Month by month
Follow the links to the organiser, tourist office or official information. Some events have fixed dates, while others follow Easter, the harvest or local festival weekends.
France travel guide
Special events
France throughout the year: lemons, bears, giant omelettes, Corsican processions, kites, snails, sheep, onions and lights.
France is full of festivals that reveal much about the country: local produce, ancient rituals, religious processions, town celebrations, markets and small traditions that suddenly take over entire streets.
This month-by-month guide highlights some of the most unusual events. Dates can change from year to year, so use the links to check the current programme before travelling.
12months
59events
Across Francefrom Corsica to Dunkirk
Check the datethe programme changes yearly
The year in France
59 special events – month by month
From winter carnivals and Easter processions to food festivals, medieval celebrations, autumn markets and light art. Open each card for official information and the current programme.
January
Carnival, truffles and wine4 events
January–March
Limoux Carnival
Fecos, Goudils and dancing beneath the arcades at one of the world’s longest-running carnivals.
View event January–AprilDunkirk Carnival
A northern French celebration filled with singing, costumes, marching bands and tremendous local energy.
View event JanuarySarlat Truffle Festival
Black Périgord truffles, markets, tastings and a touch of winter luxury in the Dordogne.
View event JanuarySaint-Vincent Tournante
Burgundy’s travelling wine festival moves to a new village each year, bringing decorated streets and proud winegrowers.
View eventFebruary
Lemons, bears and snails8 events
February
Nice Carnival
Giant figures, flower parades and a winter celebration on the Riviera.
View event February–MarchMenton Lemon Festival
Monuments, floats and sculptures made from lemons and oranges.
View event FebruaryMimosa Festival
Yellow blossoms, parades and Riviera atmosphere in the middle of winter.
View event FebruaryFête de l’Ours
Bear rituals, soot, animal skins and an ancient mountain tradition in Catalan villages.
View event FebruarySnail Festival
An entire festival devoted to escargots, with food stalls, music and unmistakable Burgundian character.
View event Before LentFête des Bœufs Gras
Decorated oxen, an old tradition and festivities before Mardi Gras.
View event February–MarchViolet Festival
A flower parade, local produce and a village celebrating the violet.
View event FebruaryGranville Carnival
A UNESCO-listed Norman carnival combining satire with the distinctive humour of a maritime town.
View eventMarch
Masks, carnival and signs of spring4 events
March
Annecy Venetian Carnival
Hundreds of masks and costumes beside the canals of the “Venice of the Alps”.
View event March/AprilLes Soufflaculs de Nontron
Nightshirts, bellows and medieval carnival absurdity. Peculiar – and intensely local.
View event Until March/AprilLimoux continues
The carnival carries on weekend after weekend, long after other towns have finished.
View event Until AprilDunkirk continues
The carnival season in the north lasts for months, with local balls, parades and traditions.
View eventApril
Easter, processions and kites8 events
Good Friday
U Catenacciu in Sartène
Corsica’s best-known Easter procession – sombre, powerful and rich in symbolism.
View event Holy WeekGranitula in Calvi
A spiral-shaped procession of crosses, candles and silence through the citadel.
View event EasterEaster traditions in Cargèse
Corsican Easter traditions meet Byzantine ritual and Greek Catholic heritage.
View event EasterThe giant omelette in Bessières
An Easter ritual in which the town prepares an omelette for far more people than an ordinary family could feed.
View event AprilBerck-sur-Mer International Kite Festival
The beach fills with enormous kites, fantastical figures, colour and wind.
View event AprilScallop Festival
Seafood, harbour life, concerts and scallops served the Breton way.
View event Good FridayProcession de la Sanch
Red- and black-robed penitents, ancient brotherhoods and a dramatic procession.
View event Spring/summerAtlantic Sardine Festival
Grilled sardines, harbour atmosphere and local fishing culture.
View eventMay
Sheep, saints and historic towns4 events
May
Transhumance in Saint-Rémy
Thousands of sheep are driven through the streets before heading to their summer pastures.
View event MayFêtes de Jeanne d’Arc
Historic ceremonies, a city-wide celebration and one of France’s most enduring stories of a national heroine.
View event MayCannes Film Festival
Not unusual, perhaps, but unmistakably French: glamour, stars and the Riviera at its most ceremonial.
View event May/JunePardon festivals in Brittany
Local religious processions, traditional dress, harbours, churches and village life.
Read moreJune
The Middle Ages, music and monsters5 events
June
Provins Medieval Festival
Knights, entertainers, markets and medieval atmosphere in a UNESCO-listed town.
