The start of Pride month

The month of June marks Pride Month for members of the LGBTQI+ community. Pride parades (or marches des fiertés in French) are set to happen across France. Paris’ Pride parade is the largest, attracting thousands of participants and spectators. In Paris, the parade is set to be held on June 24th. As for other French cities, the parade may take place on a different day – for example, in Lyon it will be on June 10th.

Celebrating your neighbours

La Fête des Voisins is held each year in June on a Friday. This year, it will take place on June 2nd. The goal is to bring neighbours closer together or at least encourage them to go beyond the usual “Bonjour”, which is what most residents stick to, especially in big cities.

It’s designed as a special day where residents off blocks of flats or streets can actually share a moment of conviviality with each other and even perhaps make new friends. Or for some people it could be the day for putting all those disputes about your noisy kids or neighbours’ late night partying behind you and use it as an opportunity to smooth over relations.

READ MORE: Fête des Voisins: All you need to know about ‘neighbours day’ in France

Environment conferences

Paris will host the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to “develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution” at the UNESCO headquarters from May 29th until June 2nd. 

Nuit Blanche

On Saturday, June 3rd, Paris will celebrate ‘Nuit Blanche’ – a night filled with free indoor and outdoor cultural events across the city. From museums offering free entry, including the Musée d’Orsay, to dance and theatre performances, there will be plenty of events taking place throughout the night.

The end of the French Open

The finals of the Roland-Garros tournament will take place on June 10th and 11th. 

Pension reform

The centrist Liot group put forward a bill to repeal the raising of the retirement age to 64, which is set to be examined on June 8th during their parliamentary session by France’s Assemblée Nationale. However, it is possible that the bill will not end up being debated, as members of the presidential majority have expressed that they are considering invoking Article 40 of the Constitution, which would allow the bill to be rejected before the start of any debate.

Tax declaration deadlines

If you live in départements 20 to 54, you have until June 1st at 11.59pm to file your online tax declaration. For those living in the départements of 55 to 96, or an overseas département, you have until June 8th at 11.59pm to submit yours online. You can find more information about submitting your French tax declaration here.

Keep in mind, if you own property in France, you have until June 30th to file the property tax declaration. This includes second-home owners resident in another country. It is entirely separate to the income tax declaration. This is a new requirement for 2023 and only has to be completed once.

READ MORE: New French property tax declaration – your questions answered

The summer solstice

Every year, France rings in the summer with the Fête de la Musique, in which towns and cities across France see a day of concerts, music events and street musicians. 

This takes place every year on June 21st, which this year is a Wednesday. 

The summer sales

For the majority of the country, the summer sales (soldes d’été) will start on Wednesday, June 28th and will run until Tuesday, July 25th.

There are some exceptions like the French overseas territories, and Corsica, where you’ll have to wait until July 12th for the sales to kick off. This year, for the first time in almost two decades, Alpes Maritimes will hold their summer sales during the same period as the rest of the country.

Regulated gas rates

On Friday, June 30th, over two million households in France who benefit from a regulated gas rate (tarif réglementé or TRV) will have to switch to a market offer. The TRV is the price of the regulated rate, and the system works so that as the TRV goes up, one’s bill goes up, and vice versa. This amount is set by the government, and is generally revised once a year. They are marketed exclusively by “traditional“, such as Engie and about 20 other local distribution companies in France.

If this applies to you, you should receive a letter from your gas supplier informing you that you will need to change your contract. The regulated rate system will remain in place for electricity bills, however. If you do not choose a new gas offer before June 30th, you will be put on your gas supplier’s default package, which could be more expensive than you had anticipated. 

Easier to cancel an insurance policy

France has passed legislation in 2022 to make it more simple to cancel insurance policies, as part of a package intended to increase consumer purchasing power. Starting June 1st, people will be able to cancel existing insurance contracts in just “three clicks”. Companies will have to include clear text online for how to cancel your contract, and the process must be “direct and easy-to-access”, according to France’s ministry of economy.

Summer festivals

June marks the start of several summer festivals and events across the country. From the Nuits de Fourvière, running from May 31st to July 28th, marked by 60 spectacular performances of theatre, dance, music, and circus acts in Lyon to the Fêtes Johanniques in memory of the arrival of Joan of Arc and the Dauphin in the city and Hellfest, three days of hard rock, gothic rock, heavy metal, black metal, death metal and hardcore punk from June 15th to June 18th. There are plenty of festivals taking place in June, you can find an itinerary HERE.

READ MORE: 27 festivals and events to enjoy this summer in France