Events in France in July 2025

It’s a packed diary for events in France in July 2025 with something to see and do in every region and every big city. The famous Tour de France cycles its way around the country; Bastille Day is as big as ever and you might find it difficult to choose a music, theatre or outdoor event.

cyclists riding away from camera in 2022 tour de france with manic people some in only shorts lining the road dangerously close to riders — 2022 Alpe d’Huez © ASO/Pauline Ballet

Check out the events in France in July 2025 to help plan your visit in advance.

If you’re in Normandy, visit Caen. 2025 is Caen Millennium Year and it’s celebrating in style.

Caen millennium wooden viewpoint on walls looking onto city and clouds in sky — Caen Millennium Watching Post ©Caen Mellennium

To Jul 5, 2025: La Rochelle International Film Festival on the French Atlantic coast explores the world of films from everywhere. 250 films, historic and contemporary are shown at a festival that prides itself on the unusual and the unknown (many are not distributed through the usual channels). Retrospectives rediscover forgotten works and stars. This year it’s the turn of Edward Yang, the great Asiatic film maker who disappeared in 2007. New films bring European and international works to the audience. International stars always come to this festival.

Edward Yang film with young man and woman looking at each other — Edward Yang – Confusion chez Confucius © Carlotta Films

To Jul 6, 2025: Les Zaccros d’ma Rue in Nevers in the Loire Valley is as wacky as its title. Around 50 different troupes offer theatre, circus and magic with performances, brass bands, street parades, fire shows and more.

Les Zaccros festival in Nevers showing three men on stilts (giants) with one leavning down to talk to elderly couple — Les Zaccros © Olivier 2000/CC-BY-SA 3.0

To Jul 11, 2025: Les Flaneries de Reims is a delightful classical music festival that also includes world music and jazz. Around 60 concerts, many of them free, take place around the city: in the St. Remi Basilica, the Opera, the Manège de Reims Circus, the Palace of Tau and Reims Station Forecourt. A big outdoor picnic finishes the festival. Free shuttles take people from one part of the city to another.

Flaneries de REims in dimly lit cathedral with orchestra at end lit up and audience on pews — Flaneries de Reims © JB Delarue

To Jul 22, 2025: Summer Sales throughout France.
Read more about Discount shopping, malls, bargains and sales in France.
And…Flea markets and brocante fairs are always great entertainment.

Antique and bric a brac stalls at L'isle sur la sorgue, Provence — L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Market. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

To Jul 24, 2025: Festival de Nîmes in Occitanie. Music festival with a big line up of top stars like Eddy Mitchell and Santana. The festival has been wowing the crowds 1997 and is one of the important festivals in the south of France. But hurry; many concerts sell out very quickly.

Dragon Force on stage at Nimes Arena with blue instruments nad blue lights and huge lighting trusses above stage — Dragon Force at the Nîmes Arena © Wikimedia Commons/Don-vip 4

To Jul 25, 2025: Chorégies d’Orange started in 1869, making it the oldest festival in France. It’s held in the magnificent Roman Théâtre Antique, which seats 8,600 people, has superb acoustics and puts on popular operas and classical music.

Orange Festival looking down from top of amphitheatre seating onto lit up stage at night — Orange Festival

To Jul 31, 2024: Carcassonne Festival is fabulous in a superb setting. 120 shows (80 of which are free in the OFF festival) are performed on 11 stages taking in opera, theatre, dance, music classes. With over 250,000 visitors it’s one of the biggest festivals in France.

Carcassone Festival ballet with two igures, male supporting tutu-clad ballerina in full stretch pose on one toe — Carcassone Festival © Julien Benhamou

To Aug 31, 2025: Le Voyage à Nantes. this summertime festival is one of the most exciting, and original, summer events in France. It’s an urban trail with works of art, some of which are new, others are created. 30 or so different works start at the former LU factory by the Canal Saint- Félix, then continue past iconic sites and buildings like the castle of the Dukes of Brittany and the Machines de l’Isle park with its grand elephant. A green line on the ground takes you along the itinerary. Don’t worry if you miss it; there is a permanent Voyage à Nantes throughout the city.

