Events in France in November 2024

There’s a real buzz about November events in France in 2024. The month starts with Halloween and includes chocolate, photographic exhibitions, food and wine. But of all the events in France in November, the most poignant and faithfully observed is Armistice Day. It commemorates the peace treaty that ended World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

To Nov 3, 2024: Halloween might not be celebrated in France as it is in the UK or USA. But it remains a special time, with France taking All Saints’ Day (Toussaints) on November 1 very seriously.

Here’s more about how the French celebrate Halloween in France.

Please note: The Toussaints (All Saints) school holiday runs from Friday Oct 18 to Sunday Nov 3. That means that attractions all over France will be busy during that time.

Disneyland Paris at Halloween with decorations in the air, lanterns and Disney castle in background — Disneyland Paris at Halloween © Disneyland Paris

To Nov 3, 2024: Paris Chocolate Fair at Porte de Versailles is a must for chocoholics. 280 exhibitors from all over the world: chocolatiers, pastry chefs and other professionals take part. There’s a pastry show with top chefs demonstrating their skills, the cacao show with music and performances from cocoa-producing countries, talks and tasting, workshops for adults and kids and the startling fashion show which challenges your ideas about chocolate.

Paris chocolate show with huge chocolate Eiffel tower in middle of many chocolate creations — Paris Chocolate Show © Tasaka Sama/Wikimedia Commons

To Nov 3, 2024: 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 the theme is The Life-Source Garden.

Chaumont Garden Festival 2024 poster — Chaumont Garden Festival 2024

To Nov 3, 2024: Rolex Paris Masters tennis tournament is the final ATP World Masters event. Held in the Accor Arena on a hard surface, 48 players will compete. Currently Novak Djokovic holds the record with 6 titles; only André Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic himself have been able to win both Roland Garros and the Rolex Paris Masters tournaments in the same year.

Rolex Paris Masters tennis tournament showing one man playing in white shorts and blue top against audience backdrop and large sign with Parisbas written on it — Rolex Paris Masters © Corinne Dubreuil/FFT

To Nov 3, 2024: 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 burning background as kangaroo leaps across at front — Lake Conjola NSW, Australia. Dec 31, 2019 photo by Matthew Abbott

To Jan 14, 2025: Chartres en lumières sees this wonderful city illuminated for its festival of light. It’s nightly so there’s no excuse to miss it. It runs from dusk to 1am.

Chartres theatre illuminated in many colours for the summer light festival — Chartres illuminated. OTC Chartres

To Jan 26, 2025: Paris Autumn Festival is a huge, prestigious arts events, taking in every discipline and taking place in different venues throughout Paris. Around 50 events cover the new and the avant-garde. It was created in 1972 by Michel Guy under the impetus of Georges Pompidou who wanted Paris to become a cultural capital. He succeeded; today around 150,000 people attend one of the events.

Paris Festival Wichaya Artamat with stuffed penguin in front or man in yellow robes and surreal strange background — Paris Festival: Wichaya Artamat

Events starting in France in November 2024

Nov 7-10, 2024: Paris Photo in part of the Grand Palais has over 140 galleries from 33 countries showing exceptional works. The largest international photo fair, there are talks and awards for photo books along with interviews and discussions with artists, gallery owners, collectors and the enthusiastic public. Even the catalogue is a work of art. Other galleries and museums in Paris highlight their photographic collections.

Paris photo show shot from top of Grand Palais showing huge iron and glass Victorian roof ovr large space full of booths with many people and stage in background — Paris Photo au Grand Palais © Frédéric Bisson/CC-BY-SA/2.0

Nov 8-10, 2024: Salon Gourmand in Rouen, Normandy, is another of those glorious food festivals. Over 250 exhibitors show off their wares: wine, beer, sweet things, chocolate, cheese and more. There are chef demonstrations, tastings and a whole lot more.

Salon Gourmande in Rouen. Big show with two chefs in black demonstrating on large stage in front of kitchen with tv behind showing what they are cooking — Salon Gourmand in Rouen

Nov 10-Mar 7, 2025: Vendée Globe. Since 1989 and taking place every four years, this solo sailing race is known for being one of the toughest challenges in the world. Of the 40 skippers taking part, only two-thirds are expected to cross the finish line. The race starts at Les Sables d’Olonne, a resort on the French Atlantic coast which is one of the world’s great sailing harbours and is well worth visiting.

Here’s the article on the 2020 Vendée Globe race

Armel Tripon on l'Occitane en Provence with boat partly out of the water on its yellow foils and skipper at front of boat — Armel Tripon on l’Occitane en Provence Photo Pierre Bouras / L’Occitane en Provence

Nov 11, 2024: Armistice Day is a public holiday in France. Every village, town and city has parades to honour the L’armistice de la Première Guerre Mondiale commemorating the end of World War 1. At exactly 11am on the 11^th day of the 11^th month, Armistice Day, one-minute’s silence is held and France stops as people reflect on the past. The Armistice was signed at the Armistice Museum in the forest of Compiègne in Picardy.

