The Annecy animation film festival opens its doors and the flocks climb to the Vercors pastures: eleven outings for the solstice weekend of June 20-21.
This weekend lands right on the summer solstice, and the whole region shifts into festival mode. In Annecy, the world's most prestigious animated film gathering raises its curtain; in Lyon, the Roman amphitheatres of Fourvière line up their evenings; in the Drôme's Vercors, flocks climb to the high pastures to the sound of bells and brass bands. Between the monumental street art of Grenoble and Moûtiers, the open-air theatre of Brangues and high-altitude trail races, the range is wide. Our pick: the opening of the Annecy Festival — watching an entire city buzz for animation is a spectacle few events in France can offer.
Eleven dates, seven departments crossed, from the shores of Lake Annecy to the farms of the Diois: this weekend of June 20-21, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes blends cinema, music, pastoral traditions, urban art and mountain sport, all against the backdrop of the Fête de la Musique.
Annecy Animation Film Festival: the world gathering opens (74)
From Sunday 21 June, Annecy becomes the planet's capital of animation with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Founded in 1960, it is the most prestigious event of its kind: more than 16,000 professionals and 160,000 festival-goers converge on the Haute-Savoie capital for a week of screenings, premieres and encounters, extended by the Mifa, the leading international animation film market.
Opening day sets the tone, between open-air sessions on the giant Pâquier screen, short films from around the world and costumed strolls along the lake. Festival access requires a pass, but the whole town comes alive for free. Book accommodation early: Annecy sells out months ahead during the festival.
Les Nuits de Fourvière: Lyon's grand season in the Roman amphitheatre (69)
Launched in late May, Les Nuits de Fourvière runs at full tilt this weekend. Since 1946, the festival has taken over the Roman amphitheatres on Fourvière hill, listed as UNESCO World Heritage, each summer for more than 60 shows of music, theatre, dance, circus and opera. With over 130,000 spectators a year, it's one of the three or four most respected summer events in France.
By mid-June the programming is dense, and the stone tiers facing sunset offer a setting few festivals can match. Plan a gentle climb from Vieux-Lyon (funicular or sturdy shoes) and arrive early for the parvis and the panoramic view. Several dates are sold out, check ticketing before heading up.
Solstice de Brangues: theatre and poetry at Claudel's castle (38)
From Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 June, the Solstice de Brangues opens its edition at the Château de Brangues, the historic home of writer Paul Claudel, in Isère. Founded in 1972 and directed by Christian Schiaretti, this festival of theatre, music and poetry unfolds open-air shows, readings and literary encounters in a rural setting bathed in solstice light.
The opening weekend lays the edition's foundations, with intimate offerings in the park and outbuildings of the castle. The spirit of the place — that of a great writer, of a preserved Bas-Dauphiné countryside — gives these performances a particular flavour, far from the big halls. A demanding, confidential gathering, to be savoured in calm.
Street Art Fest Grenoble-Alpes: monumental murals in progress (38)
The Street Art Fest Grenoble-Alpes, Europe's largest street art festival, runs until 28 June. Over five weeks, artists from around the world take over the walls of greater Grenoble to create new monumental works. With more than 470 murals produced since 2015 by the Spacejunk association, the city has become an open-air museum toured on foot, by bike or via guided walks.
The weekend of 20-21 June is still in the active phase: artists are on their lifts, cans in hand. Spot ongoing sites on the official map, watch the painters at work and chat with them between passes — that's the festival's appeal, this direct contact between street, artwork and passer-by. An experience no museum can offer.
Moûtiers Street Art Festival: the Tarentaise town covered in murals (73)
From Saturday 20 June and until the 27th, the Moûtiers Street Art Festival turns the centre of Moûtiers, in Savoie, into an open-air gallery. Since 2018, the festival has invited internationally renowned artists to take over the walls and façades of the Tarentaise town with monumental murals — nearly fifty works now dot the city.
The opening weekend marks the start of the work: you follow the artists live, discovering the blank walls that will come alive over the coming days. An ideal route for anyone crossing the Tarentaise towards the ski resorts, and a fine way to bring colour to a crossroads town often reduced to a place of passage. Tours and maps available on site.
Les Drayes du Vercors: one of France's oldest trail races (26)
On Saturday 20 June, Les Drayes du Vercors gather nearly 1,000 runners at La Chapelle-en-Vercors, in the Drôme. Founded in 1994 by Daniel Gaulupeau, the event ranks among the very first trail races created in France: four courses from 12 to 55 km cross deep forests, steep climbs and committing descents at the heart of the Vercors massif.
