If you’re interested in French culture, we highly recommend partaking in one of France’s many unique holidays. A word to the wise, though: don’t sleep on French festivals!
French festivals offer an exciting window into French culture and history. Watch the fireworks on Bastille Day to learn how France gained its independence, or catch a show at Chorégies d’Orange in one of the best preserved Roman monuments in France.
While they may draw larger than usual crowds, each French festival is truly unique, and unlike holidays, often tied to a particular city. Branch out beyond Paris and discover what makes the entire country so incredible!
Planning a trip? Check out our basic French phrases guide with everything you need to connect with new people, navigate public transportation, and more. And if you want to feel even more confident speaking French, Rosetta Stone’s immersive, bite-sized lessons are the perfect way to prepare.
Read on to discover Menton’s towering lemon sculptures and Lyon’s parades of light!
1. Menton Lemon Festival
When: February 17 – March 3, 2024
Where: Menton (25 minutes east of Monaco)
What to expect:
La Fête du Citron is a 20-day French festival in Menton that celebrates the region’s specialty crop. It started in 1875 as a parade to liven up the winter months. Today it includes a wide variety of shows, arts and crafts workshops for all ages, cooking classes, garden tours, and more.
However, the main draws are the ornate citrus-covered floats that parade through the streets. The entire surface area of every float is covered with lemons, oranges, and accompanying citrus fruits. Each float design corresponds to the festival’s theme for the year. Past themes have ranged from Disney to Jules Verne.
And get this: the largest floats use up to 15 tons of fruit and take thousands of hours to complete! The results are a sunshine-hued spectacle to behold. Between parades, you can see even more citrus-covered sculptures in the Biovès gardens. Sculptures from past years include Menton’s train station, a dragon, a Paris Metro entrance, the Sphinx, and more.
Fun fact: It’s no lemon festival without a mascot, and the Menton Lemon Festival’s most iconic citrus is named John Lemon.
2. Nice Carnival
When: February 17 – March 3 2024
Where: Nice, Côte d’Azur
What to expect:
While towering lemon sculptures are taking over Menton, Nice is busy hosting a party of its own. Le Carnival de Nice is the largest winter event in its region and is one of many Carnival celebrations around the world, from Brazil’s Carnival in Rio de Janeiro to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Because Nice’s Carnival celebration is tied to the beginning of Lent, the dates vary from year to year, though it’s often in February or March. Though the earliest records of the Nice Carnival’s existence date back to 1294, an official committee for the festivities wasn’t established until 1873, which made their recent 150th anniversary celebration quite special.
Like all Carnival celebrations, the parades full of colorful, elaborate floats are the main attraction. Each is related to the year’s theme and accompanied by lively music and dance performances. You can’t miss the flower battle, a procession of colorful, elaborate floats and vehicles completely covered in fresh flowers. 100,000 blooms are used in every “battle”!
To mark the end of the carnival, participants set the Carnival King puppet—the float that leads the very first parade on the carnival’s opening day—on fire. Note that the Carnival is a ticketed event, but costumed attendees are free! Make sure to go all out to guarantee your free admission.
Fun fact: On any given year, the Nice Carnival uses 20 tons of confetti.
3. International Garden Festival
When: April to October
Where: Chaumont-sur-Loire
What to expect:
Since 1992, gardeners from around the world have competed for one of 30 spots in the annual International Garden Festival. The displays in the Chateau de Chaumont gardens are open to the public from April to October, and the gardens are designed to correspond to a particular theme each year. The displays are usually more contemporary than other competitive garden festivals. If you happen to visit during the summer, catch a different perspective of the gardens with a candlelit evening tour.
Fun fact: The chateau’s garden was designed by Prince de Broglie and was inspired by English design.
