclusive guided visit organized by the Cambridge Society of Paris. Marta, our highly competent guide, will peacefully take you through the collection with live commentary.

Assemble at the front entrance of the Musée du Luxembourg, (details will follow).Please arrive by 6:00 PM at the latest to be sure to enter the exhibition on time. Priority access provided.
The tour will start at 18:30 Hrs, so please do not be late as we need to pass the security check, leave any bags or coats in the cloakroom and get the audiophones. Marta will be there to greet us and has made all necessary arrangements.
Special Price: €35 all-inclusive of entrance fees, guide charges, the audiophones & headphones.
Optional Dinner is possible after the visit at a Café nearby the Museum. Good food and reasonable fixed menu options available. Cost around €40 per person. Please indicate if you intend to stay on for dinner when making your tour reservation. Payment for the meal will be at the restaurant by each diner.
To book your place: Tickets are €35 per person and can be booked using the ticket section below. Please use the “+” sign to the right of the ticket box to select the number of tickets wanted.
