Covering an area of 547,030 sq. km (211,209 sq. mi) and a population of 66.99 million (2019) INSEE, France remains the second largest country in Western Europe and one of the most beautiful countries in the world. When you hear the name France what is the first thing that comes to your mind, is it the Eiffel tower situated in Paris the capital city of France? Or is it the famous ancient cave drawings in Lascaux? Whichever place comes to your mind you can agree with me that France is a country that everyone should add in their list of travel destinations. Famously known as the country of love and lights France has everything to ensure that you have some of the best vacations. France is well favored in terms of its geographical location, it is bounded by the North Sea to its North and the great Mediterranean Sea to its South. These water bodies stretch further into the land to form some of the best coastlines and beachesmaking France one of the best tourist destinations in the world. France also has the best mountain ranges, the French Alps which are portions of the renowned Alps ranges mountain found in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region also add up in increasing the beauty of France. Aside from being physically attractive France is also home to some of the most exciting festivals if you are after making that ultimate gateway to have a taste of some real French joie de vivre France is the place to be. Ranging from art, theater and music these festivals are so amazing that you will be enchanted to make several trips to France just to take part in at least one or severalfestivals. Some of the most popular festivals that everyone should purpose to attend while in France include;
Pentecost Feria (June 6-10)
The Pentecost Feria is probably one of the most adrenaline packed festivals in France, dating as early as 1952 this is a weeklong festival has all it takes to make your jaws drop in amazement. It features bullfights and also involves some of the best toreros in the world. The festival usually starts on a Thursday and ends on Whit Monday, within that week toreros form huge parades and a march with their huge bulls along the streets of Nîmes.The Toreros also take part in entertaining those in attendance by showcasing their skills with their bulls in corridas, this can give you a chance to have a peek at how the ancient Romans took part in their sports. For someone who appreciates and loves history, this would be the best class for you to attend, what makes it one of the best festivals that deserve attendance is the fact that the whole thing is open-air so there is enough room for everyone. The festival is also spiced up by dance parties that run throughout the night, this makes it the best place to go and lose off some steam. Dancing the whole night will definitely make you wake a whole different person.
This festival showcases diverse cultures, therefore, you are able to expose yourself to some of the rarest but treasured cultures, and the idea of many people coming together in one place is the right ingredient to some deep level of interaction. In as much as Pentecost Feria may involve bullfights and bull parades, you can be assured that it is a very safe place and the only thing you will find there is fun. The local herdsmen also color the entire festival with the best form of cultural touch. This festival is open to everyone and is one place you can attend as a whole family; children will especially have the most fun. Several exhibitions are held in various Museums which are aimed at showing those who attend some of the best cultural artifacts in the land. The best thing about this festival is that it can turn out to be very economical because it includes big concerts that are free. Pentecost Feria is definitely a must attend, this year the festival is set to kick off from 6th June to 10th June so you still have time to make arrangements to attend one of the best festivals in the whole of France.
Cannes Film Festival (May 14-25)
This is one of the largest and most celebrated festivals in France, organized every year in the month of May in Cannes, one of Frances great cities located in the French Riviera. This film festival attracts millions of people from all over the world including celebrities from major movie industries such as Marvel and Hollywood. Since the festival has existed for over 70 years every year it is counted as an extravaganza, each year new themes are used and this makes it even better. This festival promotes creativity in the film industry because many film producers come together in one place to share ideas on how the industry can improve. The fact that very many celebrities make it to this festival makes it one of the best places for you to meet some of your favorite movies actors and directors. The style of fashion exhibited in this festival is also a site that is worth seeing so it really is a good place to acquire new designs especially if you are a person who values fashion a lot.
This festival also acts as a center stage for movie premiers so if you are the type of person who likes to have the first taste of new movies this is the place for you. Within the festival, there are also galas that are filled with immense glamor which makes it even more attractive. To top it all up to the festival also has a cinema right at the beach so you can watch some of your favorite movies with a starlit sky as your ceiling. That would be an amazing experience,right? So this is definitely a festival that you should make time to attend, furthermore, it is worth all the money you will use to get there.
Festival of Avignon(July 4-23)
Every year in the month of July cities all over France take part in the Festival of Avignon, being one of the oldest festivals in the history of France great multitudes come together to be part of the over 40 shows presented in the festival. The festival’s main theme is usually set on the different forms of art such as music, live performances, dance, and theatre.This is the festival for all the art lovers who are looking to be inspired in this respective field. It also hosts some of the most famous and successful artists in the world, but most importantly the festival creates the perfect environment for social interaction and display of art.This can be the best place to meet some of your best artists in the industry and also get to have a piece of some of the best forms of live performances. In most locations, the festival is hosted outdoors and this makes it possible for very many people to attend without them being overly crowded.
This festival also promotes the creation of new forms of music in all the genres of music so it can be a good platform for developing the right forms of music that go well with the modern world. The diverse dancing styles exhibited in this festival can prove to be beneficial especially to dance choreographers. The Festival of Avignon has played a critical role in the art industry by encouraging the application of some of the best ideas that are spiced up in various performances. Several artistic sculptureshave used the presentations and performances and this gives the audience a better picture of what art is all about. This can be a good place to get the best experience in the field of art, music and also theater. What makes this festival one of the best is that the venues are scattered all over the country so you can attend the one which is nearest to you. It is also one of the most colorful festivals in the whole of Europe so if you are somebody who appreciates art you should give this festival a try so that you get to have the best time of your life.
Don´t hesitate and jump right into your next adventure: France has much more to offer than great festivals. To find the best travel routes for France, go and visit the German website Backpackertrail.
List of other major festivals
- January-Cirque de Demain
- February-Nice Carnival
- March-Menton Lemon Festival
- April-Berck-Sur-Mer Kite Festival
- May-Festival Medieval de Sedan
- June-La Fête de la Musique
- July-Bastille Day
- August-Lorient Interceltic Festival
- September-World Puppet Theatre Festival
- October-The Grape Harvest Festival
- November- Le Salon du Chocolate
- December-Le Grand Tasting