The Gen X Skater Blog

[Skate Base London]
Providing Roller Skating Information, Education & Inspiration for Adult Skaters

A Rendezvous in Paris 2025 Skate Festival [& Birthday Celebrations

Jun 02, 2025

I’ve just returned from a long weekend in France participating in the Rendezvous in Paris Roller Skating Festival [and what a vibe it was]. It was my second time attending this festival as the 2024 festival was so enjoyable, it made sense to come back for more and celebrate my 50th birthday in Paris the following day. It was too perfect an opportunity to miss!

Although I couldn’t attend the first two days, there was still plenty to enjoy over the weekend.

Festival Itinerary

Every year the festival has an action-packed itinerary of skate parties, workshops, masterclasses, and street skates across multiple venues in or just outside of Paris across 4 days, and this year was no different. The 2025 festival itinerary included:

📍 Thursday, 19th June – Hoops Factory (Aubervilliers)

6:30 pm: Beginner/Intermediate Workshops – Master transitions and stops with Parisian pros.
8:00 pm: Skate Party – DJ sets and open skating in a warehouse vibe.

📍Friday, 20th June – Peintinoire (Cergy)

12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 5:00 pm, 6:30 pm: Technique Workshops – Slalom, jumps, and roller dance sessions.
8:00 pm: Block Party [Free] – Outdoor skate jam under the stars.

📍Saturday 21st June –

11:00 am, 12:30 pm: Technique Workshops.
4 pm - 7.30 pm: Musical Street Skate along Canal de l’Ourcq — all levels are complete with experienced skate marshals, DJs on rotation, and a mobile sound system.
8pm to 1am: Skate Block Party [Free] Playground Porte des Lilas — DJ East Whateva - FRA [@eastwhateva] / DJ Dom Diego - UK [@djdomdiego].

📍Sunday (June 22): The Grand Finale

2pm–late: Cent Quatre’s Finale Party. The festival closes with a DJ-led Skate party on a legendary smooth floor and beautiful setting [think beautiful cathedral structure with modern interior finishes]. This location is currently my favourite indoor venue! DJ line up: Filles de Platine - FR [@fillesdeplatines] / DJ Prodigy - USA [@djprodigy2.o]

Workshops & Events:

There was also a selection of workshops to benefit from, like Roller Choreography, Artistic Skating, JB Skating and Snapping, as well as a free Snap Style History and benefits Conference. Workshops and events are affordable [with prices ranging from €0 - €24].

My Rendezvous In Paris Experience

Saturday:

I arrived on Parisian soil fairly early, and I had ample time to settle in before making my way to all-level street skate as the previous year proved to be one of the best I'd experienced. Although the weather was beautiful and the energy of the skaters was high, I have to say that this year's route was less impressive. It proved to be much more undulating and rough through more than half the route. This was more difficult to enjoy at a beginner level pace! Despite this, we still managed to have ourselves a fun time. The group stopped at the halfway point [on smooth terrain] for a rest and jam which was pretty fun. A few of us did however choose to jump off at this point and return via the metro!

View ➡️: Street Skate

Later that day there was a block party happening on an outdoor basketball court in another location. My friend Donna and I tried to get there, but unfortunately became lost! We did however manage to have some more fun mingling amidst people partying in the streets of Paris as they enjoyed the Fête De La Musique. There were street performances, pop-up DJs, and overflowing bars everywhere. It was a pretty fun evening to enjoy off skates. And... I won't lie, my legs needed a little time to recharge!

Sunday:

So Sunday was the finale party at the beautiful Cent Quatre. It was the event that I was most looking forward to attending — the venue is an indoor skating paradise. It didn't disappoint! The floor was as good as I remembered, the building beautiful, the weather was hot hot hot and the skaters were ready to party.

View ➡️: Skate Party

View ➡️: Skate Cypher

And, as if that wasn't enough, there was an unscheduled after party in yet another outdoor location on a lovely evening on the canal.

A DJ from the USA had set up with some state-of-the-art mobile decks and got the party off to a great start. Many were too tired to skate, so partied in their shoes. I managed to ease the tension in my calves with a light skate before enjoying a relatively unhindered flow! The best part for me was having an impromptu conversation and 1-2-1 session with OG ballroom [couples] skater Leo one 'wheel' White.

I thoroughly enjoyed having a moment with him as he shared his pearls of wisdom, demonstrations and leading me through the foundational ballroom sequences. To experience being lead by someone so experienced is a whole education in itself — the differences can be felt. Besides, Leo is a lovely guy with limiless passion for what he does.

Monday:

The festival had now reached its end, but I still had my 50th birthday to celebrate. We were all shattered from relentless skating and the equally relentless heat wave! We decided to spend the day as [off skate] tourist.

