The 20 Best Music Festivals in France

From rock to reggae, EDM to jazz, and techno to trance, there are many gigantic music festivals to explore and experience in France. While some of them are more French-oriented, many of them are international, offering great music for festival lovers.

Whether you are looking for a weekend festival in Paris or a week-long gigantic music festival in the countryside or different parts of the country, French music festivals have got you covered. There is a music festival almost every month of the year, offering something for every music enthusiast.

Here are the 20 best music festivals you can go to in France.

1. Lollapalooza Paris

Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris

When: July – 2 Days

Lollapalooza Paris is a giant multi-genre music festival held in July every year in the Hippodrome de Longchamp in the capital city of France. Lollapalooza festivals are held all over the globe with global superstars of different genres, and the Paris version is no different.

You can see famous rock stars and rap stars at the same festival, along with superstar DJs and pop icons. The festival lasts two days on the weekend, and today, it is considered the most popular festival in France. The festival is been held in Paris since 2017 and is renowned for its great food, amazing line-ups, and great experiences.

Some of the artists who have been on the Lollapalooza Paris stage are The Gorillaz, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Lana del Rey, Depeche Mode, Travis Scott, and David Guetta.

2. Peacock Society Festival

Parc Floral, Paris

When: September – 2 Days

The Peacock Society Festival is one of the most-loved electronic music festivals in Europe, held in Paris for 2 days, usually in September. The festival’s lineups always consist of the most impressive artists with veterans as well as new talents of the house and techno underground scenes.

The festival houses different performances, from experimental micro scenes and hedonistic club house music to digital live performances and collectives. Around 30.000 music enthusiasts are regularly present at the Festival of Electronic Cultures. 

The artists in the line-ups are top-notch names such as Amelie Lens, Richie Hawtin, Luciano, Nina Kravitz, and more. Plus, the festival also hosts various activities in different formats, including conferences, digital art, projections, and more.

3. Garorock Festival

Countryside of Marmande, 

When: June/July – 3 to 5 days

One of the oldest music festivals held in France is the Garorock Festival, which houses internationally renowned names from different genres like pop, rock, electro, and techno. Founded in 1997, the festival is held in the Countryside of Marmande and lasts 3 to 5 days.

As one of the most loved festivals in France, Garorock Festival has something for every music fan, thanks to its wide range of artists from different genres. Some names that performed at the festival are Gorillaz, Martin Garrix, Black Eyed Peas, Marilyn Manson, and Macklemore.

The festival also has different fun activities, including sports tournaments, funfairs, inflatable waterparks, and giant beer pong. The location is also beautiful in the rural site in France’s southwest.

4. Rock En Seine

Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, Paris

When: August – 4 days

Rock En Seine is one of the biggest music festivals in France, held in Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, Paris. The festival usually lasts for 3 to 4 days in late August and is mainly a rock festival but also hosts indie, alternative, pop, rock, hip-hop, and electronic music artists.

The festival hosts around 40.000 spectators each day as massive names perform on the many stages of the festival. Some of them are Massive Attack, The Cure, London Grammar, Iggy Pop, Foals, King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, the XX, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, and more.

5. The Vieilles Charrues Festival

Carhaix, France

When: July – 4 days

The Vieilles Charrues Festival is the largest music festival in France, held in July since 1992. The festival started as a friend gathering, getting larger every year. Today it hosts more than 200.000 people each year, with many famous artists from different genres performing there.

As one of the most iconic festivals in France, The Vieilles Charrues Festival hosts famous artists in almost every genre, such as Muse, Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Robert Plant, Pharrell Williams, The Chemical Brothers, Bob Dylan, and more. 

6. We Love Green

Bois de Vincennes Park, Paris

When: June – 3 days

Held in the largest park in Paris, Bois de Vincennes Park, We Love Green is an ecologically conscious festival with performances from huge international artists. The multi-genre festival features hip-hop, electronic, and rock music, along with discussions and workshops on sustainable living.

At the festival, you can find local vegan and organic food, workshops, activities, and discussions on eco-friendly living and sustainability during the day, while at night, you can have fun with the performances of renowned artists like Foals, Nicolas Jaar, Hot Chip, Lorde, LCD Soundsystem, Disclosure, and Gorillaz.

