From the nightly Video Mapping trail in Lille to Compiègne's Cheese and Wine Fair, eleven handpicked events to roam the region between heritage facades, floating gardens and neighbourhood accordion.
What is on across Northern France this weekend, May 30-31? The Hauts-de-France region is entering its long-form festival season, with several flagship events running in parallel from the belfry of Lille to the quays of Amiens. Our pick of the week goes to the Festival International de Violoncelle de Beauvais, opening on Friday May 29 under the vaults of Saint-Pierre Cathedral. On Saturday night, the Video Mapping Festival lights up the facades of Vieux-Lille, and on Sunday Place Saint-Jacques in Compiègne fills up with regional producers for the Cheese and Wine Fair. Here is a busy weekend to navigate by mood.
Video Mapping Festival in Lille (59): a nocturnal trail across heritage facades
The Video Mapping Festival is in full swing across the city centre and Vieux-Lille. Run by the Rencontres Audiovisuelles association, this international gathering of digital arts projects mapping creations onto the city's heritage facades once night falls. The route is free, self-guided, and you can wander it at your own pace. Works are signed by collectives from across Europe and beyond, making it an ideal entry point into digital arts. Bring a good pair of shoes, the trail winds between the Grand'Place, the belfry and the cobbled streets of Vieux-Lille. Weekend nights draw big crowds, but that is also when the atmosphere peaks.
Beauvais International Cello Festival (60): opening around the cathedral
The Beauvais International Cello Festival launches on Friday May 29 for ten days devoted to the instrument. Unique in France, this festival lines up around twenty events split between solo recitals, chamber music, symphonic concerts and contemporary commissions. Saint-Pierre Cathedral, the Théâtre du Beauvaisis and the Rostropovitch Auditorium host the main evenings. Demanding artistic direction since 1992, regular appearances by international soloists and young talents spotted at the Paris Conservatoire. The opening weekend pairs free daytime concerts with a major opening gala on Saturday night. Last-minute returns sometimes pop up at the box office.
Festival Jean de La Fontaine in Château-Thierry (02): music and theatre in the fabulist's hometown
In Château-Thierry, the birthplace of fabulist Jean de La Fontaine, the Festival Jean de La Fontaine runs until June 13 with a cross-disciplinary lineup blending vocal music, theatre, dance and literary readings. Founded in 1991, the event takes over the most beautiful heritage sites of southern Aisne every spring: the Jean de La Fontaine museum, the medieval castle, nearby churches and abbeys. The weekend of May 30-31 lands in the festival's first half, with several concerts in unexpected venues. Hervé Niquet's artistic direction gives the evenings a clear baroque colour. Accessible pricing, small capacities in heritage sites, an atmosphere far removed from the metropolitan halls.
International Garden Festival at the Amiens Hortillonnages (80): open-air museum on the water
The International Garden Festival turns the Amiens hortillonnages into a contemporary art trail until October 11. About fifty gardens, installations and site-specific works integrate into this unique landscape of floating gardens shaped since antiquity. Visits happen on foot, by traditional cornet boat or by canoe, each mode radically changing your relation to the works and to the landscape itself. The weekend of May 30-31 sits in the opening weeks, ideal to discover the new commissions before the summer crowds. The Maison de la Culture d'Amiens curates an international selection that engages with contemporary ecological stakes. Combine with a visit to the floating market in the Saint-Leu district.
Festival Wazemmes l'Accordéon in Lille (59): a month of accordion across the popular district
Also in Lille, the Festival Wazemmes l'Accordéon takes over the district of the same name until June 6. Since 1992, the Flonflons association celebrates the accordion in every guise: musette, jazz, gypsy swing, punk, world music. For a full month, gigs in bars, public balls, street shows and the famous Village W turn Wazemmes into a huge open-air stage. Most concerts are free, the vibe stays family-friendly, and the programming reflects the district's multicultural sociology. The weekend of May 30-31 packs several highlights, especially in the bars along Rue des Sarrazins and around the Wazemmes covered market. Tie it in with a stop at the Halle for a proper food break.
