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On the Agenda: What’s happening in France this week?

Olympics ticket draw, holidays, the festival of lovers and yes, more strikes - here's what is happening in France this week.

Published: 13 February 2023 08:37 CET

On the Agenda: What's happening in France this week?

French artist Zarpo (R), known as the "beach gardener", draws the words "I love you" on the beach, on Valentine's Day in Les Sables d'Olonne, Western France, on February 14, 2022. (Photo by Sebastien SALOM-GOMIS / AFP)

Monday

Olympics tickets draw opens – if you have entered the draw for tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympics, keep an eye on your emails (including spam) from Monday. Those who have won a slot will be contacted by email “between February 13th and March 15th” according to organisers. You will then have 48 hours to select the tickets you want.

READ ALSO How to get tickets to the Paris Olympics

Tuesday

Valentine’s Day – while not as big a thing in France as it is in the US, some French people do celebrate the ‘festival of love’ although in France it’s generally reserved for couples.

READ ALSO How the French really feel about Valentine’s Day

Doctors’ strike – some GPs offices will be closed today because of a strike by médecins généralistes, in part in protest over the new law concerning community healthcare, which gets its first reading in the Senate on Tuesday.

Thursday

Strike – the next one-day strike in the ongoing pension reform battle is once again supported by all eight of the French union federations. Turnout for the strikes has been gradually falling, but nonetheless expect disruption on public transport, while schools may also close as teachers strike (the ones who aren’t on holiday, that is).

Calendar: French pension strike dates

Darmanin case – court hearing of the Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin for the alleged defamation of Iman Iquioussen.

Friday

School holidays – schools in Zone C (which includes Paris, Créteil, Versailles, Montpellier and Toulouse) break up for the February holiday, while the holidays in zone A (central France) draw to a close. Expect heavier-than-usual traffic in the Paris region on Friday evening as families go on holiday.

Reader question: Is there any logic to France’s school holiday zones?

Molière anniversary – 350th anniversary of the death of the French playwright Molière.

French phrase of the day Langue de Molière

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On the Agenda: What's happening in France this week

Monday

Xi Jinping visiting France – China’s President XI Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, will be in France from Monday to Tuesday for a state visit. French President Emmanuel Macron will welcome them in the Hautes-Pyrénées in southern France. The visit is a recognition of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China.

Tuesday

N/A

Wednesday

Bank holiday for VE Day – Most workers across France will get a day off for Victory in Europe day on May 8th. You can expect the day to involve military parades and remembrance events in towns and cities around France. This year will mark the 79th anniversary of the end of the war.

Olympic torch arrival – The Olympic torch, which already started its journey from Greece, will arrive in Marseille on May 8th before beginning its relay around France. You can see the route here.

Thursday

Bank holiday for Ascension – This year, the Christian festival of Ascension falls on Thursday, May 9th. This means workers in France will enjoy two back-to-back jours fériés (bank holidays).

Friday

QR code for Paris residents – People who live in the area closest to the Seine river in Paris will need to sign up for a QR code to access their homes and neighbourhoods during and shortly before the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. If you plan to host guests, you will also need to register them for security purposes.

You can see the area that will be encompassed within the security zone HERE. As for signing up for the QR code, the website to sign up will be posted by the Paris Police Préfecture in the coming days, and it is set to open on Friday, May 10th.

READ MORE: Which areas will be closed in Paris during the Olympics?

Faire le point – With two public holidays in the middle of the week, many people in France will take advantage of the opportunity to ‘faire le pont’ (make the bridge) by taking off work on Friday.

MotoGP Grand Prix – Fans of motorcycle racing will undoubtedly be excited for the French MotoGP Grand Prix, which will run from Friday May 10th to Sunday May 12th at Le Mans, along the Bugatti circuit. You can find full information for the event here.

Saturday

Eurovision – Saturday marks the finals of the Eurovision song contest, but you can also watch France compete before that. The semi-finals are set for May 7th and May 9th (although France goes straight through to the finals every year as one of the ‘big five’ who fund the contest). France will be represented by the artist Slimane.

READ MORE: 5 things to know about France’s 2024 Eurovision song

Sunday

Mother’s Day in the US – With UK Mother’s Day having passed and French Mother’s Day not until the end of the month, it is easy for Americans in France to forget that US Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of May. Consider this a helpful reminder to make your reservations or send your letter, flowers or gifts ASAP.

Heavy traffic on French roads – Traffic watchdog Bison Futé predicts that return travel will be congested on Sunday, as holidaymakers head home after enjoying the May public holidays. Traffic is expected to be ‘black’ (extremely slow) in the north-west, while the rest of the country has been marked in red for (very slow). You can consult their predictions here.

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