Voyage a Nantes installation on the roof of the architectural school showing cage with deck chairs and giant banana on roof — Voyage a Nantes on the roof of the School of Architecture © dalbera/CC-BY-SA 2.0

To Oct 5, 2025: La Gacilly Photo Festival is a wonderful outdoor photo festival. For three months, hundreds of large format photos are displayed in the parks, green maze, squares and streets of the small town in Morbihan, Brittany.

La Gacilly Photo Festival with huge coloured photos of faces on outdoor panels in garden — La Gacilly Festival © JMNIRON

To Nov 1, 2025: Giverny, Claude Monet’s house and gardens open for the season. A visit is a must on most people’s itinerary and this year with so many great events in Normandy it will be busier than ever.

Giverny garden with Japanese bridge in background and flowering plants — Giverny © L. Leloup D. Dumas CRT Normandie

To Nov 3, 2025: International Garden Festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire château in the Loire Valley is a fabulous, huge Festival, the Chelsea Flower Show of France. The Château and grounds are lovely and the festival of a series of gardens from international designers always delivers some surprises. This year’s theme is the delightful Once Upon a Time in the Garden.

chaumont Festival poster 2025 with open book and chaumont on it and wording at top left — Chaumont Garden Festival 2022 – The Banquet Garden © E. Sander

To Jan, 2025: Chartres en lumières sees this wonderful city illuminated for its annual festival of light. It’s nightly so there’s no excuse to miss it.

Chartres lit up with multi coloured lights on the cathedral — Chartres lit up © Chartres Tourist Office

Events in France starting in July 2025

Jul 2-5, 2025: Cognac Blues Passions. Taking the blues as its initial inspiration, the festival brings an eclectic mix each year. The main stage is in the public park; other musicians perform on the banks of the Charente River.

Cognac Blues Fesrival poster with date and stylisted abstract design in orangers and yellow — Cognac blues Passion

Jul 3-6, 2025: Rock and electronic music Since 1997, the Garorock festival in Marmande by the Garonne river has offered 3 days of rock and electronic music. Outdoor stages attract thousands of music lovers, listening to music from 1pm to 5am.

Barorock festival 2025 poster with names of performers on blue background — Agrorock Festival 2025

Jul 3-6, 2025: The Belfort Eurockéennes is an important European outdoor festival held between hills and lakes on the Malsaucy Lake peninsula, 7 kms from Belfort. Over 100,000 people gather for the concerts that feature international stars and up-and-coming bands playing a mix of music: rock, pop, hip-hop, electro, French popular song, folk and reggae. There’s a free temporary campsite.

Sigur Ros at the Belfort Festival 2023 with face of Sigur Ros on huge screen behind grouplaying on stage — Sigur Ros at the Belfort Festival 2023

Jul 3-14, 2025: Colmar International Festival attracts some of the greatest talents in classical music. Chamber music, solo and full orchestras perform in three different venues with music by Tippett/Corelli, Britten, Bach, Mozart and more.

Aerial view at Colmar Festival in cathedral with striped columns. Audience in pews looking to stage with orchestra — Colmar Festival

Jul 4-6, 2025: Arras in Pas de Calais hosts the Main Square Festival, presenting around 50 concerts in this beautiful city. Over 100,000 fans come for music on the two festival stages ranging from rock to electronic, pop and folk.

panoramic long picture of Main Square Festival in Arras showing huge crowds in square with stage at back and side and pillar of lights — Main Square Festival

Jul 4-6, 2025: Hot Air Balloon Festival, Annonay, Ardeche was started by the famous brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier on June 4 June, 1783. There’s a special hot-air balloon village, a funfare, music, concerts, night time show, street theatre and more.

