13 Festivals In France That You Cannot Afford To Miss On Your Visit To L’hexagone In 2024

The country of love, lights, and beauty – France has everything you need for the perfect vacation. From the sandy Mediterranean beaches to the beautiful English Channel and the snowy Alps, France has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. The French vivaciousness for life bursts through the people and even the mundane seems unique. Attending festivals in France 2021 is another joy altogether with thousands coming together and celebrating as one.

13 Best Festivals In France In 2024

Read on to know more about the best festivals in France that you must attend once in a lifetime!

Nice Carnival
Les Choregies d’Orange
Festival Of Avignon
Tour De France
Mardi Gras
La Fête De La Musique
Cannes Film Festival
International Kite Festival
Bastille Day
Paris L’été
Menton Lemon Festival
International Garden Festival
Festival Medieval De Sedan

1. Nice Carnival

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What is better than a carnival but a world class one in one of the best cities in the world! Festivals in France do not get better than this. One of the rare festivals held in the winters, instead of the summer, Nice Carnival is the perfect place to gather at with your friends and family to enjoy local festivities like never before. Think grand parades and awe-inspiring fireworks, it does not get better than Nice. The landscape of French Riviera also adds to the beauty of the festival, making it one of the must-attend festivities in France.

Location: Nice, France
Nice Carnival 2022 Dates: 11 February to 27 February

Must Read: 15 Best Places To Visit In France In Winter For A Blissful Holiday Experience!

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2. Les Choregies d’Orange

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A celebration of the opera! This beautiful summer festival is the place to go to if you are an opera lover. Well known and budding – all kinds of productions are featured here and the program changes every year. The semi-circular Roman theatre here is famous for its beautiful seating (in stone) and acoustics. The festival was started somewhere in the late 1800s which makes it even more interesting.

Location: Théâtre antique d’Orange, Provence, France
Les Choregies d’Orange 2022 Dates: From 20th June to 6th August 2022

3. Festival Of Avignon

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France festivals 2022 will surely be incomplete without this celebration! Like most things, the famous festivals in France also focus a lot on arts and culture. One great example is Festival d’Avignon. Flooded by art connoisseurs from all over the world, this is the place to come to if you are looking for inspiration. It is also one of the oldest festivals in the country. Dabbling with different mediums like music, theatre, dance and cinema, this beautiful place has given the world a number of great performances in the grounds of the famous Pope’s Palace. The venues are scattered all over the city, and it helps budding theatre performers a lot in furthering their career. Mark your calendars today, because it is this place that the whole art world gathers at, no questions asked!

Location: Avignon, Provence, France
Festival of Avignon 2022 Dates: 7th – 26th July

4. Tour De France

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Every sporting enthusiast dreams of attending Tour De France once in their life. Started in the early 20th century, this beautiful cycling competition has been a grand spectacle for over a hundred years now. Probably one of the most prestigious and exciting French festivals and celebrations, Tour de France is the perfect way to witness the French countryside in the Alps. As the route for the competition changes every year, the scenic beauty of this competition is unpredictable and unprecedented. This is one of the famous festivals in Paris.

Location: Starting from Brussels, covering different French villages like Colmar, Pau, Gap to Versailles, ending in Paris.
Tour de France 2022 Dates: 1st July – 24th July

5. Mardi Gras

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One of the traditional French festivals, Mardi Gras comes from the long line of pagan festivals which were adopted by the Christians in one way or the other. Literally translated as ‘Fat Tuesday’, Mardi Gras, or some version of it is celebrated all over the world by Catholics in the days leading up to Easter. However, in France, the celebrations are special as people get out on the streets wearing beautiful, huge masks and hog pancakes, delicious waffles, crepes, and omelets day and night. The festival originally was supposed to be a reminder to people to abstain from eating meat in the month of Lent, however, today only a few follow that. Different regions in France tend to celebrate Mardi Gras differently, and it usually starts with or ends in a carnival.

Location: Northern France
Mardi Gras 2022 Dates: 1st March

6. La Fête De La Musique

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Also called the Music Day or Music Festival, this is probably one of the biggest music festivals in France. It is a coming together of sorts – of music, musicians and music lovers – to mark the end of the summer solstice. From street nooks to bars, restaurants, concerts, everything and everywhere you will witness music performed by serious, professional musicians as well as novices, people starting out. The best thing about this huge celebrations is that it is completely free. You can attend hundreds of such events or just go to the one, which will last you a lifetime. In a crowd of thousands, it is easy to lose yourself to the tunes of rap, hip-hop, pop, rock or even jazz.

