Apr 122017
Festivals are celebrated countrywide as associated with the French Lifestyle and Culture we all admire. Here are some main festivals of France to enjoy this year:
Of course, the national festival of France is Bastille Day on 14th July commemorating the Storming of the Bastille
French Music Festivals
Music festivals vary from Les Vieilles Chaurrues, Garorock, Hellfest and Rock en Seine to dance experience from Electrobeach Music Festival. From a very huge selection of music festivals, here are those that are worth your time (to our correspondent!).
Garorock (30 June to 2 July 2017)
This is one of the largest music events in France. There are played indie, pop and rock, side by side with RnB and hip-hop. The electronic inclinations in the festival go beyond the usual dance names and EDM (electronic dance music – of course!). More details
Last year’s Garorock Festival
Main Square Festival (30 June to 2 July 2017)
Here you can meet headliners like Major Lazer, Radiohead, System Of A Down. It is 180 km north of Paris and it packs out the main square of a small provincial town (Arras). Amongst the strong foundation of indie and rock, mainstream performers of other genres crop up every year.
Rock En Seine, Paris (dates to be announced)
Rock En Seine is one of France’s festival giants. This festival is based on the banks of the famous capital’s river. It brings the headliners like The Last Shadow Puppets, Massive Attack, Foals, and Sigur Ros.
Hellfest Open Air, Clisson (16 to 18 June 2017)
Hellfest is known as darkness in its own town. It is bringing every subgenre of heavy metal with headliners like Rammstein, Slayer, Black Sabbath, Twisted Sister. Known also as an “extreme music festival”, this festival is popular with attendance of over 100, 000 people.
More on French music festivals and dates
French Food Festivals
Omnivore
This festival has been celebrating the best in cuisine since 2006. Here one can find a plenty of good food fare but is also dedicated to exploring and discovering innovative and new cuisine. The last two events took place both in March, 2015 in Paris and 2016 in Moscow.
Salon du Chocolate
It is centred around the world of chocolate. Last year it was held from October 28th to November 1st. Two years ago (2015), there were 700 participants from over 40 countries. This included chocolates, pastry chiefs, designers, chocolate experts and confectioners. Apart from the delicious food, there are many activities to explore such as a chocolate bookshop, cocoa show and pastry show. There are awards for the best exhibits at the festival. This is must see event for every chocolate lover!
SIAL
The SIAL food festival takes place in Paris and claims to be the largest food exhibition in the world. It is held from the 16th October to the 20th October. This French festival’s goal is to increase food business for vendors. This year it will host over 6500 exhibitors from 104 countries and will be located at the Parc des Expositions Paris Nord Villepinte. The SIAL Paris hopes to explore new markets with major food and agriculture exhibitors.
Street Food Temple
This French food festival will be held at the Carreau du Temple, Paris between the 23rd and 25th September. The last year’s theme was a picnic in Central Park. There were served waffles, cupcakes, pretzels and other specialities. There were also film protections, DJs and other activities while you munch so far. There is always something to try as there are always present the best food trucks and more traditional chefs.
French film festivals
Cannes Film Festival
“Festival de Cannes” is an annual film festival in France that is recognised world-wide. It is held in Cannes and previews new films, including documentaries, of all genres, from all around the world. Festival de Cannes was founded in 1946 and is held usually in May at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres. Last year, the winner of Palme d’Or was I, Daniel Blake directed by Ken Loach.
There are other film festivals around the world celebrating the French Film industry – here are some of the most famous:
The Alliance Francaise Film Festival
Since 1990, this festival showcased the latest daring, vibrant and sophisticated films from France. It is a major annual event with growing number of attendees. The Alliance Francaise Film Festival is organized for Australian audience in exotic cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide.
Hong Kong French Film Festival
It was established in 1953 when the first French festival was organized. Since 1972 it became an annual event, so now we are celebrating the 45th edition of this French festival. It screens hundreds of films for cinema lovers and the general public. The festival accompanies and promotes the development of French movie industry. Each festival showcases the diversity of French cinema, making the program truly representative of French cinema in today’s modern world.