Festival des Gohelliades in Loos-en-Gohelle (62): traditional fair under the slag heaps
In Loos-en-Gohelle, a pioneering town for sustainable development at the foot of Europe's tallest slag heaps, the Gohelliades open on Friday May 29 for ten days around Pentecost. Created in 1984 around Marcel Caron, this popular festival highlights the savoir-faire of the former mining basin: musical shows, parade, craftsmen's fair, guided visits to UNESCO-listed slag heaps. The traditional ducasse remains the centrepiece, mixing funfair rides, a giant communal meal and popular balls. A deep dive into a working-class heritage culture that has no real equivalent elsewhere in France. Perfect to combine a family outing with the discovery of a transformed post-industrial territory.
Transphotographiques in Lille (59): international photography across heritage sites
The Transphotographiques festival takes over the major heritage venues of the Lille metropolitan area until June 14: Tri Postal, Palais Rameau, Maisons Folies, Vieille Bourse and Palais Rihour. Founded in 2001 by the Maison de la Photographie, this international thematic festival builds each edition around a guiding thread that frames the exhibitions, screenings and meetings. The curatorial choices mix documentary work with plastic-arts approaches. Entry is free in most venues. The May 30-31 weekend lands in the second half of the route, with several late-night openings and guided tours scheduled. Pair it with the Video Mapping trail for a complete dive into Lille's visual arts.
Compiègne Cheese and Wine Fair (60): tastings on Place Saint-Jacques
No May in Picardy without the Cheese and Wine Fair of Compiègne, Saturday May 30 and Sunday May 31. On Place Saint-Jacques, about a hundred exhibitors and producers serve up tastings, direct sales and advice. The fair has celebrated the pleasures of the table for more than 35 years with a wide spread of cheeses, wines and regional products from across France. Live music and on-site catering round out the format. It is one of the rare large gastronomic events in Hauts-de-France this weekend. Free entry, easy-going atmosphere, bring an insulated bag for what you'll buy. Pair it with a visit to the imperial palace or a walk in the Compiègne forest just next door.
Jazz'titudes in Laon (02): festival finale by the cathedral
In Laon, the Jazz'titudes festival reaches its closing night on Saturday May 30. Born in 1997, this rendezvous spread over nearly three months delivers a dozen concerts in jazz, blues, gospel, gypsy swing, soul and funk across the Aisne department. The Maison des Arts et Loisirs and Notre-Dame de Laon Cathedral host the headliners. The closing concert is traditionally a big moment, with an open format and often an international guest. Accessible pricing, a tight bond with the artists. Combine it with a climb up to the medieval upper town of Laon, one of the most striking in northern France.
Guitares en Picardie in Saint-Gobain (02): a touring guitar gathering
The Guitares en Picardie festival is a quiet but precious appointment for music lovers. Created in 2007 by classical guitarist Frédéric Bernard, it offers each year from May to June about twenty free concerts in churches, village halls and heritage venues across more than twenty Aisne communes. The itinerant format moves to a new village every night. The guitar is celebrated in all its forms: classical, flamenco, jazz, world music. The weekend of May 30-31 features several concerts, with a particular highlight in Saint-Gobain. A great option to discover the rural heritage of the Aisne while following a coherent musical thread.
Bains de Forêt Musicaux in Compiègne (60): forest bathing meets classical music
The Bains de Forêt Musicaux are an original creation of the Festival des Forêts. Inspired by the Japanese shinrin yoku, these three-hour guided walks in the Compiègne and Laigue forests are led alongside a classical musician playing live. Yoga sessions, sophrology, attentive listening to nature and short woodland concerts unfold at the walker's pace. The format is rare in France and capacity stays deliberately small. Several sessions are scheduled across the weekend of May 30-31. A genuinely original option to combine outdoor activity, well-being and music without a big budget or heavy logistics. Booking ahead is strongly advised.
Worth a mention too
- SuperVIA Maubeuge (59): final week of the multidisciplinary performing arts festival run by Le Manège, the cross-border national stage, with shows in Maubeuge and as far as Mons in Belgium.
- Les Rencontres Musicales de Cambrai (59): concerts in the art deco theatre and heritage venues of the Cambrésis, directed by Jean-Pierre Wiart.
For a broader sweep across other regions, head to our full weekend agenda. Enjoy your Hauts-de-France weekend.
