FRANCE 2019: Major Events & Anniversaries

Infinity mirrored room - The souls of light years away
Chateau du clos Lucé
Press release

Anniversaries

75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings
June 5 - 6, 2019
en.normandie-tourisme.fr

June 5 and 6, 2019 will mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the launch of the crucial Battle of Normandy which paved the way to the liberation of Europe and the end of WWII.

The anniversary will include military parades, firework displays, giant picnics, concerts and airdrops and of course a great international ceremony attended by the allied heads of state on June 6.

In honor of this historic milestone the Caen Memorial, a museum for Peace will host Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms from June 4 to October 27, 2019. The traveling exhibition of 70 iconic Norman Rockwell paintings includes the Four Freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.


500th Anniversary of RenaissanceS
2019
www.regioncentre-valdeloire.fr

The Loire Valley region will be celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the French Renaissance, which coincides with the anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci in France. During the first year of his reign in 1515 and following his victory at Marignan, Francois 1er, met Leonardo Da Vinci. Awed by the genius and by Italy’s artistic and architectural renewal, France’s great Renaissance king invited Da Vinci to live in France. In 1516 and with the Mona Lisa in tow, Da Vinci left Rome for Royal Amboise, settling at the Château du Clos Lucé where he spent the last three years of his life.

The program of events will include large traveling digital show, an international architecture competition, banquets and a wealth of exhibitions.


Rouen Armada 2019
June 4 to 16, 2019
www.armada.org

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Armada of Rouen, the Armada of Liberty will take place June 5 to 16, 2019. Over 50 tall ships will sail in and dock along the Seine river banks of Normandy’s capital Rouen. This impressive gathering will include parades, balls, concerts and unexpected festivities.

Major events

La Folle Journée
January 30 – February 3, 2019
www.follejournee.fr

La Folle Journée is a annual classical music festival held in Nantes. It is the largest classical music festival in France. The festival's name refers to the Pierre Beaumarchais play The Marriage of Figaro, whose alternative title is La Folle Journée ("The Follies of a Day").


International Design Biennal in Saint-Etienne
March 21– April 22 2019
www.biennale-design.com

In late March the city of Saint-Etienne will hold its 11th Design Biennial, curated by American Lisa White.


Eldorado: Lille3000 Festival
April - December, 2019 - mettre dates exacts
www.lille3000.eu

Starting April 27, 2019 and through early December, the great Northern city of Lille will be bubbling —indoors and out—with contemporary art exhibits and installations and other events. A great open-air do will kick-off what is called Eldorado: Lille 3000 a huge citywide fiesta that occurs every three years.


Easter Festival / Festival de Pâques
April 13 – 28, 2019
www.festivalpaques.com

Aix en Provence Easter Festival will bring together high-profile conductors, world-class orchestras and outstanding soloists performing more than 20 concerts.


9th biennale of Comic Book art
May 25 to September 1, 2019
www.cotentin-tourisme-normandie.fr

As well as commemorating the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, the city of Cherbourg is expanding its Americana celebrations this year in hosting the 9th biennale of Comic Book art (known as the 9th art) from May 25 to September 1, 2019. This year, the 9th art biennale pays special tribute to American comic book artist Jack Kirby, the mind behind Black Panther, the Avengers and Iron man, among other iconic characters.


Fête de la Musique
June 21, 2019
en.parisinfo.com

First held in France in 1982 on the summer solstice, this music festival is now an international success, with events from Philadelphia to Brisbane to Beijing. It remains a popular gathering of, often, spontaneous events that give equal place to amateur and professional musicians with no particular focus on any one kind of music. More than anything, it is a showcase for new musical trends and a renewal of traditional music, whether world music, choirs, rap or techno. Read more


FIFA Women’s World Cup
June 7 - July 17, 2019
www.fifa.com

Sports fans must know by now that France will be hosting the Women’s World Soccer from June 7 to July 17 in 9 cities. Six of the 11 host stadiums are in Top French Cities from which the French team will try to emulate their male counterparts. They are: Grenoble, Le Havre, Montpellier, Nice, Reims and Rennes.


European Heritage Days – Journées du Patrimoine
September, 2019
www.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr

Every year since 1984, the Ministry of Culture has thrown open the doors of its greatest monuments to the general public. Celebrated throughout Europe starting in 1991, guided access is now made available to any institution providing an important public service, form the best known to the most obscure. Today, more than 16,000 sites in France alone are responsible for 20,000 events, including guided tours, workshops and demonstrations, concerts, theatrical performances, walks etc.


Gastronomy Festival – Fête de la Gastronomie
Fourth weekend of September 2019
www.economie.gouv.fr/fete-gastronomie

The Fête de la Gastronomie is all about food and cooking, an occasion when the general public and food professionals get together to celebrate the unique, unifying, identity-creating elements of French heritage, now even registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The aim is to spotlight gastronomy in all its many and diverse forms and invite everyone, whether true foodies or just curious observers, to enjoy French gastronomy’s many treasures, wherever they may be.


Biennale de Lyon late 2019
www.biennialfoundation.org

The Biennale of Lyon has announced that the upcoming 15th edition will be curated by Jean de Loisy and his team of young curators from the Palais de Tokyo: Daria de Beauvais, White Adelaide, Yoann Gourmel, Katell Jaffrès, Rebecca Lamarche-Vadel, Vittoria Matarrese, Claire Moulène and Hugo Vitrani.