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Food events, wine events in France and Belgium – Day-tripper.net the web magazine for visitors to France.

Music Festivals and Events in France and Belgium

Making a note of festivals and events before you go away can add some value to your break. Here we list as many of those relating to food and wine and music we have come across.

Forthcoming events in NORD / Pas de Calais

Please check with the local the tourist office for dates and other news.

Festivals, Fairs and Fêtes

A Fête is a festival, usually with eating, drinking, singing, dancing and often performances of some kind. A variations is a fête champêtre – a village festival, or the fête patronale, a celebration of the local Saint's day.

Music based events in France and Belgium

Useful links; festivals-de-l-ete.viafrance.com (summer Festivals) / fete-de-la-musique.viafrance.com (Music Festivals)

Art shows. www.artaujourdhui.info

– FNAC Spectacles, book a ticket for a wide variety of events in France. www.fnacspectacles.com

January

The musical event "La Folle Journée" (the crazy day) takes place in Nantes. The Harmony of Nations is this year's theme of the "Folle Journée" series of concerts. These days at the Congress centre in Nantes focus on the works of classical composers. Next year's programme looks at the period between 1650 and 1750 and includes performances of work by Purcell, Handel, Telemann, Bach, Rameau and Couperin. www.nantes-tourisme.com

In Brussels there is the Truc Troc event. This is an artistic, musical and festive event which gathers artists, musicians, dj's and performers. www.tructroc.be

March

Amiens Jazz Festival, Picardie. Now in its 25th year. www.amiensjazzfestival.com

Easter music Festival in Deauville. www.deauville.org

April

Banlieues Bleues, Saint-Denis, Ile-de-France. One of the biggest jazz festivals in the Paris area, featuring all kinds of jazz, from traditional to contemporary. www.banlieuesbleues.org

Sacred Music in Lourdes, Midi-Pyrénées (early April). Festival of Sacred Music held in several different locations including the Basilique du Rosaire, the Saint-Savin Abbey, and Tarbes Cathedral.

- www.lourdes-france.com

 

May

Bandas Festival at Condom (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees). The rich musical traditions of this otherwise quiet and peaceful part of rural France kick off the season with the Festival of Bandas and Penas. Bands compete from all over France until late in the evening in the main square. festivaldebandas.blogg.org

June

Lille. Every year. Giants of Lille. Once a year in June, the people of Lille come out to see the city's streets overrun with huge giants (géants), performers, comedians, singers and musicians. Every street, park and communal area hosts some sort of entertainment. www.terre-de-geants.fr

– Fêtes de Musique, is a series of events all over France around the theme of music (June). Many events are free, and most communities seem to participate in some way or other. 2012 is the 31st year of this event (21st June). www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr

Nantes / Saint Nazaire. Arts Festival (next one, June to August 2011). www.estuaire.info

uly

– Arras. Every year. Main Square Festival. www.mainsquarefestival.fr

Dinan. Every year. Festival des Remparts. Since 1983, the Medieval Association of Dinan in Brittany has turned the ramparts of the town's city walls into a summer celebration of all things medieval. Jousting, knights in combat, tournaments, music, dance and medieval-style spectacles attract thousands to the city.

Nice. Every year (July) Jazz Festival. Established as one of the greatest festivals in the world. www.nicetourisme.com

Quimper. Every year. Festival de Cornouaille. The Festival de Cornouaille is Brittany's biggest celebration of Breton culture. Concerts, street parades by proud Breton in their 66 distinct "guises" (costumes) and street musicians bring the perfectly-preserved medieval town of Quimper to life every July.

Suikerrock, Belgium (25 to 27 July)

Suikerrock, held in the streets and squares of Tienen and the most important city festival in the country. Over the last 21 years the festival has attracted the cream of the Belgian music scene. www.suikerrock.be

August

Marciac Jazz Festival. Renowned international festival ceberating Jazz with many of the world's greatest artists. This town also has a museum dedicated to Jazz, the Territoires du Jazz Museum. www.jazzinmarciac.com / www.tourisme-midi-pyrenees.org

Lorient. Every year. Interceltic Festival. The town of Lorient in Brittany hosts this spectacular annual showcase of the Celtic arts, featuring performers from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Asturias, Galicia, Isle of Man and Brittany. www.festival-interceltique.com

Le Touquet. International Classical and Jazz Festival.

Morvillars, Franche-Comté. Every year. International Beer Festival. There's not just beer on offer during this ten-day event in Morvillars, but also local produce stalls, musicians from Munich, a Sunday parade and, most important, the search for Miss Franche-Comté amongst the Belles de Morvillars.

Saint-Malo. Every year. La Route du Rock Festival. Fast becoming a highlight of the French festival scene, and blessed with a great venue within the crumbling ramparts of an old castle in Saint-Malo, over the last few years La Route du Rock Festival has blossomed into a major musical event. www.laroutedurock.com

Marktrock Leuven, Belgium

A three-day festival of national and international pop, rock and hip-hop acts in Leuven's historic centre. nl.netlog.com/marktrock

Pukkelpop, Belgium (August)

Internationally recognised as a trendsetter among the music festivals, Pukkelpop is a three-day alternative music extravaganza staged in the open air at Hasselt. www.pukkelpop.be

Lokeren Festivities, Belgium (August)

Thirty-four years ago a handful of people in Lokeren decided that it was too quiet during the summer holiday period. What began as a small-scale, four-day festival of three youth clubs with 300 visitors has grown and grown into a city festival lasting ten full days. www.lokersefeesten.be

September

Audi Jazz Festival, Belgium

This festival held in Brussels is a major event on Europe's jazz calendar. www.skodajazz.be

October

Armentières. Night of Jazz. This is the opening night of the Jazz en Nord Festival. Get ready to stroke your beard and look enigmatic as 13 venues around the town play host to the sound of jazz.

Jazz Bruges, Belgium

The biennial festival Jazz Bruges concentrates exclusively on European bands in a bid to help engineer the development of a European jazz scene. www.jazzbrugge.be and www.brugge.be/musea

November

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December – Le Channel Cultural Centre in Calais has a four day artistic festival with various musical and theatrical performances and events based around the theme of fire. Tel: 0033 321 96 62 40. www.lechannel.fr

Also

Fortified Towns Day – Historical reconstructions, music and bell-ringing concerts, drama, exhibitions in 14 fortified towns. Tel: 0033 327 49 50 05.

Traditional Music Festivals in Brittany. Federation Tel: 0033 296 49 08 92. www.gouelioubreizh.com