Every June and July this internationally acclaimed open-air music, theatre, dance and film festival takes place in Lyon's Roman Theatre.
This year Canadian indie rockers Arcade Fire are set to play June 5th and star of controversial French film Elle, Isabelle Huppert will be performing in an adaption of French libertine writer the Marquis de Sade's “Juliette and Justine, The Vice and the Virtue”.
In July pop legend Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and American singer Norah Jones are just two of the world class acts lined up to take the stage.
On top of this, a selection of circus acts, instrumental musicians and chanson francaise artists will be on offer throughout the festival.
Photo: AFP
For the past 13 years, over 2.5 million visitors have descended on La Gacilly, in the northwestern region of Brittany, for the biggest outdoor photography festival in the country.
Committed to sustainable development, the exhibition showcases art and photojournalism with hundreds of photos installed throughout the streets of the village to peruse at leisure.
Photo: Andy Hay
Over eight weekends from mid-June to the end of July, jazz will take over the Parc Floral de Paris — a botanical garden with an artificial lake and pavilions within the Bois de Vincennes in the city's 12th arrondissment.
Music lovers will be able to take advantage of their beautiful surroundings as they watch open-air performances encompassing jazz, world music, soul and blues.
The festival also holds musical games and workshops every afternoon, as well as concerts on the “Jazz Barge” on selected dates.
Photo: René Carrère / Flickr
Arguably one of the most important (and the world's oldest) car races on the automobile calendar, La Mans 24 hours is the ultimate test of endurance, speed and ability, for the drivers and vehicles involved.
The event is just one leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, which includes the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix.
The course where it is held is The Circuit de la Sarthe, the longest race course in the entire world. Drivers race in teams of three, and push their vehicles to their absolute limits.
Photo: AFP
Classical music fans will love this festival dedicated to opera.
Located just south of picturesque Avignon in the south of France, the festival's acts take place in the ancient Roman theatre, the Théâtre Antique d'Orange.
Photo: AFP
The David Hockney retrospective — the perfect summer exhibition — will hit the Centre Pompidou on June 21st.
To celebrate the British artist's 80th birthday, London's Tate Britain, the Museum of Metropolitan Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou have all collaborated to bring together 160 of the artist's works.
And with a large part of the exhibition dedicated to Hockney's 60s Californian period — large canvases showing blue pools — it's the perfect way to escape (and celebrate) the June heat.
Photo: AFP
What better way to celebrate the arrival of summer, than a whole day of concerts and musical performances? Oh…and they're all free.
Every genre of music will be ticked off with gigs taking place across the whole of France.
Artists and groups will take to various venues as well as the streets in participation, so it will be difficult to miss.
Photo: AFP
Are you a devoted foodie? If so, head down to the pretty village of Mougins in south of France this month.
Each year around a hundred chefs from around the world descend on the historic village to wow the general public with their culinary skills.
Photo: thierry obadia/Flickr
The ever-growing music festival that is organized each year by Solidarité Sida, is held at the race course Hippodrome de Longchamp, in Paris.
The festival promotes the charity's work in the fight against AIDS and HIV.
This year's acts include reggae legends Toots and the Maytals, Belgian electronic act Soulwax and US hip hop group House of Pain.
Photo: AFP
History lovers, this one's for you. The historic centre of Provins, which has been named a UNESCO site, comes to life with a reconstruction of medieval life in France.
Parades, musical performances and a Medieval Ball are just some of the events on the programme. Children can have their faces painted, get creative in workshops and learn about the history of this north-central region of the Seine-et-Marne during the Middle Ages.
This year's theme is 'Lights and colors of the Middle Ages'.
Photo: fgr77/Flickr
Don't worry if your invitation to Cannes got lost in the post, you can hit the painfully hip Rochelle International Film Festival this month instead.
And if you're a devotee of Alfred Hitchcock then you're in for a real treat with the festival showing a whopping 33 of the master director's oeuvre.
The festival also offers a diverse selection of films by international directors and showings of classic silent films while a pianist accompanies them live.
Photo: AFP
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