A selection of events from the Rhône-Alpes regions.
There are numerous events in Rhône-Alpes. Here is a list of the major ones. If you would like to get a complete list of them you can also ask the Tourist Offices or visit the website: www.rhonealpes-tourisme.com
The Great Odyssey
Covering the Portes du Soleil to the Haute Maurienne - Savoy Mont-Blanc
17th - 18th January
Dog sled race from Avoriaz to Lanslebourg, over nearly 1000 km of trails and with participation of more than 300 dogs from 11 countries. Numerous places visited en route and lots of supplementary events surround this race.
www.hautemaurienne.com | www.grandeodyssee.com
La Foulée Blanche
Autrans - Isère
18th - 22nd January
A traditional cross-country skiing contest that takes place over distances of between five and 42 km, this is the most popular long distance Nordic ski race in France. Since it began in 1979 over 170,000 skiers have taken part.
www.lafouleeblanche.com
International Ice Sculpture Competition
Valloire - Savoy-Mont Blanc
17th - 20th January
French and international sculptors will take part in a magnificent competition which is followed by a sound and light show.
www.valloire.net
Megève Snow Golf Cup
Megève - Savoy-Mont Blanc
2nd - 12th February
An age-old competition that is at the same time sporty and extremely novel! Golf, golf, golf no matter what the weather throws at us!
www.megeve.com
La Fête de l'alicoque
Nyons - Drôme - 4th and 5th February
A festival of new olive oil with a market and tastings.
www.nyonstourisme.com
Truffle Festival
Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Drôme - 12th February
A day to learn everything you will ever need to know about truffles with a truffle market and tastings that attack all the senses!
www.drometourisme.com
The 27th Pierra Menta
Arèches-Beaufort - Savoy-Mont Blanc - 15th - 18th March
The pride of Arèches-Beaufort since 1986, this international Alpine ski competition attracts the very best in the world in this specialist arena of skiing at over 10,000 m.
www.areches-beaufort.com
www.pierramenta.com
Venetian Carnival
Annecy - Savoy - Mont Blanc - 2nd - 4th March
More than 250 masked participants, dressed in sumptuous gowns that blend with the beauty of the town, stroll through the streets of the 'Venice of the Alps', dance and regroup
www.lac-annecy.com
La Grande Braderie
Chambéry - Savoie Mont Blanc
28th - 29th April (and 29th - 30th September)
Big flea market in the streets of Chambery which takes place at the end of April and also the last Sunday of September.
www.chambery-tourisme.com
Nuits Sonores (Electro and Indie Music Festival)
Lyon - Rhône
16th - 12th May
This is the tenth year for this event that is a real panorama of electronic music (techno, house, électronica...) held in different venues all over the town - in concert halls, galleries, cinemas, museums or architectural symbols of Lyons.
www.nuits-sonores.com
Montgolfière Festival
Annonay - Ardèche - 2nd - 3rd June
Re-enactment of the first hot-air balloon flight - all performed in period costume and attracting aficionados from all over Europe, if not the world. The event takes place on the first Sunday in June.
www.ardeche-verte.com
Fourvière Nights
Lyon - Rhône - June 5th - July 31th
Eclectic cultural and seasonal events take place in the exceptional setting of the Roman ruins of Fourvière.
www.nuitsdefourviere.fr
Festival of cinema animation
Annecy - Savoy-Mont Blanc - 4th - 9th June
This is the most important festival in the world dedicated to cinema animation
where the very best in this area can be experienced. There is an official selection of more
than 600 films, all sorts of themes and subjects are represented.
www.annecy.org
Pass'Portes du Soleil
Portes du Soleil - Savoie Mont Blanc
29th - 30th June and July 1st
9th edition of this MTB trek in both France and Switzerland to discover the Portes du Soleil domain and its mighty scenery. The Pass'Portes is a mixture of impressive and unforgettable moments, shared sporting memories and a load of laughs...it has to be done (or redone).
www.passportesdusoleil.com
Jazz in Vienne
Vienne - Isère - June 28th - July 13th
An annual rendez-vous for all the great names in jazz in the wonderful setting of the Roman amphitheatre plus “fringe” jazz events taking place all over the town.
www.jazzavienne.com
Lavender Festival
Montélimar - Drôme - 7th - 8th July
Many different events take place including a Provencal market where all
sorts of products based on lavender are on display.
www.montelimar-tourisme.com
Musilac
Aix les Bains - Savoy-Mont Blanc - 13th - 15th July
This is the most important rock concert in the region of Rhône-Alpes with around 40 artists performing on four different stages on the shores of the largest natural lake in France.
www.musilac.com
Mégavalanche
Alpe d'Huez - Savoy Mont Blanc - 16th - 22th July
The Megavalanche of Alpe d'Huez, is a Mecca for downhill mountain bikers.
They are doubly pleased with this event as it offers these free riders two marathon
descents onto the Grandes Rousses plain. There are two days of biking to gain a place
and then the Mégavalanche takes place from 3,330 m at the summit of the Sarenne glacier.
www.megavalanche.com
Tour de France cycling race
Drôme / Savoie / Isère - 30th June - 22nd July
This mythical race needs no introduction... Several stages in the Rhone-Alpes: July 11th Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, 12th July : Albertville, La Toussuire, Les Sybelles, 13th July: Saint-Jean de Maurienne, Annonay, Davézieux, 14th July : Saint-Paul-Trois Chateaux.
www.letour.fr
Evian Masters
Evian-les-Bains - Savoie Mont Blanc - 26th - 29th July
Started in 1994 at the Royal Club this is one of the most important women's golf
tournaments in the world and is part of the American and European ladies tour.
