It is very often when I i feel so lucky to live in Lyon. The city is beautiful and you can’t argue with that. The people are very nice and kind. And on top of that it’s not a boring place at all.

There is so much to see and do in Lyon. The monuments, the museums, the parks, churches etc. There are also so many big events happening in the city and there are quite a few typical lyonnais activities. There are quite a few I discovered and liked and I would love to share with you. To keep it simple, I have chosen just my top 5 favourite lyonnais festivals but very particular ones. So I hope you appreciate. Here it is my list if top 5 particular festivals in Lyon I like. Do you know and like others?

1. Lyon Biere Festival – It got so popular that it is impossible for it not to happen very year. Yes. Be sure that the beer festival returns to Lyon each April for a weekend which seems too short for such a success as there are more and more exhibitors and more and more visitors each year. The Lyon Bière Festival is organized by Rue89Lyon, an independent regional information website; Bieronomy.com, online sales site specializing in craft beer and winery in Seynod / Annecy; Le Petit Bulletin, cultural and leisure press group in Lyon, Grenoble and Saint-Étienne. And why is it so popular? Well, have you seen my article about the French little beer obsession here? And why is it in Lyon? Because this beautiful city welcomes brewers from all over the France (including many from Lyon), from Belgium, Germany, even Japan etc and because Lyon is constantly changing its image related to gastronomy, thanks to an exciting food scene. So, the city with its festival make everyone happy because it gives the opportunity to the bigger and smaller breweries to present and sell the beers they make, to all of us to learn something new about the beer via conferences, events and tasting and simply it’s a great opportunity to share the passion for beer with others but mostly the Lyon Biere Festival let us all taste the artisanal beers. And the BONUS here is: you get a FREE unusual beer glass and there are food trucks for the lunch tasty and still healthy option! Can you beat that? When: weekend in April Where: Sucrière, 49 – 50 quai Rambaud – 69002 Lyon 2nd; How Much: 6 Euros

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   
   

2. The Nuits de Fourvière – oh la la what’s a festival! It’s one of the most popular and beloved by all French really. People from around Lyon come to take part in it. Les Nuits gathers every summer over 130 000 spectators. The average attendance reaches 83% of the full capacity of the theatres. It took me 2 years to go for a concert and I had an amazing, unforgettable experience. Ok, I was scared of the rain because the umbrellas are forbidden but I found a solution and few tips for enjoying the festival here. But what The Nuits de Fourviere festival is? It’s a type of the festival with theater, circus, music, dance, and film shows. It has a long tradition. The festival has been taking place every summer since 1946 in the Théâtre antique de Fourvière, and in the Odéon de Lyon (since 1952) in the 5th arrondissement near the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière. So really in all the best spots in Lyon. Every summer, in June and July, the festival presents about 60 shows. I went there in 2017 to see Vianney and I can’t express how wonderful experience I had. Imagine warm summer night on the hill of Fourviere with the amazing view of the city of lights. Imagine ancient theater and the music you love. And now book your tickets and come to see it and feel it all yourself. When: June/July; Where: in the Théâtre antique de Fourvière, and in the Odéon de Lyon (since 1952) in the 5th arrondissement near the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière; How Much: different, depending on the singer
3. Jungle Art Urban Festival – thankfully it is not happening only once a year but more often. The first edition of Urban Art Jungle festival by SUPERPOSITION  took place in September 2016. More than two thousand visitors with different profiles from all over Lyon made the trip to this unique location in the 7th arrondissement. It again took me 2 years to take part in such an event but finally in 2018 I visited it to learn more about the lyonnais street art. Because what exactly is the Urban Art Jungle Festival? It is Lyon’s festival which brings together visual artists, musicians, performers and new talents to promote the art to as many people as possible. Interestingly, the Urban Art Jungle Festival is organized by the association Superposition which aims to be a real artistic patron for the local and national artists. It tends to democratize art for all and to promote the urban artists. I’m not the specialist of the street art at all. Of course I like it and admire all the artists and their talents that is why I enjoyed my first time at festival and that’s why I can recommend it and I will come back for more. Why? Because of its beautiful and interesting exhibitions and also because of the unique opportunity to see the real workshops of various artistic practices (graffiti, ceramics, screen printing, etc ..), screenings or conferences, musical evenings, etc and also because of the artistic workshops in which we all (but really mainly kids) could take part. When: different date; Where:  Croiseur; How Much: 5-6 Euro

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

4. Quais du Polar Festival –The best, the biggest festival of crime culture, through literature, but also cinema and music. It’s an international event gathering the crime stories authors from really all over the world. The Quais du Polar festival has become the must-see event for the crime readers in France. Now installed in the French and European cultural landscape, it is recognized by both book and publishing professionals from all countries and by by crime stories readers who now not only come to meet their favourite authors but also take part at the various events proposed by the festival. So imagine: novels, comics, TV series, cinema, round tables, meetings, urban investigation, theater, exhibitions, games around the crime happening at the April festival during 3 days. And the BONUS here is: the unique opportunity to meet the best crime books authors and get their signatures or even a photo with them…And for FREE! When: weekend April; Where: Various places in Lyon and the main one is the Palais du Commerce (stunning building at the Rue de Republique); How Much: FREE to enter but you need to buy a pass of 20 or 30 Euros to take part in conferences

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

5. Lyon BD Festival – This one is so cool as well! You know what BD is, right? Well, I’m ashamed to admit but I didn’t know! BD= Bande Dessinée, so very popular and beloved by French people, comics. And this festival brings together the world of the 9th art around different and original events for a BD! Cinemas, museums, restaurants, welcome comics in all its forms. In a nutshell: 48 hours, more than 200 authors come to meet their audience during dedications, performances, live shows, workshops, masterclasses etc.; through many cool and unusual places of the Presqu’île de Lyon, also worth a visit! The BONUS: throughout the month of June, many museums, cultural institutions, theaters, cafes, cinemas, schools, town halls welcome comics with their expos and events. I attended the festival and I was very impressed. Go and see yourself. It’s worth it! When: weekend in Jun; Where: various places in Lyon (BONUS: some events and expo can be found in the magnificent Hotel de Vill); How Much: 5- 8 Euros

   

Oh…I came to the end with my selection of the top 5 particular festivals in Lyon I like and I can recommend. Obviously, there are others I know and like and many more which I don’t know. What are your favourite local festivals in which you took part or you would like to? Can you recommend any? Thanks!