diff --git a/pandas/_version.py b/pandas/_version.py
index 4695b512feff5..0fdb0efde1f05 100644
--- a/pandas/_version.py
+++ b/pandas/_version.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def run_command(commands, args, cwd=None, verbose=False, hide_stderr=False):
             if e.errno == errno.ENOENT:
                 continue
             if verbose:
-                print("unable to run %s" % dispcmd)
+                print("unable to run {dispcmd}".format(dispcmd=dispcmd))
                 print(e)
             return None
     else:
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def run_command(commands, args, cwd=None, verbose=False, hide_stderr=False):
         stdout = stdout.decode()
     if p.returncode != 0:
         if verbose:
-            print("unable to run %s (error)" % dispcmd)
+            print("unable to run {dispcmd} (error)".format(dispcmd=dispcmd))
         return None
     return stdout
 
@@ -98,8 +98,10 @@ def versions_from_parentdir(parentdir_prefix, root, verbose):
     dirname = os.path.basename(root)
     if not dirname.startswith(parentdir_prefix):
         if verbose:
-            print("guessing rootdir is '%s', but '%s' doesn't start with "
-                  "prefix '%s'" % (root, dirname, parentdir_prefix))
+            print("guessing rootdir is '{root}', but '{dirname}' "
+                  "doesn't start with prefix '{parentdir_prefix}'".format(
+                      root=root, dirname=dirname,
+                      parentdir_prefix=parentdir_prefix))
         raise NotThisMethod("rootdir doesn't start with parentdir_prefix")
     return {"version": dirname[len(parentdir_prefix):],
             "full-revisionid": None,
@@ -154,15 +156,15 @@ def git_versions_from_keywords(keywords, tag_prefix, verbose):
         # "stabilization", as well as "HEAD" and "master".
         tags = set([r for r in refs if re.search(r'\d', r)])
         if verbose:
-            print("discarding '%s', no digits" % ",".join(refs - tags))
+            print("discarding '{}', no digits".format(",".join(refs - tags)))
     if verbose:
-        print("likely tags: %s" % ",".join(sorted(tags)))
+        print("likely tags: {}".format(",".join(sorted(tags))))
     for ref in sorted(tags):
         # sorting will prefer e.g. "2.0" over "2.0rc1"
         if ref.startswith(tag_prefix):
             r = ref[len(tag_prefix):]
             if verbose:
-                print("picking %s" % r)
+                print("picking {r}".format(r=r))
             return {"version": r,
                     "full-revisionid": keywords["full"].strip(),
                     "dirty": False, "error": None
@@ -184,7 +186,7 @@ def git_pieces_from_vcs(tag_prefix, root, verbose, run_command=run_command):
 
     if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(root, ".git")):
         if verbose:
-            print("no .git in %s" % root)
+            print("no .git in {root}".format(root=root))
         raise NotThisMethod("no .git directory")
 
     GITS = ["git"]
@@ -226,18 +228,21 @@ def git_pieces_from_vcs(tag_prefix, root, verbose, run_command=run_command):
         mo = re.search(r'^(.+)-(\d+)-g([0-9a-f]+)$', git_describe)
         if not mo:
             # unparseable. Maybe git-describe is misbehaving?
-            pieces["error"] = ("unable to parse git-describe output: '%s'"
-                               % describe_out)
+            pieces["error"] = ("unable to parse git-describe output: "
+                               "'{describe_out}'".format(
+                                   describe_out=describe_out))
             return pieces
 
         # tag
         full_tag = mo.group(1)
         if not full_tag.startswith(tag_prefix):
             if verbose:
-                fmt = "tag '%s' doesn't start with prefix '%s'"
-                print(fmt % (full_tag, tag_prefix))
-            pieces["error"] = ("tag '%s' doesn't start with prefix '%s'"
-                               % (full_tag, tag_prefix))
+                fmt = "tag '{full_tag}' doesn't start with prefix " \
+                      "'{tag_prefix}'"
+                print(fmt.format(full_tag=full_tag, tag_prefix=tag_prefix))
+            pieces["error"] = ("tag '{full_tag}' doesn't start with "
+                               "prefix '{tag_prefix}'".format(
+                                   full_tag, tag_prefix))
             return pieces
         pieces["closest-tag"] = full_tag[len(tag_prefix):]
 
