You've been waiting for it! Here are the Top 10 classical music festivals in France in 2024! These classical music festivals are major cultural events offering immersion in the world of orchestrated music. They offer the chance to discover or rediscover masterpieces in exceptional settings.
1. Aix-en-Provence Festival 2024
This edition explores ambivalent destinies through major works: from Atride's Iphigenia, oscillating between victim and executioner, to Samson, isolated by his strength, to Butterfly, the embodiment of vulnerability and obstinacy. Alongside the operas, an ambitious concert program features contemporary ensembles and vocal recitals. These enrich the dialogue between eras and styles. The 2024 edition celebrates 75 years of artistic history. It continues the festival's commitment to creation, innovation and the spotlighting of talent through diverse formats and unique musical encounters.
- Dates: July 3 to 23, 2024
- Venue: Aix-en-Provence (Théâtre de l'Archevêché, Grand Théâtre de Provence, Théâtre du Jeu de Paume and Hôtel Maynier d'Oppède).
- Artists: the festival presents a wide range of productions, with masterpieces by Gluck, Rameau, Puccini, Debussy, Monteverdi, Mozart, Verdi, Davies, Kurtág and many others.
Where to buy your pass? Book your ticket here!
2. Classical Music Festivals in France in 2024: Les Chorégies d'Orange
Les Chorégies d'Orange is France's oldest festival. Founded in 1869, it celebrates lyrical and classical music at the ancient theater of Orange, in Provence. This exceptional venue, with a capacity of 8300 spectators, offers remarkable acoustics thanks to its preserved wall. The event draws its originality from its Greco-Latin roots. These are symbolized by its name, derived from the Greek choreos, and by its musical vocation, which gives it an international reputation. The 2024 season offers a diversified program.
- Dates: June 14 to July 22, 2024
- Location: Orange, in Provence-Alpes-Côte D'Azur
- Featured artists: "Pop The Opera", "Musiques en Fête", performances by Mika Philharmonique, Khatia Buniatishvili, a tribute to Charlie Chaplin, the Malandain Ballet Biarritz, "Black Legends, le Musical", a recital by Edgar Moreau, and to close, Puccini's "Tosca" in concert version, as well as a recital by emerging artists.
Where to buy your pass? Book your ticket here!
3. Les Rencontres Musicales d'Évian
Les Rencontres Musicales d'Évian, directed by Renaud Capuçon, celebrates the hundredth anniversary of Gabriel Fauré 's death with a special edition. The festival's impressive program includes performances by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Sir Simon Rattle with Magdalena Kozená, as well as concerts featuring renowned ensembles and soloists. Masterclasses, musical tales and tributes to other musical figures such as Daniel Barenboim also enrich the program. This event promises to be a highlight for music lovers.
- Dates : June 26 to July 6, 2024
- Venue: Évian
- Artists: the Dutilleux Quartet, Adrien La Marca, Edgar Moreau, and Le Concert des Nations with Jordi Savall.
4. Beaune International Baroque Opera Festival
The Beaune International Baroque Opera Festival is celebrating over 35 years of existence. Every July, it unveils a plethora of operas, oratorios and baroque music recitals in the heart of Burgundy. For its 40th anniversary in 2022, the festival underlined its contribution to the Baroque revolution by featuring performances on period instruments by eminent European ensembles. In 2024, the festival will continue to seduce Baroque music lovers with prestigious events in the Cour des Hospices de Beaune.
5. La Roque d'Anthéron Piano Festival
The La Roque d'Anthéron Piano Festival is a world reference for piano lovers. Set in the idyllic grounds of the Château de Florans in the south of France, each year the festival attracts the greatest piano talents, from young prodigies to established virtuosos. The repertoire ranges from classical to contemporary. Since its creation in 1980, the festival has distinguished itself by its ability to marry the natural beauty of its setting with musical excellence. The 2024 program promises to be particularly rich, with open-air concerts allowing music lovers to enjoy music under the stars. The festival's focus is on innovation, incorporating multimedia elements and a variety of concert formats.
- Dates: July 20 - August 20, 2024
- Location : La Roque d'Anthéron, Bouches-du-Rhône.
- Artists: to be announced.