The best players in the world compete against each other.
www.royalparcevian.com
Lake Annecy Festival
Annecy - Savoy-Mont Blanc - August 4th
A pyrotechnical extravaganza that takes place on Lake Annecy, with fireworks and illuminated cruises.
www.lac-annecy.com
Reblochon Festival
La Clusaz - Savoy-Mont Blanc - August 12th
A festival celebrating farming and crafts with a procession of floats, many different events such as bread-making, Savoyard specialties and folk dancing. It attracts more than 2000 spectators.
www.laclusaz.com
Mountain Guides Festival
Chamonix Mont-Blanc - Savoy Mont-Blanc - middle August
A traditional ancestral festival to honour the only day in the year that the Chamonix guides can take off. There is a religious component where their ice axes and ropes are blessed, plus a mountaineering display, fireworks and dancing.
www.fetedesguides.com
Navig'Aix Festival
Aix-les-Bains Savoie Mont Blanc
24th - 26th August
A large gathering of old dinghies including motorised and steam-powered, as well as racing boats and sailing boats from a bygone age, on the waters of Lake Bourget. There are never fewer than seven different nations taking part, with over 100 teams in total.
www.aixlesbains.com
Pyroconcerts
Talloires - Savoy Mont-Blanc
17th edition of this unique festival at the end of August
An outdoor concert hall lit by exceptional firework techniques, with a stage built on the waters of Lac d'Annecy, featuring performances from some of the best musicians during an amazing music festival.
www.rivepleinsoleil.com
Dance Biennale
Lyon - Rhone
9th - 30th September
This will be the 15th edition of this festival. All sorts of different events take place all over town with a big parade in the city centre for the opening on September 9th.
www.biennale-de-lyon.org
Italian cinema Festival
Annecy - Savoie Mont Blanc
End of September - Mid-October
Pre-release screenings of new Italian films with all the famous names of the Italian cinema.
www.annecycinemaitalien.com
Retour des Alpages (return from the Alpine meadows)
Annecy - Savoie Mont Blanc
October 12th
A massive celebration of mountain life and its traditions, involving craftsmen, folk groups, processions of Alpine animals and local produce tastings. There is always a wonderful atmosphere that attracts visitors from all over the world.
www.lac-annecy.com
International Old Film Festival
Lyon - Rhône
October
The Institut Lumière organises this festival dedicated to the history of the cinema to attract film buffs and the wider public too and make them aware of the importance of what is known as the seventh art. Around 20 cultural films shown in 200 different locations all over greater Lyon, the festival attracts 70,000 visitors.
www.festival-lumiere.org
Les Castagnades (chestnut festival)
Ardèche
Mid-October - Mid-November
This is a series of events all in celebration of the local speciality - the chestnut. Visitors can meet local producers and farmers, craftsmen and others whose livelihood is based on the chestnut. The whole area is dedicated to this noble nut. There are chestnut markets,
walks and hikes, shows, meals, roast chestnut stands and all types of celebrations.
www.castagnades.fr
Les Sarmentelles (Beaujolais Nouveau launch)
Beaujeu - Rhône
November 15th
Every year, tasting of the new Beaujolais wine takes place on the third Thursday in
November in the bars and restaurants of Lyon and the Beaujolais region. In Beaujeu, capital of the region, the most popular of all the celebrations takes place - les Sarmentelles. There is dancing and singing, a night of fun and frolics! At midnight the new barrels are opened and there is a torch procession through the streets of Beaujeu.
www.beaujolais.com
Light Festival
Lyon - Rhône
Around 8th December
On the evening of 8th December, the people of Lyon put candles in their windows as they have done for the last 150 years to celebrate light! There are artists from all disciplines who design the most ephemeral works around the subject of light.
www.lyon-France.com | www.lumieres.lyon.fr
Ski and Boarder Week
Val Thorens - Savoy-Mont Blanc
Mid-December
Concerts and boarding demonstrations take place, equipment testing too.
www.boarderweek.com
Fête de la Glisse
Avoriaz - Savoie Mont Blanc
December
Demonstrations by the new generation of skiers.
www.avoriaz.com
Criterium of the First Snow
Val d'Isère - Savoy-Mont Blanc
Mid-December
Two weekends of show stopping skiing high in the mountains as first the men and then the ladies perform their freestyle ski trials on the mythical Face de Bellevarde.
www.valdisere.com
Les Glorieuses de Bresse
Bourg-en-Bresse, Montrevel-en-Bresse, Pont-de-Vaux - Ain
Mid-December
In the month of December four towns in the region compete against each other in the 'Quatre Glorieuses' - a competition for producers of fine poultry - chicken, capons, turkey...judged by a jury.
www.glorieusesdebresse.com
2013
SIRHA (International Restaurant, Hotel and Food Show)
Lyon - Rhône
26th - 30th January
The biggest professional restaurant and hotel show in the world attracting more than 2000 exhibitors (20% of foreigners), 600 innovations presented of which 150 in preview, 10,000 chefs from 136 countries, including some of the world's best. The SIRHA organises the world chef competition to win the prestigious Bocuse d'Or.
www.sirha.com
Biennale du Design
Saint-Etienne - Loire
12th - 31st march 2013
International exhibition on Design in different places if the city.
http://www.citedudesign.com
