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Don’t miss these French cultural events in June 2022

France has a jam-packed cultural calendar next month. Here's our pick of some of the best events on the agenda.

Published: 28 May 2022 18:27 CEST

The gothic basilica of Saint-Denis will host one of the best classical showcases in France this year. (Photo by PIERRE VERDY / AFP)

The month of June will huge array of cultural events across France.

Whatever your tastes, you are certain to find a couple of gems.

Festival de Saint-Denis (Saint-Denis)

Set largely in the stunning Basilica de Saint-Denis, considered one of the oldest Gothic structures in the world, the Festival de Saint-Denis is running throughout the month of June. Visitors can pick and choose from a range of world-class classical concerts as well as a number of other performances from acts such as French hip-hop veteran MC Solaar. You can find the full schedule and ticketing information here.

We Love Green (Paris)

In recent years the We Love Green music festival has cemented its position as one of the best in France. Tens of thousands of people have already booked tickets to this year’s event which will run on June 2, 4 and 5. It’s line-up includes stars of the francophone world including Aya Nakamura, Angèle and Christine & The Queens, as well as international heavyweights like Tyler The Creator, Disclosure and Action Bronson. The 2022 edition will also include an ‘ideas lab’ dedicated to discussions around environmental innovation, stand-up comedy sets and special workshops for kids. You can book tickets here.

Aya Nakamura is one of the star performers set to perform at this year's We Love Green festival.

Aya Nakamura is one of the star performers set to perform at this year’s We Love Green festival. (Photo by Bertrand GUAY / AFP)

Rendez-vous aux jardins (Nationwide)

This will be the 19th edition of the Rendez-vous aux jardins, an annual event organised by the French culture ministry. More than 2,000 gardens across France will open up and host workshops, concerts and discussions aimed at cultivating a greater understanding of the natural world. This year the event will be held from June 3-5 – you can find an activity close to you via this interactive map.

D-Day Festival Normandy (Normandy)

The Allied landings in Normandy on June 6 1944 marked the beginning of the end of the end of WW2. To mark the event, the Normandy tourism office organises a series of more than events every year, around this time, for visitors to “celebrate freedom”. There are guided walks, reenactments, swing music shows, antique fairs and many more activities to take part in. You can find our more about the programme here.

24 Heures du Mans (Le Mans)

Petrol heads will not want to miss out on the 24 hour race at Le Mans. Beginning on June 11, the 90th edition of this ultimate test of mental endurance will see drivers from around the world compete for glory – the winning car is the one that covers the greatest distance within the time limit. It is the oldest such event in the world. You can buy various ticket packages here.

Drivers prepare for the 24-hour race in Le Mans

Drivers prepare for the 24-hour race in Le Mans (Photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP)

Hellfest (Clisson)

Running over two weekends in June (17-19 and 23-26), Hellfest is one of the premier metal concerts on the continent. From classic acts like Guns n’ Roses and Metallica, to more contemporary ones such as Bring Me The Horizon and Five Finger Death Punch, there is enough variety to satisfy all fans of a distorted riff and ‘drop D’ tuning. You can find a full line-up as well as ticketing information here.

Versailles Masquerade Ball (Versailles)

Been wondering what to do with that Marie Antoinette-style dress or 18th-century aristocrat’s get up? Then this is the event for you. The annual masked ball in the orangerie of the palace of Versailles is scheduled for June 18th and there are a handful of tickets are still available here. DJs, dancers and performing artists will make this a baroque party to remember.

Revellers enjoy the masquerade ball in Versailles

Revellers enjoy the masquerade ball in Versailles (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)

Fête de la Musique (Nationwide)

This is a massive annual celebration in France and takes place on June 21st. It consists of tens of thousands of parties with live bands and DJs taking over the streets for hours of revelry. There is French traditional music, jazz, rock, pop, dub, electro and everything in between. Unlike previous years, this event will not be subject to Covid restrictions (as things stand).

