What’s on and where in France in July– here is the definitive guide to help you plan to get the most from your visit or your area.
We don’t want to give you any bad information so we only put the dates if we’re absolutely certain of them but we do give you a website wherever we can where you can check the dates and all other details.
If you run an event or know of an event you think we should include please do let us know via our contact form.
National Holidays in France
July 14th 2012 Fête Nationale de la France- National Day – Bastille Day and there are events and celebrations all over France as the start of the French Revolution is commemorated.
National Event – Le Tour de France 30 June to July 22
Aquitaine
Bayonne
Place Montaut. For three days troubadours, magicians, soldiers and ……gargoyles will take over the heart of the town! http://www.marchemedieval.org/
25-29 July 2012 Les Fêtes de Bayonne – The Bayonne Festival The runningof the heifers in the Place Saint Andre square, in the heart of the Petit Bayonne quarter, have always been a major source of enjoyment. The “Corso lumineux”, the evening parade of decorated floats regularly attracts more than 350,000 spectators and for five days Bayonne swings in mass jubilation to the rythm and the sound of the “Bandas” and traditional groups and under the benevolent eye of “king Léon” the patron saint of the Festival. http://www.fetes.bayonne.fr/
Burgundy
Beaune
International Festival Baroque Opera Beaune, one of the most prestigious festivals of baroque music in Europe . It perpetuates the musical tradition of the Court of the Dukes of Burgundy which was considered one of the brightest and most sumptuous of the fifteenth century. http://www.ot-beaune.fr
Nord Pas-de-Calais
Arras
Main Square Music Festival, Arras July 1 (June 29,30)
Montreuil-sur-Mer
Grand Antiques Fair every 14 July.
Le Toquet
Sand Sculpture Exhibition at the Beach Front
Paris
The French Open Golf tournament Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines http://www.alstom.opendefrance.fr
Poitou-Charente
La Rochelle
La Francofolies, annual music festival attended by some 150,000 people and with over 2,300 musicians and groups over 5-6 days in July. http://www.ville-larochelle.fr/culture-sports-et-loisirs/evenements-culturels.html
Cognac
Fête du Cognac, port Cognac – the Cognac Festival is a major event to celebrate the delicious wine products (Cognac, Pineau des Charentes and Vins de Pays Charentais) and culinary Charentais. The Festival takes place over 3 days when you will discover cognac in its forms and festive dining in the idyllic Marina Cognac.To rhyme with tastes and flavors concerts are laid on for your listening pleasure! http://www.lafeteducognac.fr/
Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Spectacular music festival over a number of days in various locations in this lovely town http://www.festival-aix.com
Avignon
Festival d’Avignon annual arts festival one of the world’s greatest with performances given in more than 20 venues throughout the city and beyond; and hundreds of other, “unofficial” shows are also put on.
http://www.festival-avignon.com
Nice
Nice Jazz Festival Nice’s jazz festival offers a wide-ranging mix of jazz, from gospel and blues to urban funk, and from African roots to experimental sounds. The performances are staged in the arena of the gardens of Albert 1st, with a capacity of 3,000, and the gardens next to Place Masséna which can accommodate 6,500 and the events which take place over the course of a week attract tens of thousands of fans. For dates and tickets see http://www.nicejazzfestival.fr/
