What's on in Avignon, France through the year

Peak crowds — Cheval Passion, Christmas holidays in France

• Festival

  Cheval Passion

  14–18 Jan · usuallyMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  Five days of horses at the Parc des Expositions in the middle of January, and the one week of the winter when the hotels inside the walls sell out. Source ↗

Still on: The mistral (1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — Winter (February) holidays in France, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Les Hivernales dance festival

  3–21 Feb · usuallyMajor festival

  Three weeks of contemporary dance across the town in February, on a scale you can still book into a week ahead. The opposite of July in every respect. Source ↗

Still on: The mistral (1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — Winter (February) holidays in France, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: The mistral (1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — Spring holidays in France, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: The mistral (1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — Spring holidays in France, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in May.

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in June.

Peak crowds — Festival d'Avignon and the Off, Summer holidays in France

• Hazard

  Heatwave weeks

  1 Jul – 25 Aug · usuallyExtreme heat

  Avignon sits in one of the hottest corners of France and the festival plays straight through it: the stone courtyards hold the day until well past midnight. Meteo-France runs the warnings. Source ↗

• Festival

  Festival d'Avignon and the Off

  4–26 Jul · usuallyMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  For three weeks the official programme plays in the Cour d'honneur of the Palais des Papes while well over a thousand Off shows fill every hall, chapel and garage in the walls. Rooms go by spring. Source ↗

Busy — Summer holidays in France, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Heatwave weeks (1 Jul – 25 Aug (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Busy — All Saints (autumn) holidays in France, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in October.

Quiet — travelers describe it as quiet, Christmas market

• Festival

  Christmas market

  20 Nov – 31 Dec · usuallyChristmas & New YearCrowded

  Chalets on the Place de l'Horloge and down the Rue de la Republique from late November, with the provencal santon stalls beside them. December is otherwise the quietest month here. Source ↗

Peak crowds — Christmas market, Christmas holidays in France

• Season

  The mistral

  1 Dec – 30 Apr · usuallyWind seasonRisk

  The Rhone valley funnels the wind straight past the ramparts, hardest from December to April. It takes the cloud with it, and the terraces on the Place de l'Horloge with it too. Source ↗

Still on: Christmas market (20 Nov – 31 Dec (usually))