The 26 Best Music Festivals in France Worth The Trip [2023]

By Vito Valentinetti / January 5, 2023

One of the biggest music festivals in the world takes on winter when Tomorrowland comes to the mountains. In March people from all over the world will gather for an adventure of a lifetime filled with ski, music and magic in the stunning French mountains.

We Love Green makes it clear from its name that this festival is committed to the environment. Held in a beautiful park located in the heart of Paris, the three-day festival welcomes a curated lineup of indie rock gold. The Think Tank, located at the center of the festival, strives to promote environmental innovation and encourage the exchange of ideas with scientists, activists, and artists.

The first weekend of July is full of French festivals and one of those standouts is Main Square. Situated at the stunning Citadelle Vauban, this mainstream dose of rock/pop/electronic boasts an impressive alumni list like Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Placebo, Muse, and Metallica.

The postcard-perfect French village of Clisson, known for its historic ruins and picturesque river, transforms one weekend each June into the heavy metal mecca known as Hellfest. More than 160 bands show up to perform on six stages with subgenres that include pagan metal, stoner, punk, thrash, grind, and black metal. The 150,000+ extreme music typically spend the weekend camping and exploring the wide-ranging Hellfest experience. Act quick. Hellfest sells out every year.

The independent Les Eurockeenes in Eastern France is also one of the largest multi-genre music festivals in the country. With a focus on solidarity and sharing, the non-profit fest remains committed to offering an affordable musical experience to everyone. Tucked away on the Malsaucy peninsula, the eco-friendly venue showcases amazing views and tranquil camping.

Garorock is one of France's premier electronic and rock festival, taking place in the southwest of the country. Recently celebrating their 20th anniversary, the four day camping festival is well known for its hard-partying experience.

The Worldwide Festival may put on editions across the world, but the flagship fest in Sète is still the spot to experience this unique line-up of electronic artists. Located just south of Montpellier, Sète in sun drenched southern France is an ideal place to spend a week on the beach soaking up the sounds from DJs from around the globe.

Since its inception in 1991, Lollapalooza has continued to grow from its U.S. based festival circuit to additional cities in countries across the globe. In 2016, Lollapalooza was introduced to Paris and continues to host a myriad of different international and local acts spanning all genres.

Head to the east side of Paris and spend a day (or two) at the beach listening to world-class electronic music, From the organic beats of the Beach Stage to the incredible production of the 360° Digital Stage to the hedonistic gurus at the Hippie State, Marvellous Island is the perfect way to welcome in the summer.

Born in 2003, Rock en Seine has become one of France's top mega-festivals. Held just outside of Paris at the incredibly scenic Domaine National de Saint-Cloud (an 1100 acre historical park), this festival showcases the best of international and regional rock on five unique stages.

Bring the kids and your open attitude to the Family Piknik in the south of France. Held near Montpellier, this electronic festival aims to include all ages into the world of underground electronic music.

Named after the amazing château where it's held, this is one of France's largest pop and rock festivals. Founded in 2009, Festival Beaugard has boasted lineups with Phoenix, Editors, ZZ Top, Motorhead, Hot Chip, Kaiser Chiefs, Sting, and Alt-J. The scenery is beautiful, the camping is amazing, and like John Beauregard himself -- this festival is legendary.

One of the most famous electronic festivals in France, The Peacock Society brings 25,000 attendees to the beautiful Parc Floral de Paris.

Step into the wild dreams of France's Imaginarium Festival, two days of music and camping in the French countryside.

The beach meets dance music at this three-day festival in sunny Marseille, France. The Delta Festival promises to be an epic bash of music, sports, and arts in the sand.

After a summertime bash in Chicago, the very cool and very hip Pitchfork Festival makes its way to Paris a weekend of eclectic music at the Grande Halle de La Villette. The Pitchfork Paris Festival is a mecca for indie music fans of all genres with surprising twists and a lineup worthy of the brand.

'By day, the crystal waters of the eight-kilometre coastline provide an idyllic setting for festival goers to sunbathe. As well, Port Barcarès offers Free Wifi on the beaches, harbor and all main points of the city. Boasting exquisite landscapes, there is plenty to see and do in the town and surrounding areas of Port-Barcarès.'

This pop and rock festival takes place in Aix-Les-Bains in the beautiful south of France. The festival itself is perched on the shores of Lac du Bourget, in the foothills of the French Alps. 75,000 attendees flood the shores to see artists from around the world alongside local talent from the region.

The ultimate mountain party takes you from the peaks of the French Alps into the heart of charming Avoriaz and the Snowboxx Village. Two huge main stage events anchor a week of apres-ski, on-mountain concerts, igloo raves, and tropical waterpark parties. This is one wild week in France.

One of Europe's longest running festivals, Le Printemps de Bourges has been offering up a wide-ranging lineup of diverse genres for over forty years. The venues, bars, clubs, and streets of Bourges all host the variety of talent that comes through this annual French fest.

A week-long dance party under the sun and the stars in rugged Corsica, Calvi on the Rocks is on fire 24 hours a day. Multiple beach parties (including secret ones) kick off each day. At night, everyone gathers under the shadows of the ancient citadel for the headliners, and then it's off to dance until sunrise in the many clubs of Calvi.

This very hip, very cool, indie rock festival is one of the few in France that can boast a 25+ year history. The biannual event has featured Portishead, Disclosure, The XX, Blur, Pulp, Air, and Sonic Youth and has even spun off a winter edition.

The late-spring Papillons de Nuit is a pop music festival in Normandy. The tiny village of Saint-Laurent-de-Cuves is transformed when 60000 festival goers show up for three days of music and fun.

For three days, the tiny town of Aulnoye-Aymeries (1 hour away from Lille) is filled with 45,000 festies. The secret of this festival? More than 70 concerts and secret shows at one of the most reasonable prices of the summer. Lots of big names for a great price at Secret Nights.

Warm up for winter with an early vacation to the French Alps and the annual Rise Festival. If you get bored of the incredible freeriding and all-night parties (yeah, right), spend your time with activities like ice cave meditation, alpine yoga, snowmobiling, or paragliding

Cannes isn't just about film festivals! It's also home to Les Plages Electroniques , a three-day dance event held right on the beautiful sands of the scenic Palais des Festivals.