@@ -275,13 +280,13 @@ def render_pep440(pieces):
         rendered = pieces["closest-tag"]
         if pieces["distance"] or pieces["dirty"]:
             rendered += plus_or_dot(pieces)
-            rendered += "%d.g%s" % (pieces["distance"], pieces["short"])
+            rendered += "{:d}.g{}".format(pieces["distance"], pieces["short"])
             if pieces["dirty"]:
                 rendered += ".dirty"
     else:
         # exception #1
-        rendered = "0+untagged.%d.g%s" % (pieces["distance"],
-                                          pieces["short"])
+        rendered = "0+untagged.{:d}.g{}".format(pieces["distance"],
+                                                pieces["short"])
         if pieces["dirty"]:
             rendered += ".dirty"
     return rendered
@@ -315,17 +320,17 @@ def render_pep440_post(pieces):
     if pieces["closest-tag"]:
         rendered = pieces["closest-tag"]
         if pieces["distance"] or pieces["dirty"]:
-            rendered += ".post%d" % pieces["distance"]
+            rendered += ".post{:d}".format(pieces["distance"])
             if pieces["dirty"]:
                 rendered += ".dev0"
             rendered += plus_or_dot(pieces)
-            rendered += "g%s" % pieces["short"]
+            rendered += "g{}".format(pieces["short"])
     else:
         # exception #1
         rendered = "0.post%d" % pieces["distance"]
         if pieces["dirty"]:
             rendered += ".dev0"
-        rendered += "+g%s" % pieces["short"]
+        rendered += "+g{}".format(pieces["short"])
     return rendered
 
 
@@ -359,7 +364,7 @@ def render_git_describe(pieces):
     if pieces["closest-tag"]:
         rendered = pieces["closest-tag"]
         if pieces["distance"]:
-            rendered += "-%d-g%s" % (pieces["distance"], pieces["short"])
+            rendered += "-{:d}-g{}".format(pieces["distance"], pieces["short"])
     else:
         # exception #1
         rendered = pieces["short"]
@@ -377,7 +382,7 @@ def render_git_describe_long(pieces):
 
     if pieces["closest-tag"]:
         rendered = pieces["closest-tag"]
-        rendered += "-%d-g%s" % (pieces["distance"], pieces["short"])
+        rendered += "-{:d}-g{}".format(pieces["distance"], pieces["short"])
     else:
         # exception #1
         rendered = pieces["short"]
@@ -409,7 +414,7 @@ def render(pieces, style):
     elif style == "git-describe-long":
         rendered = render_git_describe_long(pieces)
     else:
-        raise ValueError("unknown style '%s'" % style)
+        raise ValueError("unknown style '{style}'".format(style=style))
 
     return {"version": rendered, "full-revisionid": pieces["long"],
             "dirty": pieces["dirty"], "error": None}
diff --git a/pandas/plotting/_converter.py b/pandas/plotting/_converter.py
index 47d15195315ba..75c9d0c48c82e 100644
--- a/pandas/plotting/_converter.py
+++ b/pandas/plotting/_converter.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def time2num(d):
     if isinstance(d, compat.string_types):
         parsed = tools.to_datetime(d)
         if not isinstance(parsed, datetime):
-            raise ValueError('Could not parse time %s' % d)
+            raise ValueError('Could not parse time {d}'.format(d=d))
         return _to_ordinalf(parsed.time())
     if isinstance(d, pydt.time):
         return _to_ordinalf(d)
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ def get_datevalue(date, freq):
         return date
     elif date is None:
         return None
-    raise ValueError("Unrecognizable date '%s'" % date)
+    raise ValueError("Unrecognizable date '{date}'".format(date=date))
 
 
 def _dt_to_float_ordinal(dt):
@@ -351,10 +351,12 @@ def __call__(self):
         estimate = (nmax - nmin) / (self._get_unit() * self._get_interval())
 
         if estimate > self.MAXTICKS * 2:
-            raise RuntimeError(('MillisecondLocator estimated to generate %d '
-                                'ticks from %s to %s: exceeds Locator.MAXTICKS'
-                                '* 2 (%d) ') %
-                               (estimate, dmin, dmax, self.MAXTICKS * 2))
+            raise RuntimeError(('MillisecondLocator estimated to generate '
+                                '{estimate:d} ticks from {dmin} to {dmax}: '
+                                'exceeds Locator.MAXTICKS'
+                                '* 2 ({arg:d}) ').format(
+                                    estimate=estimate, dmin=dmin, dmax=dmax,
+                                    arg=self.MAXTICKS * 2))
 
         freq = '%dL' % self._get_interval()
         tz = self.tz.tzname(None)
@@ -505,7 +507,7 @@ def _daily_finder(vmin, vmax, freq):
         elif freq == FreqGroup.FR_HR:
             periodsperday = 24
         else:  # pragma: no cover
-            raise ValueError("unexpected frequency: %s" % freq)
+            raise ValueError("unexpected frequency: {freq}".format(freq=freq))
         periodsperyear = 365 * periodsperday
         periodspermonth = 28 * periodsperday
 
