Carnivals and festivals in France are spectacular occasions! The French are proud of their culture and love their traditions. As a visitor, it is a wonderful way to come together and celebrate life in France. Festivals and carnivals come alive all over France throughout the year. You can attend amazing carnivals, grueling sporting competitions and see beautiful art. Surely, you will never forget the thrill of it all in France!
Nice Carnival
Nice hosts one of the most spectacular events which is famous the world over. This dynamic carnival animates the French Riviera to dazzling heights. This is one of the most popular carnivals in the world. It is a time of eating, drinking, dancing and total exuberance. The origin of this festival is linked to the Catholic celebration of Lent, just before the period of fasting. Hundreds of thousands of people join in the amazing festivities. There are performers, contests, and of course extravagant parades with colossal floats. Day and night, the streets are filled with people, music, food, and lots of shopping.
Menton Lemon Festival
On the French Riviera you will find the little coastal town of Menton. But this little town has a HUGE and wonderful Lemon Festival! This festival is one of the most colorful festivals in France. Each year, Menton welcomes over 200,000 visitors to see this spectacular event. There are amazing statues and floats made entirely of lemons (and some oranges) moving in a giant procession through the streets. Festivities include brass bands, orchestras, folk groups, and dancers. Last but not least, your eyes will be dazzled!
Battle of the Flowers – Villefranche sur Mer
This is a very special event that attracts locals and hundreds of spectators alike each year! It is a beautiful sight to see a fleet of traditional fishing boats parade in the harbor completely decorated with locally grown flowers. Afterwards, the boats line up on the quay and the battle begins! Flowers are thrown back and forth from the boats to the spectators. In the meantime, enjoy the festivities, shops and delicious restaurants on the harbor and throughout town. Charming Villefranche sur Mer is one of my top favorite places in the world. Enjoy it!
Berck sur Mer Kite Festival
Kite-flyers from all over the planet gather on the town’s immense seafront lawns- the beach. This takes place annually with competitions every other year. Spectators enjoy the beautiful weather with their toes
in the sand and eyes in the sky!
Canne Film Festival
In the idyllic setting of the French Riviera, the city of Cannes holds the Cannes Festival every year in May. A jury of professionals and artists gather there to award several prizes, including the best film, best director, best actor, best actress,
The Beach Cinema, an outdoor cinema, shows a film every night on a particular theme. These open-air screenings are open to all and represent the festival’s strong bond with its audience
Tour de France
Starting in Lille, on July 5th and ending at Champs-Élysées, Paris on July 27th, this is one of the most exciting sporting events in Europe. The 2025 Tour de France will be the 112th edition. 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. The Tour de France is the perfect way to witness the French countryside in the Alps, and the exuberance of the French people
Festival of Avignon
Every summer, under the sun, the city turns into a gigantic live performance stage . Either on the street or in theaters, art is everywhere! The city center of Avignon (inside the ramparts) offers a large number of theaters in which the OFF shows are scheduled (mostly creations).
The shows of the IN festival take place in places of representation inside and outside the walls. The types of shows offered are very varied: humor, young audiences, all audiences, etc.
Lyon Festival of Lights
This is a wonderful festival with lights everywhere. Every year, in December, the residents of Lyon put candles on their windowsills in colored glasses. Moreover, there are light shows on historic buildings all throughout the city. The Festival of Lights is a community event which is rooted in Lyon’s history. The Festival of Lights was born from tradition going back to December 1852. in order to celebrate the installation of the Virgin Mary statue on Fourvière Hill.