6. La Chaise-Dieu Festival
The 58th Festival de La Chaise-Dieu features 33 concerts and 39 free concerts. The event is a haven of beauty and freedom, inviting you on an inner journey through music. TheCziffra Auditorium offers a series of events celebrating German Romanticism and chamber music. Highlights include the continuation of Beethoven's Complete Symphonies, the consolidation of Génération Chaise-Dieu, the introduction of opera to the Abbey of Saint-Robert, and the celebration of Gabriel Fauré's centenary. The festival covers a wide range of genres, styles and epochs, from Beethoven to Monteverdi, Bach to Lacôte, embracing jazz, opera and choral music.
- Dates : August 21 to 31, 2024
- Location: La Chaise-Dieu
- Artists present: Alexandre Pascal on violin and Léa Hennino on viola, the Ensemble Théodora will take the stage with Alice Trocellier on viola da gamba and Lucie Chabard on harpsichord, and many more.
7. Prades Pablo Casals Festival
Created in 1950 by the famous cellist Pablo Casals, the Festival de Prades is a not-to-be-missed chamber music event, renowned in France and internationally. It attracts some 10,000 music lovers to the foothills of the Canigou mountains, who come to appreciate musical excellence in emblematic venues such as the Abbaye Saint-Michel de Cuxa. The festival is also a springboard for young talent. It includes a chamber orchestra that pairs these emerging talents with renowned musicians. Each year, a composer in residence is invited. Conferences, artistic encounters and film screenings complete the cultural program, making this festival a highlight of the musical summer.
- Dates: July 28 to August 8, 2024
- Location: Prades, Pyrénées-Orientales.
- Artists: to be announced.
8. Classical Music Festivals in France in 2024: The Berlioz Festival
Founded in 1979, the Festival Berlioz has become a flagship event for classical music, especially symphonic, in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and beyond. Held in the birthplace of Hector Berlioz, this August festival attracts prestigious international orchestras, maestros and soloists. Under the direction of Bruno Messina since 2009, it aims to celebrate Berlioz, introduce innovative projects, support young musicians via the orchestra-academy, and democratize access to classical music. The Berlioz Festival is a unique event in France, focusing on symphonic music.
- Dates : August 20 to September 3, 2024
- Location: Côte-Saint-André, Isère.
- Artists: to be announced.
9. Les Flâneries Musicales de Reims
Les Flâneries Musicales de Reims is a major summer event, returning in June 2024 with nearly 50 classical and jazz concerts. The festival will bring the city and surrounding area to life, taking over emblematic and unusual sites for two months of summer festivities. The highlight of the festival is the picnic concert on July 18 in the Parc de Champagne, the city's largest park. Attracting over 15,000 people, this event invites festival-goers to enjoy the music in a convivial atmosphere, complete with blankets, candles and picnic baskets, before concluding with a magnificent fireworks display.
- Dates : June and July 2024
- Location: Reims
- Artists: to be announced
Where to buy your pass? Book your ticket here!
10. Festival Piano aux Jacobins
The Piano aux Jacobins Festival celebrates its tradition of spotlighting pianistic talent in the historic setting of the Cloître des Jacobins. Since 1980, this annual festival has been an essential meeting point for both classical and jazz musicians. It provides a stage for young talent as well as the great names in piano. Renowned far beyond France's borders, with parallel editions in China and Japan, the festival once again promises to make its mark on Toulouse's cultural life. The detailed program for the 2024 edition has yet to be announced, but music lovers can look forward to an experience that testifies to the diversity and richness of the piano world.
- Dates : September 2024
- Venue: Toulouse
- Artists: to be announced
Where to buy your pass? Book your ticket here!
Europe's biggest classical music festivals
In Europe, three major festivals attract a lot of attention:
- London's Proms, with its series of daily concerts at the Royal Albert Hall;
- The Salzburg Festival in Austria, famous for its opera, concerts and theater;
- And the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, known for its innovative programming and world-renowned ensembles.
France's most eagerly awaited classical music festivals in 2024
Among the most eagerly awaited events in France in 2024 are the Festival International de Piano de la Roque d'Anthéron, the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and La Folle Journée de Nantes. These festivals attract music lovers from all over the world.
Discover even more festivals and tips with our selection:
- 20 Must-See Music Festivals in France in 2024
- Festival news from the Petit Futé
- 10 Must-See Festivals in the South of France in 2024
- Festival Essentials: the Essential Checklist
And what about you? Which of these top 10 classical music festivals in France in 2024 appeals to you? For more details on these major events, and to discover other must-see musical events in France in 2024, read our Petit Futé Festival News section!