@@ -864,7 +866,7 @@ def get_finder(freq):
     elif ((freq >= FreqGroup.FR_BUS) or fgroup == FreqGroup.FR_WK):
         return _daily_finder
     else:  # pragma: no cover
-        errmsg = "Unsupported frequency: %s" % (freq)
+        errmsg = "Unsupported frequency: {freq}".format(freq=freq)
         raise NotImplementedError(errmsg)
 
 
diff --git a/pandas/plotting/_core.py b/pandas/plotting/_core.py
index 58f9b7ee6fc02..62b2899f49413 100644
--- a/pandas/plotting/_core.py
+++ b/pandas/plotting/_core.py
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ def match_labels(data, e):
             err = np.tile([err], (self.nseries, len(self.data)))
 
         else:
-            msg = "No valid %s detected" % label
+            msg = "No valid {label} detected".format(label=label)
             raise ValueError(msg)
 
         return err
@@ -1414,7 +1414,7 @@ def _plot(cls, ax, y, style=None, bw_method=None, ind=None,
             gkde = gaussian_kde(y)
             if bw_method is not None:
                 msg = ('bw_method was added in Scipy 0.11.0.' +
-                       ' Scipy version in use is %s.' % spv)
+                       ' Scipy version in use is {spv}.'.format(spv=spv))
                 warnings.warn(msg)
 
         y = gkde.evaluate(ind)
@@ -2452,7 +2452,7 @@ def _grouped_plot_by_column(plotf, data, columns=None, by=None,
         result = axes
 
     byline = by[0] if len(by) == 1 else by
-    fig.suptitle('Boxplot grouped by %s' % byline)
+    fig.suptitle('Boxplot grouped by {byline}'.format(byline=byline))
     fig.subplots_adjust(bottom=0.15, top=0.9, left=0.1, right=0.9, wspace=0.2)
 
     return result
diff --git a/pandas/plotting/_misc.py b/pandas/plotting/_misc.py
index 54f87febdc214..d6048f54993e6 100644
--- a/pandas/plotting/_misc.py
+++ b/pandas/plotting/_misc.py
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ def lag_plot(series, lag=1, ax=None, **kwds):
     if ax is None:
         ax = plt.gca()
     ax.set_xlabel("y(t)")
-    ax.set_ylabel("y(t + %s)" % lag)
+    ax.set_ylabel("y(t + {lag})".format(lag=lag))
     ax.scatter(y1, y2, **kwds)
     return ax
 
diff --git a/pandas/plotting/_style.py b/pandas/plotting/_style.py
index 4c31ff0177488..145597e52ae14 100644
--- a/pandas/plotting/_style.py
+++ b/pandas/plotting/_style.py
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ def __getitem__(self, key):
         self._warn_if_deprecated()
         key = self._get_canonical_key(key)
         if key not in self:
-            raise ValueError('%s is not a valid pandas plotting option' % key)
+            raise ValueError(
+                '{key} is not a valid pandas plotting option'.format(key=key))
         return super(_Options, self).__getitem__(key)
 
     def __setitem__(self, key, value):
@@ -142,7 +143,8 @@ def __setitem__(self, key, value):
     def __delitem__(self, key):
         key = self._get_canonical_key(key)
         if key in self._DEFAULT_KEYS:
-            raise ValueError('Cannot remove default parameter %s' % key)
+            raise ValueError(
+                'Cannot remove default parameter {key}'.format(key=key))
         return super(_Options, self).__delitem__(key)
 
     def __contains__(self, key):
diff --git a/pandas/plotting/_tools.py b/pandas/plotting/_tools.py
index 047a57ead72f8..816586fbb82f5 100644
--- a/pandas/plotting/_tools.py
+++ b/pandas/plotting/_tools.py
@@ -84,8 +84,9 @@ def _get_layout(nplots, layout=None, layout_type='box'):
             raise ValueError(msg)
 
         if nrows * ncols < nplots:
-            raise ValueError('Layout of %sx%s must be larger than '
-                             'required size %s' % (nrows, ncols, nplots))
+            raise ValueError('Layout of {nrows}x{ncols} must be larger '
+                             'than required size {nplots}'.format(
+                                 nrows=nrows, ncols=ncols, nplots=nplots))
 
         return layout
 
diff --git a/pandas/stats/moments.py b/pandas/stats/moments.py
index f6c3a08c6721a..4e9e1b51e6fda 100644
--- a/pandas/stats/moments.py
+++ b/pandas/stats/moments.py
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ def _rolling_func(name, desc, how=None, func_kw=None, additional_kw=''):
     if how is None:
         how_arg_str = 'None'
     else:
-        how_arg_str = "'%s" % how
+        how_arg_str = "'{how}".format(how=how)
 
     @Substitution(desc, _unary_arg, _roll_kw % how_arg_str + additional_kw,
                   _type_of_input_retval, _roll_notes)
diff --git a/pandas/tseries/offsets.py b/pandas/tseries/offsets.py
index 5843aaa23be57..5d1ea71d5cef5 100644
--- a/pandas/tseries/offsets.py
+++ b/pandas/tseries/offsets.py
@@ -280,10 +280,10 @@ def _repr_attrs(self):
                     if not hasattr(self, key):
                         kwds_new[key] = self.kwds[key]
                 if len(kwds_new) > 0:
-                    attrs.append('kwds=%s' % (kwds_new))
+                    attrs.append('kwds={kwds_new}'.format(kwds_new=kwds_new))
             elif attr not in exclude:
                 value = getattr(self, attr)
-                attrs.append('%s=%s' % (attr, value))
+                attrs.append('{attr}={value}'.format(attr=attr, value=value))
 
         out = ''
         if attrs: