Toulouse Events and Festivals

(Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees, France)

The city of Toulouse offers a wealth of festivals, fairs, seasonal sporting events, concerts and parades. In particular, the Toulouse tourist office is a useful source of information on things to do in and around the city. The office also maintains an up-to-date list of Toulouse's annual festivals and events.

Many of the city's main events and celebrations, such as the Toulouse International Fair, draw extremely large crowds, creating an exciting atmosphere of anticipation. The Garonne Festival is a particular highlight within Toulouse's well-supported calendar of annual events.

National Public Holidays

• 1st January - New Year's Day (Jour de l'an)
• Easter Holiday - Easter Monday (late March or early April)
• 1st May - Labour Day (Fête du premier mai)
• 8th May - Victory in Europe Day (Fête de la Victoire 1945; Fête du huitième mai)
• May (40th day after Easter) - Ascension Thursday
• 14th July - Bastille Day (Fête nationale)
• 15th August - Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Assomption)
• 1st November - All Saints Day (La Toussaint)
• 11th November - Remembrance Day, Armistice Day (Jour d'armistice)
• 25th December - Christmas Day (Noel)
• 26th December - Second Day of Christmas (In Alsace Lorraine only)

Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• C'est de la Danse Contemporaine - Toulouse celebrates the art of choreography in this international festival

February

• International Violet Meeting - a celebration of the city's favourite flower, the violet. Botanists, scientists and anyone with an interest in this particular plant species converge on Toulouse to share their knowledge. A violet competition, market, exhibition and other plant-themed activities also take place
• Zoom Arrière - celebration of France's cinematic heritage, in which film-lovers can take a look back at films from yesteryear

March

• Toulouse International Fair - mid-March, over 150,000 visitors come to the Parc des Expositions de Toulouse to attend this ever-popular fair. Each year's fair has a different theme

April

• Forum de l'Image - mid-April, held at a dozen venues in Toulouse and the surrounding region, this festival explores visual arts through contemporary images
• Festival Flamenco - for ten days every year, Toulouse moves to the rhythm of the flamenco through music, dance and singing

May

• Fêtes des Berges et du Vélo - mid-May, a mass cycle ride which starts from the Place du Capitole and finishes on the evocatively named Prairie des Rêves. Musical entertainment, refreshments and other festivities are ready to welcome the weary cyclists

June

• Toulouse Festival of Children's Theatre - children from all over the world come to the Théâtre Sorano to stage a series of plays which celebrate the world of childhood
• Garonne Festival - each year in June, a different country is invited to stage events over five days which include exhibitions, music concerts and parades
• Le Marathon des Mots - 250 talks, shows and other events, bringing together 200 writers and artists from all over the world to share their passion for contemporary literature

July

• Electronic Siestas Festival - a series of innovative afternoon concerts, held each year in July on the banks of the River Garonne
• Danse à Toulouse - a festival that is becoming increasingly popular, attracting crowds of amateurs and professionals from the world of contemporary dance

August

• Toulouse d'Été - some 400 musicians perform against a backdrop of Toulouse's historic buildings. Each year, a different country is chosen as guest of honour at the festival

September

• Piano aux Jacobins Festival - some of the world's best pianists perform classical music concerts in an ancient monastery in Toulouse
• Cinespaña - this celebration of Spanish films and film-making is held in the Cinématheque de Toulouse. Includes a feature film competition, debates and short film screenings

October

• Toulouses les Orgues - Toulouse echoes to the sounds of the organ for two weeks each autumn. This annual organ festival comprises some 60 events, from concerts, to masterclasses and conferences
• Festival Occitània - some 300 artists participate in a cultural programme, which includes the cinema, theatre, art, poetry, photography and music

November

• Toulouse Antiques Fair - mid-November, held at the Parc des Expositions de Toulouse. This is one of the top antique fairs in France
• Séquence Court Métrage - mid-November, a series of short film screenings held mainly in the Cinémathèque de Toulouse and the Cinéma ABC, but also elsewhere in the region

December

• Christmas Market - early December, held on the Place du Capitole, this popular market attracts large crowds in search of Christmas gifts