View event JuneFêtes de la Tarasque
Tarascon celebrates its legendary monster with a dragon figure, processions and festivities throughout the town.
Read more 21 JuneFête de la Musique
All of France makes music as streets, squares, parks and small stages fill with performances.
View event JuneNuit Blanche
Paris stays awake for a night of light, art, installations and unexpected encounters.
View event June/summerMaritime festivals
Boat gatherings, seafood celebrations and harbour festivals appear all along the coast throughout the summer.
Find inspirationJuly
Street celebrations, giants and theatre5 events
July
Fêtes de Bayonne
Five days in red and white, with Basque festivities, music and streets bursting with life.
View event JulyFêtes de Gayant
Giant figures, processions and an enormous “family” that takes over the town.
View event JulyFestival d’Avignon
Provence’s great theatre city comes alive with stages, street performances, posters and festival energy.
View event JulyFête des Remparts
Dinan returns to the Middle Ages with costumes, markets and knightly spectacle.
View event July/AugustFestival Interceltique
Brittany meets Ireland, Scotland and Wales in a major celebration of Celtic music.
View eventAugust
Lavender, onions, garlic and the sea7 events
August
Sault Lavender Festival
A market, local produce and the scent of Provence at its most blue-violet.
View event AugustLautrec Pink Garlic Festival
Pink garlic, soup, market stalls, competitions and a celebration of local food.
View event AugustRoscoff Onion Festival
The pink Roscoff onion is celebrated beside the harbour with a market and Breton atmosphere.
View event AugustFestival des Filets Bleus
Tradition, seafaring, music and blue fishing nets in Concarneau.
View event AugustWater jousting in Sète
Water-jousting tournaments with lances, boats and festivities during the Saint-Louis celebrations.
View event AugustMetz Mirabelle Festival
The small yellow plum receives its own city festival, with a market, concerts and a parade.
View event Into AugustLorient continues
Celtic music, parades and Breton identity continue to fill the city into August.
View eventSeptember
Flea markets, the Renaissance and autumn3 events
September
Braderie de Lille
An enormous flea market, mussels, chips and a great northern French celebration.
View event SeptemberRoi de l’Oiseau
A Renaissance festival with costumes, archery, music and historic street life.
View event SeptemberJournées du Patrimoine
Buildings, châteaux and sites that are normally closed open their doors to the public.
View eventOctober
Chillies, wine and pumpkins4 events
October
Espelette Pepper Festival
The red Basque pepper is celebrated with markets, food, music and processions.
View event OctoberMontmartre Grape Harvest Festival
Paris celebrates its little vineyard with concerts, parades and a neighbourhood festival.
View event OctoberJausiers Pumpkin Festival
An Alpine village, an autumn market, squashes and pumpkins.
View event OctoberFascinant Week-end
Vineyards, tastings and intimate wine experiences across many French wine regions.
View eventNovember
Herring, seafood and the start of winter3 events
November
Fête du Hareng Roi
Grilled herring, sailors’ songs and a harbour festival in northern France.
View event NovemberHerring and scallops in Fécamp
A Norman seafood festival of harbour life, fish, market stalls and crisp November air.
Read more November–JanuarySaint Nicholas in Nancy
Lights, parades, legends and one of eastern France’s great winter traditions.
View eventDecember
Lights, Christmas and winter magic4 events
December
Fête des Lumières
Lyon is transformed into a vast work of light art in the winter darkness.
View event DecemberSaint Nicholas continues
A winter celebration of parades, lights and traditions that goes far beyond ordinary Christmas decoration.
View event DecemberStrasbourg Christmas Market
A classic, yet still one of France’s most atmospheric winter experiences.
View event DecemberLes Glorieuses de Bresse
Prestigious competitions and markets for Bresse poultry in the run-up to Christmas.
Read more
Tip: Many of these events are small or highly local. Always check the date, venue, parking arrangements and programme via the official link before planning your journey.
Continue planning your trip
More inspiration for your trip
Discover hotel suggestions, Corsican Easter traditions, markets and the complete events calendar for France.
Hotels in France
Suggested hotels
Three varied hotel suggestions from different cities and destinations.
Corsica at Easter
Powerful processions
Sartène, Calvi and Cargèse are home to some of the island’s most atmospheric Easter traditions.
Everyday life in France
Markets in France
Flavours, scents and local encounters
Markets are miniature stages for everyday French life, filled with cheese, olives, flowers, fruit, fish, antiques and conversations across the stalls.
What’s on?
What’s on in France?
Explore our events calendar
Festivals, markets, sport, culture, wine experiences, Christmas markets and seasonal events across France throughout the year.