Annonay balloon with hot air balloon with red balloon in air above wooded slopes of hills — Annonay Berceau de l’Aérostation flights

Jul 4-6, 2025: Festival du lin. The Linen festival in Le Bourg Dun in Normandy is themed around flax. Around twenty exhibitions show off traditional and contemporary textile art and there’s a fashion show, a linen fabric fair, workshops and tours of the Terre de Lin factory and other linen enterprises.

Tissage du ronchay linen weaving factory with machine — Tissage du Ronchay weaving factory ©Thomas Desbonnets

Jul 4-21, 2025: International Festival of Art in Aix-en-Provence offers opera, classical music concerts, ballet and performances. The 75th Festival takes place in glorious buildings like the courtyard of the Archbishop’s Palace, Théâtre de l’Archevêché, Grand Théâtre de Provence, Théâtre du Jeu de Paume and Hôtel Maynier. Over 70,000 spectators attend every year.

Darkened stage lit on white figures with curious material shapes above at Ais-en-Provence festival — Aix-en-Provence Festival

Jul 4, 14, 22, Aug 5, 15, 24, 2025: Cannes Pyrotechnic Art Festival is a sight to behold. It takes place at 10pm. And it’s huge. On the 400-meter long sea front, over 200,000 watch it from the Croisette. But you can also see it from around the bay and if you’re at the Jazz a Juin festival it finishes the evening off with pizazz. Six different countries compete in a competition (except on July 14 which is exclusively French) for the best and spectators can vote online on the website.

Fireworks over Cannes with glorious white stars bursting in air and red and orange glows from light on water — Fireworks over Cannes © Horizon 06/CC-BY-SA 3.0

Jul 5-27, 2025: Tour de France. The world’s greatest cycling race this year stays entirely within the country. It begins in Lille and ends, as usual, in Paris.

Tour de France map 2025 showing route through France — Tour de France map 2025 © ASO

Jul 5-29, 2025: Avignon Festival. Founded in 1947 this festival has grown to become one of the biggest for international contemporary live performance events. It’s a beautiful city, so seeing a performance here is truly magical. Over 130,000 people come for theatre, visual arts, dance and music. Every night there’s a premiere of a new work.

Dark stage with performers and papal palace b ackdrop avignon festival — Avignon Festival

Jul 7-Oct 5, 2025: Les Rencontres d’Arles is a huge, well established international photo expo, now 50 years old. Over sixty exhibitions take place in heritage locations and most of the exhibits have not been seen before.

Les Rencontres d'Arles 2025poster with black writing on yellow background and dates — Les Rencontres d’Arles 2025

Jul 8, 10, 11, 2025: Jazz à Vienne, Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Great names lined up for this annual popular jazz festival held in the Théâtre Antique which can hold over 7,000 spectators. Over 200,000 people descend on the city to see the performances at venues from Jazz Mix to the Cybèle stage. There’s a Jazz Parade and if you’re near Vienne you might catch the Caravan’Jazz which travels around the local communes. Isère is a fabulous place to visit (there’s more on Isère here).

Jazz a Vienne festival withcrowds in tiered seats to the right and centre looking at lit stage on left with jazz musicians — Jazz a Vienne © Auvergne/Rhône-Alpes Tourisme

Jul 8-13, 2025: Marseille Film Festival, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône. Over 200 films from around 30 different countries are shown, many for the first time. There are three competitions: international, French and debut films. Open to professionals and the public at cinemas, art galleries, theatres and outdoor amphitheatres. There are also retrospectives and great classics. Around 500 professionals and over 20,000 spectators attend.

Marseille Film Festival with coloured screen in background with hazy writing and a couple of heads clos to eachother — Marseille Film Festival @ Hara Kaminara

Jul 9-14, 2025: Francofolies in La Rochelle takes you into contemporary French song and music. Traditional and modern music and a series of events outside the festival help young artists develop.

Jul 10-13, 2025: Amundi Evian Championship features the world’s great female golfers and is the only Major in Europe. It’s played on a beautiful 18-hole golf course above Lake Geneva. Learn more about the sport at the fair where you can test gear. Get there on a free shuttle between Evian and the Golf Course.

