Festival trip guides

Lille's music scene peaks in June with two distinct festivals: the free, citywide Fête de la Musique on June 21 and the ticketed, multi-venue Lille Piano(s) Festival. Learn what each offers, how to choose, and practical tips for enjoying both.

The Lille Piano(s) Festival is a classical, jazz, and electro piano festival held annually in Lille since 2004. Discover its typical June dates, multi-venue locations, ticket booking methods, and programming highlights in this guide.

Plan your visit to the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale 2026, running from September 19 to December 13. Explore venues like macLYON, Grandes Locos, and more. Discover the theme and practical tips for enjoying this city-wide art event.

An essential guide to the Lyon Dance Biennale, a major contemporary dance festival that transforms the city every two years. From its founding in 1984 to its participatory Parade, discover the festival's history, format, and key venues.

Discover the best viewpoints and a practical walking route for Lyon's Fête des Lumières. Learn how to navigate crowds, find quieter spots, and enjoy the festival's highlights, from Place des Terreaux to the Saône riverbanks.

Lyon's Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières) transforms the city each December with artistic light installations across landmarks and rivers. Plan your visit with this guide covering typical dates, top sites, crowd avoidance, and practical tips.

Dijon's Fééries de Noël turns the historic center into a winter playground with a grand Ferris wheel, an outdoor ice rink, artisan chalets, and a nightly sound-and-light show. This guide covers the market's locations, typical season, family highlights, and practical tips for planning your visit.

The Procession du Christ Noir is Bastia's most revered religious event, held annually on May 3. A wooden crucifix discovered at sea in 1428 is carried through the citadel to the Vieux-Port for the blessing of the sea. This guide covers its history, schedule, route, and practical visitor tips.

The Rencontres d'Arles transforms Arles each summer into a citywide photography festival. To make the most of your visit, it helps to understand the festival's venues—ranging from medieval churches to former industrial workshops—and how they cluster around the historic center. This guide breaks down each venue type, offers practical access tips, and suggests walking routes to group nearby shows.

Plan your visit to the Rencontres d'Arles photo festival with our guide to 2026 dates, opening week, exhibitions, and practical tips for exploring Arles.

Each summer, the Rencontres d'Arles transforms the historic city into a photography hub. The opening week—often called the vernissage weekend—is when exhibitions, portfolio reviews, book fairs, and evening events converge. Here’s how to make the most of it.

Les Rencontres d'Arles turns the whole city into a photography showcase every summer. Because hotels sell out months in advance, planning where to stay matters as much as the program. This guide weighs staying in Arles, the Camargue, and nearby villages like Fontvieille and Saint-Rémy to help you choose a base that fits your itinerary.