4. Sedan Medieval Festival
When: May 11 – 12 2024
Where: Château Fort de Sedan
What to expect:
Who wouldn’t love a medieval festival at a literal castle? This two-day spring event is a must-see for any history buff. The middle ages come to life with exhibits, entertainment, and demonstrations by skilled craftsmen. The fencing tournaments are an especially exciting sight. For those interested in merch, a wide variety of wares and food inspired by the era are available for purchase at the medieval market. Pony rides, craft workshops for children, and other family-friendly activities ensure that attendees of all ages enjoy this blast from the (very distant) past. Festival attendees can also get a discount on tickets to see the château.
Fun fact: The château’s courtyard hosts medieval weddings during the two-day festival, though couples can book weddings in a more private setting year-round.
5. Cannes Film Festival
When: 14 – 25 May 2024
Where: Cannes, Côte d’Azur
What to expect:
The Festival de Cannes is one of the most prestigious events in the film industry. Founded in 1946, this festival set out to rival the Venice festival (which had clear Fascist leanings at the time). It continues to be a destination for early viewings of new films from all over the world!
Note that this festival is invitation only. If you’re lucky enough to make it there, you’ll see cream-of-the-crop films months before the rest of the world! Plus, you’ll get a front row seat on an age-old tradition: audiences give a standing ovation for each film, the length of which is seen by some critics as a measure of the film’s quality.
At the end of the festival, awards are given to films in various categories. The most prestigious award is the Palme d’Or (the Golden Palm). Attendees can also watch the glamorous red carpet, make deals at the film market, attend masterclasses, view exhibitions with various cinema-related themes, and network with other film professionals.
Fun fact: Since 2001, the Palm Dog has been awarded to the best performance by a dog, live action or animated. Notable winners include Bruno from The Triplets of Belleville, Mops from Marie Antoinette, and Uggie from The Artist.
6. Féria de Pentecôte
When: Pentecost (typically May or early June)
Where: Nîmes
What to expect:
Féria de Pentecôte is a six-day Pentecost celebration in the formerly Roman city of Nîmes. The events and activities are influenced by the Spanish city of Sevilla. From bull fights to Sevillian dancing and a parade, known as a Pégoulade, the sights and sounds of Spain come alive in France. The exact dates change, but it always takes place seven weeks after Easter.
Fun fact: A shorter, similar festival called Féria des Vendanges takes place over three days in September.
7. Fête de la Musique (World Music Day)
When: June 21
Where: Worldwide, originated in France
What to expect:
Fête de la Musique, also known as World Music Day or Make Music Day in English, was founded in 1982 by French Minister of Culture Jack Lang and composer Maurice Fleuret. The concept is to promote live music with free outdoor concerts. Today it is celebrated in 120 countries, including 117 US cities.
Fun Fact: “Fête de la Musique” is pronounced the same as the festival’s slogan, “Faites de la musique” (Make Music), making the name of the festival a play on words.
8. Paris L’été (Paris Summer Festival)
When: July 10 – 30
Where: Paris
What to expect:
Festival Paris L’été is a 20-day art and culture extravaganza that takes place through most of July. Every part of the city, from museums to schools, is transformed into spaces for performances and displays. There are over 20 artistic events across the city in total. Whether you’re a fan of theater, visual art, music, or anything in between, there is something for you.
Fun fact: Until 8 years ago, the festival was called the Quartier d’Été festival.
9. La Fête Nationale (Bastille Day)
When: July 14
Where: All around France, but especially Paris
What to expect:
France’s fête nationale commemorates the storming of La Bastille on 14 July 1789, which is seen by most as the beginning of the French Revolution. However, only English speakers call it Bastille Day. In France, it is more commonly known as Quatorze Juillet (referring to the date) or La Fête Nationale.
The holiday is celebrated across the country, but the most iconic scenes take place in Paris. The banner event is a military parade down the Champs Elysées with a bleu, blanc, et rouge flyover overhead. Fire stations in the city host dances, called Bals de Pompier (fireman’s balls) that are open to the public. Some are free to attend, others suggest a donation. There are also fireworks, music in parks, and free entry to museums. Other cities and towns host similar festivities on smaller scales.
Fun fact: Paris’ Fête Nationale parade is the oldest and largest military parade in Europe.