Large white sign on golf course saying Evian championship — Evian Championship

Jul 10-20, 2025: Jazz à Juan Festival swings into this famous south of France resort with one of the best jazz festivals in Europe. The line-up is about to be announced, but the programme is always exciting with the top names. There’s an Off Festival in the streets of Antibes and Juan-les-Pins.
Find great budget places to stay in Antibes/Juan-les-Pins.

View of stage at Juan les Pins jazz festival with sea in background — Juan-les-Pins Jazz

Jul 10-29, 2025: Carcassonne Festival is fabulous in a superb setting. 120 shows (80 of which are free in the OFF festival) are performed on 11 stages taking in opera, theatre, dance, music classes. With over 250,000 visitors it’s one of the biggest festivals in France.

Carcassonne Festival at night looking down onto crosds looking at lit up stage in background against walls

Jul 12-19, 2025: Souillac en Jazz (Sim Copans Festival) in the Lot, Dordogne Valley offers different jazz styles in the magnificent Romanesque abbey. Around forty free concerts in the streets and Lacave Caves add to the festival.

Souillac en jazz festival showing ancient abbey and outdoor stage with performers and audience — Souillac Jazz or Sim Copans Festival

Jul 14, 2024: Bastille Day is France’s greatest holiday with celebrations throughout the country. Watch out for local events and fireworks. And also start watching out for traffic jams; it’s traditionally the start of France’s national one-month long summer vacation. Of all the events in July and throughout the year, this is the best known.

French public holidays

Fireworks over the Eiffel Tower — Bastille Day Fireworks in Paris. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons Yann Caradec

Jul 15-19, 2025: Festival of 1001 Notes in Limoges taking classical music as its starting point but incorporating jazz and world music. It’s a festival to see up-and-coming artists, one of whom can shadow and collaborate with one of the top names in classical music.
In the intervals there are dinners and picnics and after the concert there’s a chance to meet with the artists and others in the bar.

Festival of 1000 notes William Christie at harpsichord and singer behind, both with huge grins — William Christie and Le Consort @The Blue Lobster

Jul 17-20, 2025: : Vieilles Charrues or the Old Plough Festival in Carhaux-Plouguer, Finistere, Brittany is huge. Around 250,000 come to the festival which covers all the main styles including hip-hop, rock and even opera. Robbie Williams, Morcheeba, Silly Boy Blue, Blur, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and many more. There are also street art shows to see.

Old Plough Festival showing big field with tents in distance and huge wheel — Vieilles Charrues Festival © Mathieu Eza

TBC: Jul 18-20, 2025: Cornouaille Festival, Quimper, Brittany. This is a must for anyone interested in Breton culture as well as other Celtic traditions, with over 250,000 spectators attending each year. Over 200 shows and events, most of them free, showcase the trades of the past, bell-ringers and more. An antique markets and booksellers fill the quayside.

Cournouaille Festival Brittany withgroup on stage in traditional costume, dancing and clapping above heads — Cournaille Festival © An Tour Tan

Jul 19-Aug 17, 2025: International Piano Festival, widely regarded as one of the most important piano festivals in the world, takes place in La Roque d’Anthéron, just 25 kms from Aix-en-Provence. Outdoor and indoor concerts.
In the intervals there are dinners and picnics and after the concert there’s a chance to meet with the artists and others in the bar.

La Roque d’Anthéron piano festival with arena looking like an armadillo with overhapping panels at night on hillside with stage and one pianist — La Roque d’Anthéron Piano Festival

Jul 21-Aug 7, 2025: Jazz in Marciac, Gers, Occitanie. This great jazz festival attracts over 200,000 people each year to listen to the likes of Melody Gardot, Anthony Strong and the Barcelona Jazz Orchestra, James Blunt, Gogo Penguin and Jamie Cullum and Wynton Marsalis. There’s also a fringe festival on the main square.