Location: Paris, France
La Fête de la Musique 2022 Dates: 21st June

7. Cannes Film Festival

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The film festival in Cannes, France is probably one of the biggest festivals celebrated here – need we say more? This annual gathering of cinema lovers from around the world in the small French village of Cannes has made its mark on the global audiences. Attended by celebrities from industries like Hollywood, Cannes is a glamorous event with the eyes of people from fashion, media and cinema world on it. Attend super lush galas and the world premiere of movies from around the world – if you can afford it. Or rush to the beach to watch the movies under the open skies at the Cinema de la Plage. This is one of the most important festivals of France.

Location: Cannes, France
Cannes Film Festival 2022 Dates: 17th May – 28th May

8. International Kite Festival

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Just like many other countries, France has its own population of kite lovers. The International Kite Festival is organized at Berck, a coastal commune in the northern region of France. Flying your kite on the vast sandy beach is an unforgettable experience. Every year in the month of April, the sky here gets full with kites of different shapes and sizes, portraying cartoon characters, animals like lizards and other things, which people fly with passion and warmth. Even if you are not much into flying kites, you can still come out here for a day at the beach and witness maestros from all over the world come together and compete for the prize.

Location: Berck-Sur-Mer, France
International Kite Festival 2022 Dates: 14th January

9. Bastille Day

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One of the major, probably the most important, national festival of France is the Bastille Day. It commemorates the anniversary of rebels taking the Bastilles prison back in the late 17th century, during the prime of French Revolution. A National Holiday, Fete de la Bastille is celebrated with vigor and passion in every part of France, however, Paris is the city to witness the festivities from close. The streets get lined up with parades and the day ends with magnificent fireworks, which you should definitely catch at the Eiffel Tower with your significant other. Oh, and the day before sees the beautiful masked ball held at the Bastille Palace. Definitely a must-attend!

Location: Paris, France
Bastille Day 2022 Dates: 14th July

10. Paris L’été

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Another summer treat in Paris is the extravagant Paris L’été or Paris Summer Festival. Think grand circuses, open-air theatre, music performances and what not – this is the ultimate celebration of French arts, freedom, culture, and beauty. Spread over different venues in the city, attending different events again is mostly free (or costing nominal), which makes it a huge hit amongst tourists and locals alike. Held for over twenty years now, this beautiful festival gives a platform to over seventy artists and takes festivals of France to another level altogether!

Location: Paris, France
Paris L’été 2022 Dates: 21st June to 23rd September

11. Menton Lemon Festival

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Menton Lemon Festival is organized in the second of February and experiences over 2,00,000 visitors every year. The festival is celebrated for two weeks at Bioves Garden in the center of Menton. The place is filled with enormous statues, models, and tableaux, made up of citrus, lemons, and oranges. This festival gives you a chance to attend the electrifying performances by the wind musicians, drummers, giants, acrobats, masked dancers, etc.

Location: Bioves Garden

Menton Lemon Festival 2022 Dates: 12th Feb to 27th Feb

12. International Garden Festival

Every year the gardens of Château Chaumont-sur-Loire organizes Festival des Jardins which is popularly known as the International Garden Festival of France. This festival exhibits over 30 themed gardens and has contributions from the United Kingdom, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. This festival will surely enthrall you especially if you are visiting here during the night. The place is glowed up with over two thousand candles, enhancing the beauty of these interesting collections.

Location: Château Chaumont-sur-Loire, France

International Garden Festival 2022 Dates: 25th June to 2nd October

13. Festival Medieval De Sedan

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Sedan castle, another interesting European castles that is known for organizing Festival Medieval de Sedan every year. The festival gives you a chance to meet Middle Ages who come from all across the world to attend this Medieval Festival. The best experiences of this festival includes fairs, traditional banquets, wrestling competitions, tournaments, and sword duels. This is one of the best festivals celebrated in France.

Location: Sedan Castle
Festival Medieval De Sedan 2022 Dates: 14th May to 15th May

Further Read: Shun The Cliched and Visit These 10 Best Waterfalls In France This Summer!

From Fashion Week to Christmas, there are so many beautiful festivals in France that you can become a part of. Add to that the beauty of architectural wonders like the Eiffel Tower and mystique of places like Louvre, and you have the perfect cocktail for a beautiful vacation in France . So, what are you waiting for?

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