Festival trip guides

Plan your holiday trip to Épernay for the Christmas market in the city center and the dazzling Habits de Lumière festival along Avenue de Champagne, with festive activities for all.

Cinemed, the International Festival of Mediterranean Film in Montpellier, invites you to explore cinema from across the Mediterranean basin. This guide covers the festival's 48-year heritage, its competitive showcases for features, shorts, and documentaries, and how to plan a memorable trip to Montpellier in October 2026.

Spring and summer in Épernay bring a lighter, local side of Champagne: vineyard walks with winemakers, monthly tastings under the Halle, free open-air concerts, and elegant white evenings on the Avenue de Champagne. This guide separates what happens in the town itself from events in nearby villages, so you can match your dates to the festival calendar.

Every summer Friday, the Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle in Montpellier transforms into a lively open-air market with local winemakers, food stalls, and live music. Entry is free; a small fee covers a tasting glass and samples. This guide explains what to expect, practical tips, and how to verify current dates.

Perpignan's Festa Major de Sant Joan, also known as the Festa Major de Perpignan or Perpinyà, is the city's grand patronal festival held each June 23. Rooted in Catalan identity, it features the symbolic Flame of Canigou, festive villages, sardanes dances, bonfires, and fireworks around the Castillet. This guide covers the festival's history, key traditions, typical program, and practical tips for attending.

Each summer, Menton hosts the Festival de Musique de Menton, an internationally acclaimed classical series set on the Parvis Saint-Michel. This guide shares the festival's 1950 origins, its venues, the ticket-format range, and how to combine a concert with a visit to the French Riviera.

Planning a trip around the Festival de Radio France Montpellier? This guide covers its usual early-to-mid July timing, the next announced edition in July 2027, key venues from the Opéra Berlioz to the Musée Fabre, and how to check the official programme and booking details.

The Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier is a major summer classical and jazz event in southern France. This guide explains the ticketing options, including online, phone, and box office booking, the multi-concert discount, the under-28 offer, free concerts (some with reservation), e-ticket wallet features, accessibility services, group bookings, and student discounts via Pass Culture and Yoot.

Menton’s festival calendar is anchored by two iconic events: the Fête du Citron® in February, when citrus sculptures and parades fill the town, and the Menton Music Festival in summer, where classical concerts take place in an open-air setting above the sea. This guide explains what to expect at each, how to plan your logistics, and how to confirm current dates before you book.

The Fête de la Mirabelle in Metz is a beloved annual festival celebrating the mirabelle plum, held each August across two weekends. From the coronation of the Reine de la Mirabelle to the market, concerts, and fireworks, discover what to expect and how to plan your visit.

Every June 21, Nice joins France's Fête de la Musique with a free, city-wide celebration of live music. From Vieux-Nice to Parc du Ray, expect pop-rock, jazz, classical, and world music spilling out of bars and onto the streets. Here's how to plan your evening, find the schedule, and soak up the atmosphere.

Every June 21, Versailles fills with free concerts across its neighborhoods. This guide explains the typical format, where music happens, and how to find the official programme each year.