Black and white photo with Hitler walking away from the railway carriage where the 1940 Armistice was signed — Hitler at the railway carriage after signing the Armistice Public domain

Nov 16, 2024: At midnight the famous Nouveau Beaujolais is released. The Nouveau Beaujolais est arrive sign appears in restaurants all over the world and though the wine is not the greatest (far too young), it’s a fun evening. The best place to celebrate is Lyon, capital of the Beaujolais region, in the Place des Terreaux. Organised by young wine producers, it’s a festival with fireworks, tastings, street theatre and more. All the local bouchons (restaurants in Lyon) offer special menus. The celebrations run over 5 days throughout the country. It’s one of the major global celebrations of events in November in France.
If you’re not in France, you can officially buy the wine wherever you are at 12.01am on the day of release.

Bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau on table with flowers and vinesin background — Beaujolais Nouveau. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Nov 16-17, 2024: The Herring and Coquilles Saint-Jacques Festival in Dieppe is a fabulous, and odorous, celebration of these famous fishes, so necessary to Normandy. Join the 100,000 odd enthusiasts for two days of tasting, discussing the merits of, and enjoying every kind of cured herring and Coquille Saint-Jacques. It’s part of the fishy celebration taking place throughout Normandy.

There are many other ports along the Alabaster Coast that celebrate herrings and scallops, like Le Tréport Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Fécamp and Courseulles-sur-Mer, a delightful resort in the heart of the Normandy D-Day Landing beaches.

Dieppe Herring Festival in evening with yellow sunset and people walking along harbour and seagulls above — Dieppe Herring Festival © J. Decaux – Normandy Tourism

Nov 17, 2024: The Beaune Wine Auction is the most famous wine auction in the world. Taking place over a weekend, it’s not just the wine auction, conducted by Christie’s, that is the attraction. All the major vineyards open their cellars for tastings, and there’s plenty to see and do. You must book tickets in advance.

hospice de beaune old buildings with coloured tiles — Hospice de Beaune. Michel Baudoin

Nov 21-24, 2024: The International Festival of Animal and Nature Photography in Montier-en-Der, Haute-Marne, Grand Est, takes over around fifteen sites with international exhibitions. Over 2,000 photos are on major naturalist and environmental themes, with different themes each year. Conferences and screenings, and well-known speakers from the worlds of science, the media and culture.

2 wild horses in the Camargue going in different directions — Wild horses in the Camargue ©Fitindia/CC-BY-SA 4.0

Nov 22, 2024-Jan 5, 2025: Nancy in east France begins its Christmas celebrations with the lighting up of the Christmas tree on Place Stanislas and the grand market on Place Charles III. It’s a spectacular festival with a special weekend December 7 & 8. Over 70 exhibitors attend the event in brightly lit chalets, offering the public original gift ideas, art and craft objects and local specialities.

St Nicolas Festival in Nancy with St Nicolas in red robes with crown and huge beard sitting in white canopy — St Nicolas Festival in Nancy © Nancy Tourist Office

Late November–January 2025: Christmas Markets take place all over France. Strasbourg is particularly important in east France; in north France make for Arras. It’s a good way to celebrate events in November in France just in time for Christmas.

Here are the Christmas Markets in North France in 2024. (To be updated)

Here are the Christmas Markets in the rest of France in 2024. (To be updated)

Arras Christmas market at night with blue lit big wheel, large christmas tree and people in the main suare — Arras Christmas Market in the main square © OT Arras

Nov 29-Dec 8, 2024: La Festival de Sainte-Barbe in Lens-Liévin, Pas de Calais. The main towns are holding celebrations of the saint who was martyred for her Christian faith on December 4, c.2,000AD. One of 14 Holy Helpers, she’s invoked in thunderstorms so has become the patron saint of miners, armourers, artillerymen, military engineers and others who work with explosives. Look out for events in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, Aix-Noulette, Angres, Billy-Montigny, Bouvigny-Boyeffles, Bully-les-Mines, Harnes, Lens, Liévin, Loison-sous-Lens, Noyelles-Godault, Noyelles-sous-Lens, Pont-à-Vendin, Sains-en-Gohelle, Sallaumines, Vendin-le-Vieil, Vimy, Wingles.
The main festival is held on the weekend of December 6-8, 2024.

Fete de Ste-Barbe at night with big hoops lit up in front of church — Fete de Ste-Barbe ©A.Leclercq

Events in France in 2024

If you know of other events you think I should include, please do let me know!

Events in France in January 2024
Events in France in February 2024
Events in France in March 2024
Events in France in April 2024
Events in France in May 2024
Events in France in June 2024
Events in France in July 2024
Events in France in August 2024
Events in France in September 2024
Events in France in October 2024

I am currently updating December events. Many of the events remain, though the dates change slightly. So in the meantime, click on the link of each event to get an idea of what is covered.
Events in France in December 2023