7. I Love Techno

Montpellier

When: December – 3 days

As the name suggests, I Love Techno is a big techno festival held in Montpellier each year in December. The 3-day festival houses great names in the underground electronic music scene and is famous for its light shows. Each year around 25.000 visitors travel to Montepellier for the festival.

The festival started in the 1990s in Belgium but moved to Montpellier in 2015. During the festival, Elektropedia Awards are presented to artists in various categories of techno and electronic dance music to honor the efforts of musicians. Some names who participated in the festival are Charlotte De Witte, Daft Punk, Acid Arab, Carl Cox, and Adam Beyer. 

8. Main Square Festival

La Citadelle, Arras

When: June/July – 3 days

One of the unique music festivals in France is the Main Square Festival, which takes place in the 1600s UNESCO-protected citadel. The festival mainly focuses on electronic music but has various artists from different genres performing in the ancient landmark.

DJ Snake, Christine and the Queens, Cyprus Hill, Martin Garrix, Queens of the Stone Age, Jamiroquai, Radiohead, and Coldplay are some of the names that performed at the festival in recent years.

9. Hellfest

Clisson, France

When: June – 4 days

Hellfest Open Air Festival is one of the biggest heavy metal and hard rock festivals in France and Europe, held for a week annually in June in Clisson. Around 60.000 rock fans go to the festival daily and more than 300 internationally famous rock bands perform each year on the six stages.

The festival has the largest turnover in France thanks to a high number of music fans participating in the event. The line-ups regularly have top-notch names in the rock and metal scene, such as Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Deep Purple, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, ZZ Top and KISS.

10. The Cabaret Vert

Charleville-Mézière, Ardennes

When: August or September – 4 to 5 days

The Cabaret Vert is a highly versatile music festival, hosting many performances from different genres, from reggae, electronic, and rock to metal, blues, jazz, and pop music. It takes place in Charleville-Mézière in the Ardennes region for around 5 days with famous artists and different activities.

The festival is not only a music event but a whole artistic experience with short films, painting exhibitions, street theatre, graffiti and juggling workshops, comic book festivals, and more. Regarding music, many famous artists perform at the 5-day festival. Some notable names are Slipknot, Ziggy Marley, Liam Gallagher, Travis Scott, DJ Snake, and Pixies.

11. La Route Du Rock

Rue des Acadiens, Saint-Malo

When: March and August – 4 days

La Route Du Rock is a biannual alternative rock festival held in the beautiful coastal city of  Saint-Malo. The festival, with the picturesque coastal town setting, has had a winter and summer collection each year since 2006 with around 15.000 festival goers and famous names of indie rock.

The festival regularly takes place in late February or early March and August. It housed many exciting, genre-pushing artists of the alternative rock genres like Radiohead, Interpol, Mac DeMarco, Working Men’s Club, Los Bitchos, and many new rising-star artists and bands.

12. Les Francofolies de La Rochelle Festival

Esplanade Saint-Jean d’Acre Seaport, La Rochelle

When: July – 5 days

Les Francofolies de La Rochelle Festival is a long-lasting experience that is spread all around the town of La Rochelle annually for 5 days in July. While the main stage with multiple genres, including rock, pop, electronic, and acoustic. There are different activities such as games, workshops, theater, and art events all over the city.

The festival in a scenic seaport on the west coast also hosts international artists, but French music is more dominant. Some artists who participated in the festival are Christine and the Queens, The Blaze, Patrick Bruel, Angèle, Boulevard des Airs, and Soprano.

13. Eurockéennes de Belfort

Lac de Malsaucy, Belfort

When: July – 4 days

One of the oldest music festivals in France, which has been around for more than three decades, is the Eurockéennes de Belfort festival. The rock festival is dedicated to French and European music in the beautiful peninsula close to the Swiss border.

As one of the biggest and oldest rock festivals in France and Europe, the main focus of the festival is rock music, artists such as Metallica, Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine, Arctic Monkeys, and more. But, there are artists from other genres who performed on the stage, like Daft Punk and Jay Z, in previous years.

14. Solidays Festival

Hippodrome de Longchamp Racecourse, Paris

When: June – 3 days

Solidays Festival is a rock, pop, and electronic music festival held annually in Paris to raise money for HIV and AIDS charities. The 3-day festival houses dozens of concerts from different artists on 9 stages, playing for a good cause in the famous horse racing course Hippodrome de Longchamp.