Eight of us had a lovely day speng visiting the Sacre Coeur and walking around the old town. We took in the sites, shopped and ate the local cuisene, Then, having got our steps in [boy did we walk for miles and miles] we headed to Saint Queens Flea Market for more shopping! We later heading off to a green space nearby to relax, sunbathe and chat. It was a really nice day soent among friends.

Tuesday:

This was our final day, so we all check out of our resoective accommodation and met up at Cent Quatre for one last skate. I was located next door, so I was first to arrive. What a privilege it was to have such a beautiful space to myself for at least an hour. We skated, sunbathed and enjoyed being in the presence of so many dancers across so many didplines. It was a great way to enjoy our finale day. We stayed right up until each of us had to leave for Gare Du Nord to catch our trains back to London.

An Unexpected Twist:

Unfortunately, my train was cancelled 30 minutes before Cent Quatre was due to close! The others who had left earlier that day had managed to board their trains, but were experiencing severe delays! We later learned that there were two fatalities [people on the lines] followed by stolen track cables, all Eurostar trains [to everywhere] were severely delayed, then later cancelled. We had to each find emergency accommodation for the night and arrange a return journey [which I hear wasn't easy for some]. Thousands had become stranded and all looking fir board for the night. It was a drama!

After a slighter tenser than exoected evening, I managed to book and board the 2.42 the following day with only minor delays. The moral to the story? travel light as it's far easier to unexoectedly lug your kit around from A-B. Also, spare cash and a fully charged smartphone proved to be most beneficial. In the end, all smoothed out well and it didn't put me off returning for a third edition of Rendevous in Paris [I think] ...although I would be a little better prepared next time.

Skate-Friendly Tourist Stops

If you di decided to venture out to the next Rendezvous In Paris Festival, you might like to see some of its tourist attractions, like:

1. Eiffel Tower [Champ de Mars]

Why Go: Well, it would be rude to visit Paris and not take a selfie with the Tower as your backdrop [especially at sunset]. It’s half the reason we visit!

Tip: Early mornings will have fewer tourists [akthough the flourescent lighting as a backdrop only happens after dark].

2. Louvre Gallery [Cour Carrée]

Why Go: The iconic glass pyramid square offers buttery pavement for any kind of rhythmic flow for us skaters.
Tip: Evening jam sessions on the ubber smooth surounfing surface is a bit of a treat.

3. Canal Saint-Martin
Why Go: Trendy bars and cobblestone-free paths perfect for a leisurely roll.
Tip: Keep your pre-paid metro card handy just in case!

4. Promenade Plantée

Why Go: A raised 6km greenway with smooth concrete and floral arches.
Tip: A perfect route to create a skate reel fir your socuals.

5. Parc des Buttes-Chaumont:
Why Go: For a well-deserved chill out within the hidden hills and a cliffside temple for a bit of R&R and to reflect on the exciting experience you'll no doubt have.

Tip: Factor this visit in as a rest day.

Preparing To Travel To & Around Paris

You can choose to fly or drive into Paris. We opted for the Eurostar as it's quick [approximately an hour train ride]. It was also pretty straightforward to get to Kings Cross International at silly o’clock in the morning [and an hour before departure] which was nice. You can pick up some cheap tickets [you’ll get a price drop notification if you sign up for the Eurostar newsletter]. I paid under £100 for a standard return ticket. Not bad at all!

It’s also advisable to pre-buy a batch of 10 tickets for €19.10 via the Bonjour RATP app. This means you’ll be able to use your phone [in much the same way as an Oyster card, but slightly less clear when using the app] to board the Metro once you touch down in Paris. Note that when you buy tickets via the app, they do not show up. It dies however state the number of tickets you have remaining — from here, just scan your phone at the ticket gate and you’ll be good to go]. I didn’t do this on my first trip, and let's just say that it was a hassle to que, and then try to figure it all out [with a bunch of other clueless tourists]. The metro system is colour-coded and works similarly to the London Underground. It’ll pretty much allow you to move around Paris with ease.

Summary

Would I recommend you go and experience the Rendezvous in Paris Festival for yourself? Absolutely! It's vibrant, with beginner-friendly workshops and street skates to participate in. The community is open and encouraging. Paris is really fun, especially as they coincide the skate festival over the same weekend as the Fête Du La Musique [which adds so much more energy, not to mention 24-hour Metro services on many of the metro lines]. It's such a great backdrop to this skating event. Yes, it was unfortunate that our return journeys were severely delayed, but hey, that could happen anywher, and, we did came through it relatively unscathed.

Overall, the Rendezvous in Paris is a great event that will create many memorable skating experiences while also not breaking the bank! If you can, go!

Kelly

Cranial Osteopath | Wellbeing Coach | Roller Skate Instructor

Skate Base London

THE GEN X SKATER

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