France is a country that celebrates its identity in the streets: music, cinema, theater, grape harvests, and art nights that turn squares and boulevards into a grand stage. In Part 1, we reviewed classics such as July 14, the Nice Carnival, and the Festival of Lights in Lyon. This second article takes you through five other essential milestones in the French cultural calendar. If you haven’t read it yet, we recommend starting with the first part to get a complete overview and then continuing with this new article.
Below, you’ll find a selection designed for French students and curious travelers: events with a popular spirit, a great atmosphere, and plenty of opportunities to practice the language in real-life situations.
Fête de la Musique (Music Festival)
On June 21, coinciding with the summer solstice, all of France becomes a festival. The Fête de la Musique was born with a simple and powerful spirit: to bring music to the streets and make it free and accessible. From Paris to the smallest village, there are improvised stages, choirs in churches, jazz bands in squares, DJs in courtyards, and high school bands playing their first concert.
For French students, it’s a golden opportunity: you can hear accents from all over the country, learn music vocabulary, and talk to locals in a relaxed setting. Practical tips: wear comfortable shoes, download the program for the neighborhood where you’re staying, and alternate between large concerts and smaller performances; often, the most memorable surprises are found on those street corners where an acoustic duo wins over the crowd with smiles and good songs.
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival is France’s most famous film showcase and one of the most prestigious in the world. Although the official section and red carpets are restricted, Cannes has a lot to offer the general public: outdoor screenings on the beach (Cinéma de la Plage), parallel sections with affordable tickets, talks, and a unique atmosphere where film buffs, professionals, and curious onlookers come together.
Beyond the glamour, the interesting thing is the conversation: in queues and cafés you’ll hear debates about directors, scripts, and styles. It’s an ideal environment for practicing cultural French: talking about cinema, asking for recommendations, and commenting on a premiere. Money-saving tip: book in advance and look for accommodation in nearby towns connected by train; the early morning journey, when the Croisette is just waking up, is part of the charm.
Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre (Montmartre Harvest Festival)
Paris also has a vineyard, and it’s in Montmartre. Every fall, the capital’s most picturesque neighborhood celebrates its small harvest around Clos Montmartre, a tiny urban vineyard that keeps a centuries-old tradition alive. For several days, the streets and squares are filled with parades, concerts, food markets, tastings, and activities for families. It’s a festival with local flavor: neighbors, associations, and local businesses bring out the best in themselves.
For students, it’s a great opportunity to learn wine vocabulary (vendange, cuvée, terroir, dégustation) and chat with producers and artisans. Montmartre can get crowded, so it’s best to explore early and set aside some time to see the vineyard from Rue des Saules. Don’t leave without trying the regional specialties that are available for the occasion: cheeses, cold cuts, rustic breads, and seasonal sweets.
Festival d’Avignon
In July, the papal city of Avignon becomes the world capital of theater. The Festival d’Avignon has two souls: the “In,” with large productions and highly artistic staging (often in majestic venues such as the Palais des Papes), and the “Off,” a whirlwind of thousands of performances in small theaters, courtyards, bars, and streets, where companies from around the world present shows of all styles and budgets.
The atmosphere is electric: posters everywhere, actors handing out flyers, impromptu debates on terraces, and audiences seeing three or four plays in a day. There’s no better place to practice French: buying tickets, asking about schedules, discussing plays with strangers… Double tip:
1) Plan a minimum, but leave room for surprises
2) If you’re on a tight budget, prioritize the “Off” and look for day passes or season tickets that reduce the cost per performance.
Nuit Blanche in Paris
Nuit Blanche is the night when Paris doesn’t sleep because of, or thanks to, contemporary art. Monumental installations, performances, light trails, museums, and cultural centers open late… Each edition offers themed routes through different neighborhoods, with pieces that interact with bridges, riverbanks, squares, and stations. The city is rediscovered at a different pace: walking along the Seine at dawn, crossing an illuminated courtyard, listening to an experimental quartet under a vaulted ceiling… these are experiences that stay with you.
To enjoy it without stress, choose an area and focus on it: this way, you’ll avoid wasting time traveling. Wear comfortable clothes, bring water, and check the night transport available (in many editions, lines, and schedules are reinforced). It’s an ideal event to expand your artistic vocabulary (installation, performance, parcours, commissaire) and talk to volunteers and cultural mediators who explain the works.
Cultural navigation tips
- Combine the big with the small. Alternate star events with neighborhood discoveries: this will train your ear to different accents and registers.
- Ask for recommendations, comment on what you liked (or didn’t like), and practice the French “small talk”: brief, direct, and respectful.
- Pace yourself. Festivals and harvests are marathons; stay hydrated, eat light, and set aside time for rest.
- Useful vocabulary. Programme (program), gratuit (free), guichet (ticket office), file d’attente (queue), plan vigipirate (security), accès PMR (access for people with reduced mobility).
France celebrates its culture in the open air and invites you to learn French by living it: listening to a concert at the Fête de la Musique, watching movies under the stars in Cannes, toasting in Montmartre, being surprised by the theater in Avignon, or touring Paris at dawn during the Nuit Blanche. These festivals are not just calendar events: they are opportunities to practice the language naturally, meet people, and make memories.
Keep reading
If you liked this selection, go back to Part 1 to complete the festive map with other iconic celebrations, and then start planning your own cultural route. Between music, cinema, wine, theater, and nighttime art, you’ll discover that French is learned, above all, by living it.