The must-see La Rochelle festivals

No matter the season, La Rochelle, city of culture, makes us vibrate to the rhythm of its festivals. Concerts with prestigious artists on the stage of the Francofolies or jazz between the 2 towers. Cinema, series, television films, books. La Rochelle takes out its sequins and makes us its cinema! Discover right here the most famous events of the city.

Francofolies, the flagship music festival of La Rochelle

The Francofolies de La Rochelle festival has offered a mainly French-speaking program for years, unveiled a few months before the event. Created in 1985, it is held during the summer season, offering 5 days of concerts in July. The different scenes highlight the emblematic cultural places of the city: the Coursive theater, the Sirène performance hall, the old port of La Rochelle and of course the Saint-Jean d'Acre esplanade with the mythical Jean-Louis Foulquier scene.

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This festival, known throughout France and beyond our borders, attracts a lot of public and professionals at each edition. Its audacious and creative programming integrates each year prestigious headliners: it has thus seen great singers and groups such as Johnny Hallyday, Louise Attaque, Tryo, IAM and more recently artists of the new generation such as Orelsan, Angèle, Lomepal and Aya Nakamura.

Young and old meet for a concert to listen to music and party. For the occasion, animations and musical and creative workshops are also organized on the sidelines of the event.
The Francofolies contribute to the protection of nature and the Rochelle territory by committing to a sustainable management mode of the activities related to the festival: partnership with local entities and companies in the fields of transport, energy and food (more information on the Francofolies website).

TV Fiction Festival

The TV Fiction Festival was born in Saint-Tropez. Relocated in 2006 to La Rochelle, it benefits from a growing success with the general public and professionals. This event presents each year nearly 60 films and series in official competition and out of competition.

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In 2021, for this new edition of the festival, the jury members had to judge the different films and feature films presented. In total, 15 prizes were awarded among 42 works, including 25 French fictions, 11 European and 6 foreign French-speaking works. The jury was chaired by Guillaume de Tonquédec and composed among others by Emmanuel Daucé.

The top 5 awards:

• The award for best 52-minute series goes to Mon ange from TF1. This series with Muriel Robin and Marilou Berry, deals with the disappearance of a child and the search for years of her mother;
• The award for best comedy went to La vengeance au triple galop, a film directed by Alex Lutz and Arthur Sanigou with Alex Lutz and Audrey Lamy;
• Best European fiction in You don't die among friends, a German adaptation based on the Israeli black comedy Stockholm created by Noa Yedlin, this German adaptation tells the story of a group of friends;
• The best 26-minute series is Stalk from France Télévisions, about the world of hacking;
• The award for best television film was awarded to L’enfant de personne, directed by Akim Isker, from France Télévisions, with Isabelle Carré. This film upset the jury.
• The award for best female performance was awarded to actress Marie Gillain for her role in A la folie which highlights the ordeal of a woman, a single mother under the psychological influence of her narcissistic pervert companion.

La Rochelle Cinema Festival (Fema)

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Created in 1973, this seventh art festival open to the public is organized every year in the Old Port of La Rochelle. There is no competition and no prizes are awarded but more than 200 films are shown each year (previews, documentaries, animated films, short films and films for children). The selection is meticulous and eclectic with on the poster as well as art and essay films as adventure films, of all eras and all horizons. Great directors are also honored by the festival, which projects retrospectives of their films. The white night, organized on the last day, is a themed evening with the projection of 3 to 5 films on the places of the event (Coursive theater, Dragon cinema, courtyard of the Ecole d’Or).

La Rochelle Jazz Festival

This event, formerly named Jazz Entre Les Deux Tours, is organized every year in October, since 1998, aims to promote jazz in all its forms. It welcomes musicians from all over the world but also local groups, who offer different styles of jazz. Beautiful discoveries in perspective. The agenda offers a succession of paid and free concerts as well as conferences, master classes, dance classes and educational animations for the colleges of the department.

La Rochelle Arts Festival

The adventure of Arts Atlantic, the La Rochelle biennial, began more than 25 years ago! Over time, this project has become an unmissable event in New Aquitaine. Both an artistic festival and a contemporary art fair, the event brings together artists, gallery owners, collectives, associations, sponsors and partners for 4 days, with in total nearly 3000 m2 of exhibition at the Espace Encan (near Aquarium La Rochelle and the maritime museum of La Rochelle). The agenda also includes conferences, participatory workshops, openings and unpublished performances!

Where to sleep during festivals in La Rochelle?

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B&B HOTELS has prepared a selection of its best hotels in La Rochelle.

Ideally located, in the immediate vicinity of the main roads, the La Rochelle train station and La Rochelle-île de Ré airport, our establishments are easily accessible whether you are traveling by train, car or plane. A stone's throw from the most beautiful beaches of La Rochelle, île de Ré and île d’Oléron, combine relaxation and culture during your stay in the region!

Our hotels all have access to a quality unlimited Wi-Fi connection, as well as a flat-screen television with many international channels.

Our rooms all have high-quality, high-comfort bedding, which is regularly changed. Also enjoy a private bathroom. 
Alone, accompanied, with friends or family, you will find the room adapted to your needs. A hindrance, bad news, personal or professional reasons and you are forced to cancel your reservation? Don't worry! At B&B HOTELS we are at your service and you can cancel at no cost.

A little peckish? Our establishments are close to the best restaurants in La Rochelle.

The unlimited breakfast, at a very small price, of B&B HOTELS

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Breakfast is served as a buffet at will in all our hotels in France. Children from 3 to 10 years old can enjoy the same products for only €3.

Did you know?

B&B HOTELS has committed from 2025 to exclusively offer free-range eggs to serve all breakfasts; all products that contain eggs are concerned by this measure.
So, don't wait any longer and treat yourself! Book now your cheap hotel in Poitou-Charentes with B&B HOTELS.