10. Festival d’Avignon
When: July
Where: Avignon
What to expect:
Since 1947, the Festival d’Avignon has been one of the largest arts festivals in Europe. The inaugural festival took place when theater director Jean Vilar, art critic Christian Zervos, and poet René Char all hosted shows at the Palace of the Popes in Avignon during the same week. Today, the festival attracts artists and fans of theater, dance, visual arts, and music from around the world. Events have expanded to 30 venues, making the entire city a cornucopia of creativity. The programming spans from classic works to creations by new up-and-coming artists.
Fun fact: The Palais des Papes, the flagship venue for the Festival d’Avignon, is a UNESCO world heritage site.
11. Chorégies d’Orange
When: August
Where: Orange, Côte d’Azur
What to expect:
Chorégies d’Orange is an annual opera festival that takes place in the ancient Roman theater in the city of Orange. The festival dates back to 1860 and is the oldest music festival in Europe. The venue where it takes place is also one of the best-preserved Roman monuments in France. Over 10,000 attendees come from around the world to see the biggest names in opera in this historic, acoustically-breathtaking space.
Fun fact: “Chorégies” comes from the Greek word for choir leader.
12. Fête de la Gastronomie (French Cuisine Festival)
When: Late September
Where: Throughout France
What to expect:
The Fête de la Gastronomie is a fairly new festival, but it’s a must for any foodie. The festival was founded in 2011 after UNESCO added French Gastronomy to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. On the last weekend of September, the entire country comes together to celebrate their cuisine. In addition to all the good eating, you can participate in cooking workshops, go on winery tours, watch demonstrations from chefs, and more.
Fun fact: The celebration of gastronomy isn’t limited to the hexagone (a popular nickname for France). French restaurants abroad also join the fun to teach locals the joy of French cuisine.
13. Salon du Chocolat (The Chocolate Fair)
When: October 28 – November 1
Where: Paris
What to expect:
Chocoholics rejoice! In late October, the Paris Expo Center hosts the world’s largest exhibition dedicated to your favorite sweet. Over 700 chocolatiers, pastry chefs and confectioners from all over the world gather to share their skills. Of course, you’ll find plenty of scrumptious chocolate to eat, demonstrations from the world’s best chocolate pros, cooking classes, and more. The festival ends by crowning the best chocolatiers in the world with the Chocolate Award.
Fun fact: The festival includes a chocolate fashion show where models display costumes made out of chocolate.
14. Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights)
When: Around December 8
Where: Lyon
What to expect:
Held annually in Lyon around December 8, Fête des Lumières is one of the most popular festivals in France. The origin story of the festival dates back to 1852, when the city installed a statue of the Virgin Mary. The inauguration of the statue was postponed twice due to weather. The second intended date was December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. After the second cancellation, locals lit candles on their window sills and balconies. The tradition of displaying candles on that night has continued ever since. In the 1960s, the festival took on a whole new light (pun intended) with shop window illumination competitions and lighting displays on local monuments. Today, the entire city is alight with mesmerizing colors.
Fun fact: Lyon’s traditions of honoring the Virgin Mary dates back even further than the statue inauguration. In 1643, the city’s leaders prayed to Mary to protect the city from the plague. The Lyonnais have thanked her ever since.
>> Need another reason to celebrate? See the full list of French holidays here!
Get to know France even better with Rosetta Stone
France’s wide variety of festivals are a testament to how much the culture has to offer. Experiencing events like these can open up the world for longtime francophiles and novices alike. But attending these events isn’t the only way to get better acquainted with the country.
A deeper knowledge of French requires immersion as well as cultural and historical context. That’s why Rosetta Stone goes above and beyond with real-world, culturally relevant exercises. Our Dynamic Immersion method helps students of all ages learn efficiently, letting them explore more in less time. Plus, our TruAccent speech recognition helps you sound convincing based on data from thousands of native speakers. Start your first lesson today!
Written by Luca Harsh
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