So far, the festival has housed many internationally famous artists such as Black Eyed Peas, Two Door Cinema Club, DJ Snake, David Guetta, Justice, and The Prodigy. Each year the festival raises a significant amount of money for the fight against AIDS and campaigning for equality and youth engagement.

15. Insane Festival

Lakeside in Apt, Luberon

When: August – 4 days

Insane Festival is an all-electronic annual music festival on the coast of a lake in the small town of Apt. The festival houses a wide range of electronic music genres, from techno to house and dubstep. The 4-day festival every august is a dream for electronic music enthusiasts.

The Insane Festival was held in large indoor venues before it was moved to a beautiful outdoor setting next to a picturesque lake. Some of the headliners from previous festivals were Bodzin, Pendulum, Patrick Topping, Angerfist, Boris Brejcha, and Vini Vici. The festival offers something for every electronic music enthusiast.

16. Rise Festival

Les Deux Alpes

When: December – 7 days

The world’s largest independent ski festival, Rise Festival, is a unique experience, offering groove, dance, and fun on the snow in the French Alps. It is held every December with beautiful mountain views, different activities, skiing, and of course, live music from DJs and electronic music artists.

Rise Festival is more than just music as it has so many activities to offer, from cheese fondues to paragliding, skiing to snowboarding, and music from world-class artists in the largest skiable glacier in Europe. Some artists who performed at the festival are Annie Mac, David Rodigan, Chase and Status, Solardo, and Patrick Topping.

17. Les Nuits Secrètes Festival

Aulnoye Aymeries, Le Nord

When: July – 3 days

One of the most diverse music festivals in France is the Les Nuits Secrètes Festival, which houses many stages with different genres of music. From house to pop and rock, the festival has a bit of everything. Held in July for 3 days, it is an old and large festival in a beautiful countryside setting.

Just to give you a glimpse of the festival’s diversity, some of the artists who played in the festival include Amelie Lens, Boris Brejcha, Alt-J, Shaka Ponk, Jamie XX, Julian Dore, Angele, Tale of Us, and Cigarettes After Sex.

18. Aluna Festival

Ruoms, gorges de l’Ardèche

When: June/July – 3 days

Another popular multi-genre music festival in France is the Aluna Festival, held in Ruoms, in gorges de l’Ardèche. The 3-day festival is usually in late June or early July with more than 50.000 spectators. From reggae to rock and EDM, the festival houses artists from many different genres.

Aluna Festival has housed many artists, including Gael Faye, La Rue Kétanou, Stromae Suzane, Les Frangines, James Blunt, and more. If you want non-stop live performances and a diverse scene of music, this great festival in southern France should be on your list.

19. Jazz De Mars

Salle Maurice Thorez, Tarnos

When: March/April

Jazz De Mars is a whole-month festival of jazz music held in different places in the town of Salle Maurice Thorez, Tarnos. As the name suggests, you can expect to listen to beautiful jazz, swing, blues, and fusion music from international talented artists.

The concerts are held in different venues in the town. You can check the official website to learn about the artists as well as when and where they will be performing. If you like jazz music and want to explore new names while enjoying some of the internationally renowned jazz artists, Jazz De Mars should be on your music-festivals-to-go list.

20. Snowboxx

Avoriaz, Morzine
When: March – 7 days

The week-long festival, Snowboxx, in the stunning views of the French Alps, is yet another festival to celebrate music and snow every March. The music part mostly consists of electronic dance music, but the festival has many activities to explore, from skiing to spa sessions in Avoriaz, Morzine.

The festival not only has open-air live performances from world-class artists but also offers adventures of skiing, raving, exploring a breathtaking ski resort in the French Alps, bottomless brunches, igloo parties, slope-side games, spa sessions, and more. Becky Hill, Andy C, Annie Mac, and Sonny Fodera are some of the artists who performed at the festival.

Conclusion

While these are the best and the most popular festivals in the country, France has a lot more festivals to offer for music lovers. Festival Africolor, Nantes Metal Fest, Festival Charabia, and Hip Hop Don’t Stop are some of them.

France is a highly diverse country when it comes to art and music, as can be seen in the list. Even if you do not like festivals, you can find amazing concerts, exhibitions, parties, and events in the country.