Medieval Festival of Provins (Provins)

The medieval town of Provins, which is less than two hours from Paris by road or rail, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It regularly hosts various historical reenactments with sword fighting, banquets and the like. But the real spectacle happens once a year during the medieval festival. On June 25-26, thousands of people descend upon Provins to witness jousting competitions, street performances and a large parade. If you come in fancy dress, you can even get tickets at half price (€6). Children under 12 and disabled people can enter the festival for free.

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Listings: French films with English subtitles during the Olympics

A sporting event gets under way in Paris next month. You might have heard about it. But, if you’re getting fed-up of repeated mentions of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and wondering what you can do instead of watching wall-to-wall sporting events, worry not – the good people of Lost in Frenchlation have you covered.

They have put together a veritable Olympian schedule of French films with English subtitles to give your cultural muscles a bit of a workout – with an emphasis on films about sport and films about Paris.

The cinematic Olympiad includes two screenings of the ever-popular Audrey Tatou movie Amélie (or Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain, to use its full titl)e; Le Grand Bain, a film described as Full Monty in Speedos; Jean-Luc Godard’s classic À bout de Souffle; this year’s Oscar-winning Anatomie d’une Chute; and, from the never-less-than-fun Asterix series, the perfectly appropriate Asterix aux JO.

The full Olympics’ programme is here:

La Petite Vadrouille

July 22nd and August 3rd @ Cinéma du Panthéon, 13 rue Victor Cousin, Paris

Tickets – Ranging from €5 to €9.50. You can purchase them HERE.

This French comedy by Bruno Podalydès tells the story of a group of friends who attempt to solve their money problems by organising a fake romantic cruise for their wealthy friend, Franck, who wants to seduce a woman.

Le Genou de Claire

July 23rd @ L’Epée de Bois, 100 Rue Mouffetard, Paris

Tickets – Can be purchased on site. They will range from €5 to €9.90.

Directed by Eric Rohmer, the film follows the story of Jérôme, a diplomat and writer living in Sweden, as he prepares to get married. Before the wedding, he decides to take a trip alone to Annecy in France, where he runs into Aurora, a Romanian novelist he had met while working at the French embassy in Bucharest.

Anatomie d’une Chute

July 24th @ L’Ecran St Denis, 14 Pass. de l’Aqueduc, Saint-Denis

Tickets – Ranging from €4 to €7.50. Can be purchased here.

August 8th @ Luminor Hôtel de Ville 20, rue du temple, Paris

Tickets – Ranging from €7 to €11. Purchased here.

The film follows Sandra, a German writer, her French husband Samuel, and their eleven-year-old son Daniel who live a secluded life in the French Alps.

When Samuel dies unexpectedly, Sandra is suspected of having played a role in his death. She tries to prove her innocence, but throughout the trial, the intimate details of the couple’s life together are uncovered.

Les Crevettes Pailletées

July 25th @ Luminor Hôtel de Ville 20, rue du temple, Paris

Tickets – Can be purchased here. Ranging from €7 to €11.

An LGBT comedy, the film follows a homophobic coach who is forced to coach a gay water polo team. Together, they travel to Croatia for the ‘Gay Games,’ the largest LGBT sporting event in the world.

L’Esprit Coubertin

July 27th @ Cinéma du Panthéon, 13 rue Victor Cousin, Paris

Tickets – Can be purchased here. Ranging from €5 to €9.50.

August 4th @ Luminor Hôtel de Ville 20 rue du temple, Paris

Tickets – You can purchase them here. Tickets range from €7 to €11.

A comedy by director Jérémie Sein, the film tells the story of the French Olympic delegation 10 days into the competition. Without any gold medals, the delegation places all of their hope on Paul, an exceptional, yet immature sports shooter. As the big day approaches, Paul finds himself forced to share a room with Jacob, a swimmer who is more focused on the extra-curricular temptations at the athletes’ village than his own race.

La Revanche des Crevettes Pailletées

July 28th @ Luminor Hôtel de Ville, 20 rue du temple, Paris

Tickets – You can purchase them here. Ranging from €7 to €11.

Another LGBT comedy directed by Cédric Le Gallo and Maxime Govare. It will be the sequel to the 2019 film Les crevettes pailletées (The Shiny Shrimps).