Beyond the performance, the Drayes offer the public a fine sporting spectacle in dramatic landscapes, with a village atmosphere at the start and finish. Spectators and walkers also find their place along the courses and at the aid stations. An event for mountain lovers, to combine with a discovery of the Vercors plateau and its villages.
Fête de la Transhumance et de la Clairette: the climb to the pastures in the Diois (26)
The Fête de la Transhumance et de la Clairette reaches its climax this Sunday 21 June, the edition's final day. Created in 1991, it celebrates the flocks' departure for the Vercors pastures and the AOC wines of the Diois, between Châtillon-en-Diois, the Moutière pastures and the Col de Rousset, with wool workshops, sheepdog demonstrations and Clairette de Die tastings.
The closing weekend concentrates the highlights: farmers' markets, pastoral activities and the passage of the animals punctuate days deeply rooted in the farming and winemaking identity of the Diois. An authentic event, to be discovered in a still-preserved southern Vercors — perfect for pairing terroir, hiking and heritage.
La Rue des Artistes: street arts in Saint-Chamond (42)
Until Sunday 21 June, La Rue des Artistes animates the Nelson Mandela Park in Saint-Chamond, in the Loire. Created in 1998 by the Atout Monde association, this popular, community-driven and committed festival is held every third weekend of June: for three days, concerts, street shows, circus, theatre, visual arts and family activities follow one another in a spirit of conviviality.
Sunday closes the edition in the atmosphere of a neighbourhood party stretched to the whole town. Free and accessible, the event favours the local and emerging scene, and appeals to families and live-performance fans alike. A fine alternative to the big urban gatherings, a stone's throw from Saint-Étienne, in a green park.
La Transhumance Fête la Musique: pastoralism and emerging music in Lavaldens (38)
On Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June, the hamlet of Moulin Vieux, in Lavaldens in the Matheysine, hosts La Transhumance Fête la Musique. This singular event weds the discovery of Alpine pastoralism with the emerging French music scene: a festive transhumance of the flocks, varied concerts, a local producers' market, exhibitions and activities unfold over two days.
Saturday 20 June closes this village edition, in a mid-mountain setting that gives the Fête de la Musique a rural, convivial colour. You meet breeders, musicians and families in a simple, warm atmosphere, far from the bustle of the big stages. A rare interlude between high pastures and contemporary music, to discover at the foot of the Taillefer massif.
Give Me Five: contemporary music in Cournon-d'Auvergne (63)
On Saturday 20 June, the Town Hall square of Cournon-d'Auvergne, in the Puy-de-Dôme, vibrates to the rhythm of Give Me Five, a contemporary music festival run by the La Sauce Rock association. Rock, electro, hip-hop, jazz and world music follow one another on the open-air stage, rounded out with music workshops and activities.
The festive, friendly event showcases the local scene at the gates of Clermont-Ferrand, in a free, family-friendly format. It's a chance to discover emerging Auvergne bands in the relaxed atmosphere of a town party, perfect for a solstice evening. Check the headliners' schedule on the official programme.
Les Euphoribes: music and nature on the Cévennes terraces (07)
On Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June, the village of Ribes, perched on its Cévennes terraces in the Ardèche, hosts Les Euphoribes. Run by the young Les Arts des Choix association, the festival blends concerts, nature walks, creative workshops and original activities; its inaugural edition, in 2025, already drew nearly 600 participants around the Fête de la Musique.
Saturday 20 closes these two days in an eco-friendly, village spirit, where music dialogues with the landscape of the Ardèche Cévennes. A budding gem, on a human scale, ideal for those seeking an authentic celebration far from the crowds. Bring good shoes: Ribes' charm also lies in its sloping lanes and terraces.
Also worth a look this weekend
- Les Invités de Villeurbanne (69): a fully free biennial street arts festival, 19 to 21 June at the Ateliers Frappaz
- Festival Libre d'Art in Saint-Privat (07): artistic creation by the river, from 20 June
- Ah ! La Belle Saison in Annecy (74): free open-air shows, from 18 June in the gardens and parks
Looking ahead
Late June will extend the momentum: the Annecy week is in full swing, the Nuits de Fourvière intensify and village festivals multiply as summer arrives. This solstice weekend remains one of the densest of the season, though — the Fête de la Musique brings free concerts everywhere, and the mountain territories, from the Vercors to the Tarentaise, offer cultural gateways the mainstream circuits rarely flag. For the full rundown of what's on right now, see our this weekend's agenda.
