What's on
What's on in France
Events worth planning a trip around. We check each date with the organiser, but confirm before you book.
November 2026
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15 Nov 14:30
Food & drink · Beaune
Vente des Vins des Hospices de Beaune
The charity auction of the Hospices de Beaune wines is held under the town's covered market halls on the third Sunday of November. One barrel each year is sold for a chosen charity.
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20 Nov – 27 Dec
Market · Mulhouse
Marché de Noël de Mulhouse
Mulhouse dresses its Christmas market in a new printed fabric each year, a nod to the city's textile past, and sells candles and other crafts. Park-and-ride with the tram is easier than driving in.
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23 Nov – 29 Dec
Market · Colmar
Marchés de Noël de Colmar
Colmar runs six separate Christmas markets in its half-timbered centre, each with its own theme, and nearby villages such as Eguisheim and Riquewihr hold their own. Plan for weekday visits if you can, as weekends get crowded.
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27 Nov – 24 Dec
Market · Strasbourg
Marché de Noël de Strasbourg
Strasbourg has kept a Christmas market since 1570, and today the stalls spread over several squares, from the cathedral to Petite France. Go after dark for the lights, mulled wine and bredele biscuits.
December 2026
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5 Dec – 8 Dec
Festival · Lyon
Fête des Lumières
For four nights around 8 December, Lyon lights up its facades, squares and parks with free light installations. Visitors walk between the sites on foot, and public transport is the easiest way into the centre.
Free Official site Our guide
February 2027
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9 Feb – 28 Feb 2027
Festival · Nice
Carnaval de Nice
Nice's winter carnival brings giant papier-mâché floats through the city at night and flower parades by day, when performers throw blooms to the crowd. Seats and standing tickets are sold for the parades.
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13 Feb – 28 Feb 2027
Festival
Fête du Citron
Menton builds large displays out of lemons and oranges and runs parades of citrus-covered floats, on Sunday afternoons and on Thursday evenings. Get into town well before a parade starts.
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27 Feb – 7 Mar 2027
Food & drink · Paris
Salon International de l'Agriculture
Paris's agricultural show brings farm animals, regional produce and wine stands from across France to the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre. Serbia is the guest country for 2027.
May 2027
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11 May – 22 May 2027
Arts · Cannes
Festival de Cannes
The film festival takes over the Croisette for twelve days, and most screenings are for accredited professionals. Visitors come for the atmosphere and to watch the red-carpet arrivals outside the Palais.
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17 May – 6 Jun 2027
Sport · Paris
Roland-Garros
The French Open clay-court tennis tournament fills the Roland-Garros stadium in western Paris for three weeks. Tickets for the early rounds give access to many matches on the outside courts.
June 2027
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June 2027 Exact dates not announced
Music
Fête de la Musique
On 21 June, amateur and professional musicians play free in streets, squares and bars across France until late at night. The organiser hasn't published 2027 details yet.
Free Official site
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9 Jun – 13 Jun 2027
Sport
24 Heures du Mans
The round-the-clock endurance race at the Circuit de la Sarthe is the centrepiece of a week of practice, qualifying and events around Le Mans. Many fans camp beside the track.
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13 Jun – 19 Jun 2027
Arts · Annecy
Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy
The world's leading animation film festival screens new features and shorts across Annecy for a week in June, alongside an industry market.
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14 Jun – 20 Jun 2027
Festival
Paris Air Show
The aerospace show at Le Bourget is mainly a trade fair, with flying displays and days open to the general public.
July 2027
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2 Jul – 25 Jul 2027
Sport
Tour de France
The 2027 Tour starts in Great Britain before crossing into France for three weeks of stages. Watching from the roadside is free, and mountain stages draw the biggest crowds.
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10 Jul – 14 Jul 2027
Music
Les Francofolies
La Rochelle's summer festival of French-language music runs concerts across the town for five days in mid-July.
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15 Jul – 18 Jul 2027
Music
Les Vieilles Charrues
Brittany's largest music festival puts four days of big-name concerts on a site outside Carhaix. It's run by a non-profit association, and camping on site is free for ticket holders.
August 2027
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August 2027 Exact dates not announced
Sport · Chamonix
UTMB Mont-Blanc
Trail runners from around the world race around Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland in late summer, with Chamonix as the hub. Crowds gather at the start and finish in the town centre.
September 2027
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4 Sep – 5 Sep 2027
Market
Braderie de Lille
On the first weekend of September, Lille's streets become one vast flea market where residents and dealers sell everything from antiques to old records. Moules-frites is the dish of the weekend.
Free Official site
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4 Sep 2027
Sport
Marathon du Médoc
A marathon through the Médoc vineyards, passing the châteaux of the wine estates. Runners enter by registration, and spectators line the route.
October 2027
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October 2027 Exact dates not announced
Arts · Lyon
Festival Lumière
Lyon's film heritage festival screens newly restored films and classics in cinemas across the city in October, often with the filmmakers present. The 2027 dates aren't out yet.
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October 2027 Exact dates not announced
Food & drink · Paris
Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre
Montmartre celebrates the grape harvest on the Butte with five days of concerts, food and events across the 18th arrondissement, held in October. The 2027 dates aren't announced.