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Blois, festive town

Throughout the year in Blois, large-scale cultural, social and sports events are organized and open to one and all for creation, education, sharing, celebration… and overcoming one’s limits.

Blois festive — © Ville de Blois, Alain Caillaud, Hachem El Yamani

Visuel de l’édition 2019 de Des Lyres d’été : une montgolfière décorée d’un tableau Renaissance, entourée par des inventions et des symboles rappelant Léonard de Vinci et la Loire.

Summer Festival: “Des Lyres d’été”

The summer festival “Des Lyres d’été” proposes more than 300 events over three months: arts, culture, nature and riverside café (guinguette), on the handsome squares of Blois, the shores of the Loire and the surrounding villages.
Dessin d’enfants jouant sur la glace dans un décor hivernal et festif.

Winter Festival: “Des Lyres d’hiver”

The winter festival “Des Lyres d’hiver” provides year-end illumination in Blois, with hundreds of magical attractions, many of them free, all over the town and around its shops: ice skating rink, sleigh rides, spectacles and guided tours.
Des centaines de personnes sont réunies dans l’hémicycle de la Halle aux grains pour une conférence des Rendez-vous de l’histoire.

Rendez-vous de l’histoire (Rendezvous With History)

The Rendezvous With History elucidates the present in light of the past. Each year in Blois, close to 500 free events and conferences, a book fair and a film cycle bring together 45,000 persons.
Coureur en train de lasser ses chaussures.

Macadam

“Macadam” is a popular sports event, a footrace through the heart of the magnificent Blois heritage. Each year, more than 2,000 persons participate, whatever their ages and performance levels.
Affiche du 36e bd BOUM : dessin d’un fûtreau naviguant sur la Loire à Blois.

bd BOUM (Comics Festival)

bd BOUM is the leading free comics festival in France. Each year in Blois, the festival serves as a scene for numerous encounters and exhibitions, while 220 artists dedicate their work in the BD (bande dessinée) salon.
Illustration de trois femmes, dont une en combattante médiévale, et une autre en journaliste de guerre.

« Elles » (Women’s Rights Week)

« Elles » is a prolongation in Blois of International Women’s Rights Day. Workshops, films, concerts, exhibits and debates are featured in a program highlighting the fight against discrimination and for equality of the sexes.

Carnival

The Blois carnival is a large-scale people’s procession proceeding down the town’s streets in the month of March. Hustle and bustle characterize a once-a-year occasion for disguising oneself and applying make-up, while singing and dancing to celebrate the arrival of spring.
Un groupe d’artistes se produit en plein air devant une foule accroupie autour d’eux.

Mix’Terres (Artists of the World)

Each year, the Mix’Terres festival in Blois brings together artists from throughout the world I a spirit of cultural and artistic mixing. Dance, music, modern circus and street art are part of the program.

Forty Key Rendezvous Throughout the Year

  • New Year’s greeting ceremonies (early janvier)
  • Pre-school reader’s festival (“Graine de lecteurs”, late January-February)
  • Record exchange (“Bourse aux disques”, February)
  • Elles (Women’s Rights Week, early March)
  • Book exchange (“Bourse aux livres”, March)
  • Carnival (March)
  • Puits-Châtel’s flea market (March)
  • Funfair (“fête foraine”, March–April)
  • Festi’sud (April)
  • Loir-et-Cher bicycle tour (early April)
  • Vintage vehicules exhibition (“Bouchon blésois”, late April)
  • Macadam (May or June)
  • Testing local produce (“Papilles en fête”, May)
  • Museum night (May)
  • Mix’Terres festival (music and art, May)
  • Étoile cyclo (children’s bike ride, May–June)
  • Neighbors’ day (May)
  • Le Hangar (artistic expression, June)
  • The scientific encounters of Blois (June)
  • Garden rendezvous ( June)
  • Citizen’s day (June)
  • Blois Basket Show (June)
  • Farmers’ summer market (June)
  • Hortibroc (gardeners’ flea market, June)
  • International tennis tournament (June)
  • World Music Day (21 June)
  • Summer festival (“Des Lyres d’été, 22 June–22 September 2019) — More than 200 events, including La Guinguette (riverside café) from 3 to 7 July 2019
  • Quartiers d’été (children’s creative activities, 3–11 July 2019)
  • Célébrations of the French National Day (13 July)
  • Flea market on the bridge (6–8 September 2019)
  • Fête du sport (7 September 2019)
  • European Heritage Days (20–22 September 2019)
  • Défi interentreprises (corporate sports contests, 20 September 2019)
  • Going downstream the Loire (21 September 2019)
    Note: the 2019 edition of this event has been cancelled for your safety, due to the current drought.
  • Tour Vibration (concerts, 26 September 2019)
  • Coupe de Poudloire (magical children’s universe, 28 September 2019)
  • Rendez-vous de l’Histoire (9-13 October 2019)
  • French Cup in track and field (12–13 October 2019)
  • Week of combat against violence victimizing women (22–27 November 2019)
  • bd BOUM festival (comics festival, 22–24 November 2019)
  • Winter festival (“Des Lyres d’hiver”, 30 November–5 January 2020) — One hundread events
  • Saint-Nicolas Fair (8 December 2019)

Hundreds of Special Events Every Week  

Throughout the year, the different cultural sites procced with their respective programs: film cycle, temporary exhibits, theater season, etc. In addition, Blois regularly hosts salons, block parties, sell-offs (braderies), garage sales (vide-greniers), etc.

These different ideas for outings may be found in the French-language agenda des sorties of Blois.