Festival

Dates of France’s top must-see music festivals in 2024

Soak up the sun at Lana del Rey’s only French date this year, as well as shows from stars including The Prodigy, Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Foo Fighters, and Eric Clapton

Normandy first French region to stop funding wild animal shows

The move is part of a wider trend away from wild animal use

PHOTOS: It began with a candle in 1852: Lyon’s Light Festival returns

Find out more about this internationally renowned festival here

What big events in France require a ‘health pass’ from today?

Large football and other sports events, music festivals, and conferences are affected but not theme parks or zoos

France reopens: Ideas for what to see and do in summer 2021

Culture is back on the table after a long pause due to Covid-19 restrictions

Covid France: Summer 2021 festivals limited to 5,000 people

The culture minister confirmed the limit, and announced a new €30 million relief fund for festivals

Events in France this month: art, nature and music festivals

Discover the events not to miss in France this September.

British artist to exhibit at major Auvergne art festival

A British artist’s fungi-inspired works will feature at a major outdoor exhibition from July.

Enjoy Languedoc Trilogy author talk

Popular novelist, Kate Mosse is the guest in this Friday’s online series of talks with authors organised for the confinement period by the Franco-British literary festival, Festilitt.

What’s on in France – March 2020

Please note that due to Covid-19 virus, many events are being cancelled or postponed. Make sure you check events are still being held by organisers before you go. Music hits centre stage as France swings into Spring

What’s on in France – February 2020

South parties on parade as 2020 starts to warm up

France celebrates with traditional galette des rois

It is galette des rois season in France, as the country marks Epiphany on January 6, and bakers compete to make the best, most original versions of the popular patisserie.

British artist inspires Chinese light show in France

Artist's work the inspiration for a scene at Chinese Festival des Lanternes in southwest France

French hilltop village scales literary heights

French start-up installs urinals for women in Paris

New female urinals created by a French start-up have been installed in Paris in a bid to cut long waiting times for women at public toilets.

Fêtes de Bayonne opens amid tight security

Up to 1million people expected at annual event, which runs until Sunday, July 28

Entry time for festival’s new literary competition

Budding writers might like to take part in a writing competition organised by the Charroux Literary Festival Association.

Police kill escaped bull in SW France

Animal had escaped its enclosure on the final day of a feria

Dunkirk carnival ‘seagull cry’ contest has new winner

This year’s Dunkirk carnival has crowned a new winner of its annual “seagull’s cry” contest (“ cri de la mouette ”), as the unusual festivities continue throughout the month.

What’s on in France - January 2019

What to do, where to go and what to see in France

What’s on in France - December 2018

What to do, where to go and what to see in France

What's on in France - October 2018

What to do, where to go and what to see in France

Thanks for a great time at Interceltique

Thank you for the complimentary tickets we received for this year’s Lorient Interceltique festival via Connexion.

Anger over security bills for French festivals

Rows have broken out after the government advised prefectures to bill mairies and other organisers of regional festivals for full cost of security at events including national and riot police, gendarmes and snipers.

What's on in France - September 2018

What to do, where to go and what to see in France

Redheads feel the love at Brittany festival

More than 1,200 redheads attend first-ever Red Love festival

Free concert tickets for subscribers to our newsletter

Connexion has tickets for concerts at the Itinéraire Baroque festival in the Dordogne

Santons are a key to Provençal festivities

Nativity scenes are a combination of Christmas and everyday local life

Streets and theatres alive with sound of music

France is a very musical country, with a rich lineage of composers and performers. It also provides countless opportunities to enjoy live shows. Samantha David reveals her favourites

French navy ship festival celebrates 30 historic years

The French navy ship the Maillé-Brézé is celebrating 30 years of being moored up at the Fosse port of Nantes (Pays de la Loire), with a festival in its honour taking place this weekend.

Hard work pays off for festival organisers

"A wonderful experience" says volunteer

60,000 'ravers' expected for illegal festival in Marne

Up to 60,000 people are expected to descend on Marigny in the Marne department this week, for a rave festival dubbed Teknival 2018, despite it being ruled as illegal.

Mayor plans to charge entry fee to Fêtes de Bayonne

Visitors to five-day festival could face entry fee of up to €7

It’s not small beer

Artisanal brewer numbers have soared from just 200 in 2007 to 1,300 today

Stage your own French film festival at home

Short and feature-length films on offer online with English subtitles and you can join in voting

More people are going to festivals in France

Nearly seven million people attended 102 of the larger festivals in France in 2017, figures reveal

This is why “flowers of dead” are popular at Toussaint

Have you ever wondered why chrysanthemum flowers are the traditional symbol of the November Toussaint holiday in France, despite also being known as the “flowers of the dead”?

Paris Christmas market workers threaten to protest

Market stall staff and fairground workers are threatening to march on Paris and block its roads if the police do not allow the traditional Christmas market on the Champs-Elysées to take place.

Festilitt: The little literary festival that could

Girl with a Pearl Earring author Tracy Chevalier will head a list of writers at a Franco-British literary festival in October.

Sober and civilised

In reply to your online article about the [alcohol-free] L’Arbre qui marche festival in St.Martin du Bois (49): I live on the road that leads to the festival car park and the numbers of very polite young people who walked past whilst I was in the garden, all with a polite bonjour or bonsoir , was a delight.

Photo festival puts nature on display

Montier-en-Der, in Haute-Marne, is hosting its annual animal photo festival from October 16-19.

French music festival bans all alcohol on-site

An eco-friendly music festival taking place this weekend in the west of France has banned alcohol, as organisers maintain it improves the atmosphere of the event, and makes it more family-friendly.

Why this small town in the Alps loves Mexico

Mexican roots run deep in Barcelonnette. Oliver Rowland explores why

1m expected at Fêtes de Bayonne

The 81st annual Fêtes de Bayonne 2017 (Pyrénées-Atlantiques; Nouvelle-Aquitaine) began on Wednesday with reports saying a million people are expected to attend, despite the ongoing State of Emergency, and security on high alert this year.

18,000 events for La Fête de la Musique

Musicians take to the streets to make the summer solstice ring with the sound of live bands

Meet the Printemps performers

As the French music festival season fast approaches, we profile two talented songwriters performing live this summer