Joe Bonamassa on stage at Marciac jazz; mainly blue, him in suit with guitar — Joe Bonamassa at Marciac Jazz Festival © Laurent Sabathe

Jul 22-27, 2025: Equestria, Tarbes, Hautes-Pyrénées. The National Stud Farm in Tarbes puts on this exceptional equestrian show every year. Over 400 horses and 500 performers from the arts and the equestrian world perform a series of newly created choreographed events in the different rings. There are some pretty stunning tricks to see. And make for the village for something different.

Equestria trick woman rider on galloping horse with her hanging out of saddle by one foot close to ground — Equestria

Jul 24-26, 2025: Cognac Festival in Charente promotes the region’s wine and spirit products and local food (Charentais melon and local oysters, mussels, meat, cheeses and more). Walk along the marina past the fishermen’s huts specially converted for the event and sit and sample. In the evenings, two concerts take place with top musicians.

Cognac Festival with dark stage against night sky and huge red and white flashes coming off stage lights — Cognac Festival @Albane-Photographe

Jul 24-27, 2025: Nice Jazz Festival. This has always been one of the greats since it started in 1948. Two stages with simultaneous events are set up just off the Promenade des Anglais. Expect big stars.

Nice jazz festival with four black brass players on stage withpalm tress behind — Nice Jazz Festival © David Nouay/Ville de Nice

Jul 25-27, 2025: Les Escales World Music Festival, Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Atlantique. Down in the town’s harbour, Les Escales is a feast of traditional and contemporary multi-cultural music. Around 40,000 people gather for around 50 concerts on 5 stages. Hip-Hop, Rock, Globe-Trotter, Rap, Techno-Disco…you name it, you’ll find it here. Street shows and exhibitions complete the attractions.
More about Saint-Nazaire – a city well worth a visit.

Les Escales Saint Nazaire festival with people with marks and make up and hoodies in dark outside main entrance — Les Escales © Philippine Lescure

Jul 26, 2025: Garlic and Basilic Fair in the main square of Tours in the Loire Valley is a site to behold (and to smell). If you think you know your garlic, think again.

Loire Valley Drive from Tours to Saumur

Garlic in huge piles at the Basi land garlic fair in Tours — Garlic Fair in Tours © Grand Celinien/CC-BY-SA-3.0

Jul 27-Aug 1, 2025: Le Festival du film de Lama in Corsica takes place in a medieval village. Around 20 feature film premières, programmes for children, a short film competition and documentary screenings take the theme of the rural world in France and abroad. The festival is at three different places: the swimming pool (great views of the mountains), Place de l’Umbria and the Mercatu in the village’s centre (cushions and pillows provided).

Lama film Festival, Corsica. Umbria stage showing empty seats on sand facing big wooden building with screen — Lama Festival – Umbria stage

Jul 27-Aug 9, 2025: Festival Saint-Céré, Saint-Céré, Lot. The delightful town hosts a lyric festival with four alternating shows and 40 events performed in the town and throughout the Lot department. The productions then tour France during the following winter.
From Saint-Céré you can see the towers of the Saint-Laurent-les-Tours castle where the artist Jean Lurçat lived and worked…and during World War II operated a secret radio for the French Resistance. He’s best known as a driving force in the creation of modern French tapestry in the 20^th century.

Here’s the Story of Tapestry in France

Saint-Cere Festival at night in the Castelnau Bretenoux Castle with lit stage in front of huge castle towers and audience to right — Saint-Céré Festival at the Castelnau Bretenoux Castle

Jean Lurcat Museum in the Lot with old medieval long room with wooden beamed ceiling and his tapestries along walls — Jean Lurçat Museum © Atelier-Musée Jean Lurçat – Nelly Blaya – Conseil Général du Lot

Jul 28-Aug 8, 2025: Pablo Casals Festival. Since 1950, world famous soloists, and up and coming young groups, have performed in Prades in Pyrénées-Orientales. The festival, which takes place in historic religious buildings like the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, focuses on chamber music from Bach to Mozert, as well as contemporary works. Also here: meetings with artists and film screenings.