This next instalment will follow the team as they try to make their way to a competition in Tokyo, only to be derailed by a missing their connecting flight, forcing the team to pass through a very homophobic region in Russia.

Amélie (Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain)

July 29th @ Cinéma du Panthéon, 13 rue Victor Cousin, Paris

Tickets – Can be purchased here. Ranging from €5 to €9.50.

August 7th @ L’Ecran Saint-Denis, 14 Pass. de l’Aqueduc, Saint-Denis

Tickets – Can be purchased here. Ranging from €4 to €7.50.

The whimsical romantic comedy follows a shy Parisian waitress who spends most of her time imagining about the people around her. One day, she decides to step in and attempt to discretely help others find happiness.

Pauline à la plage

July 30th, 8pm @ L’Epée de Bois, 100 Rue Mouffetard, Paris

Tickets – Can be purchased on site. Ranging from €5 to €9.90.

The film follows the recent divorcée Marion, and her younger cousin Pauline as they go on vacation to their family home in Normandy. During the trip, they run into Marion’s ex-lover Pierre, who introduces them to Henri. As their love lives become entangled, the situation becomes more complicated.

Le Comte de Monte Cristo

July 31st @ L’Ecran Saint-Denis, 14 Pass. de l’Aqueduc, Saint-Denis, France

Tickets – Purchase them here. Ranging from €4 to €7.50.

Based on the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas, the film follows the story of Edmond Dantès, a French 19-year-old first mate of the merchant ship Pharaon, who is falsely accused of treason and imprisoned at an island fortress off the coast of Marseille. After 14 years he manages to escape, taking on the identity of the ‘Count of Monte Cristo’ and attempting to take revenge on those who betrayed him.

Le Grand Bain

August 1st @ Luminor Hôtel de Ville, 20 rue du temple, Paris

Tickets – Purchase tickets here. Ranging from €7 to €11.

August 10th @ Cinéma du Panthéon, 13 rue Victor Cousin, Paris, France

Tickets – Purchase tickets here. Ranging from €5 to €9.50.

Directed by Gilles Lellouche, the film tells the stories of several swimmers who train at their local municipal swimming pool. One day, they decide to take on the challenge of synchronized swimming, which helps them find meaning in their lives.

Cléo de 5 à 7

August 2nd @ L’Entrepôt, 7 rue Francis de Pressensé, Paris

Tickets – Purchase them here. Ranging from €5 to €8.50.

Directed by the legendary Agnès Varda, the film follows Cléo for a snippet of her life – just 90 minutes – as she waits for the results of a biopsy in Paris.

Marinette

August 5th @ Cinéma du Panthéon, 13 rue Victor Cousin, Paris

Tickets – Purchase them here. Ranging from €5 to €9.50.

The film tells the story of a female football player, Marinette Pichon, as she overcomes difficulties in her private life to become a champion and example for girls everywhere.

Conte d’été

August 6th @ L’Epée de Bois, 100 Rue Mouffetard, Paris

Tickets – Can be purchased on site, ranging from €5 to €9.90.

Directed by Eric Rohmer, the film follows Gaspard during the summer holidays, as he tries to decide between three girls he is interested in: Léna, Margot and Solène.

À bout de Souffle (Breathless)

August 9th @ L’Entrepôt, 7 rue Francis de Pressensé, Paris

Tickets – From €5 to €8.50. Purchased here.

The classic film directed by Jean-Luc Godard, it tells the story of a cocky young boy, Michel Poiccard, who steals a car in Marseille and tries to make his way to Paris. Along the road, he is stopped by a policeman and ends up killing him. Once he gets to Paris he meets an American student named Patricia, who he falls in love with, but Patricia eventually learns about Michel’s dealings.

Asterix aux JO

August 11th @ Luminor Hôtel de Ville, 20 rue du temple, Paris

Tickets – Ranging from €7 to €11. Purchase them here.

Follow France’s favourite heroes, Asterix and Obelix, as they travel to Greece to compete in the Olympic Games. They also face off against Machiavellian Brutus, the son of Caesar.

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