Toulouse has a very young population and hot weather during the summer and most of the fall. It’s not a surprise then that the pink city is home to many fun events and festivals.
In this article, you’ll discover the best festivals in Toulouse as well as other destinations in the Toulouse region. The list includes everything from electronic music festivals to piano concerts and a cute circus festival.
If it’s your first time in Toulouse don’t forget to read my detailed guide to a weekend in Toulouse and the article about where to stay in Toulouse. It will help you plan the best trip!
If you love festivals check out my list of the best festivals in Bordeaux.
Let’s dive into the cultural world of Toulouse and discover its best festivals!
The best events and festivals in Toulouse Metropole
Festival Spiral
Festival Spiral is a music festival hosted by some of the best music venues in Toulouse like Le Bikini and Le Metronum. The program includes tens of artists from all over the world that perform different events during the month of January.
Check out the details here.
The Violet Festival
Fête de la Violette takes place at Place du Capitole, the main square of Toulouse where the favorite Toulousian flower is celebrated in all its forms from decorations to food, perfumes, and more.
This year (2023) the festival will take place on February 4-5. See more info here.
MAP – The Photography festival of Toulouse
MAP is an amazing event for photography lovers in Toulouse. The festival takes place every year around May or June. Over several weeks places like Espace EDF Bazacle and Paul Dupuy Museum host amazing photography exhibitions.
The goal of the festival is to introduce photography and its artists to the wide public and create opportunities for amateur and professional photographers to meet. Access to the exhibitions is free.
The dates for 2023 will be updated soon.
See more details here
Rio Loco
Rio Loco, created in 1995, is one of the best festivals Toulouse has to offer. The festival is focused on world music and culture and aims to promote cultural diversity. Each year, the program includes plenty of open-air concerts, shows for kids, visual arts, and more.
The festival takes place at Prairie des Filtres in the Saint Cyprien neighborhood (read more about Saint Syprien in my district guide).
This year (2023) Rio Loco will take place on June 14-18. See more details here.
Le Nouveau Printemps
Formerly known as le Printemps de Septembre, Le Nouveau Printemps is one of the best events in Toulouse. This cultural festival was created in 1991 to promote arts of different genres and disciplines, from cinema to architecture and dance.
During the month-long festival, plenty of art events and exhibitions will be offered in the Saint Cyprien district in Toulouse. This year the festival will take place from June 2 to July 2, 2023. Follow this website to see the program of the festival.
Siestes Électroniques – Electro music
“Siestes Électroniques” is an electro music festival taking place every early summer in Toulouse. The event takes place at the beautiful gardens of Compans Caffarelli just north of the center of the city. The idea is to discover new music and artists in a very relaxed atmosphere, a sort of musical siesta in the park.
The festival was created in 2002 in Toulouse and has been traveling to other cities in France and the rest of the world since.
This year (2023) Siestes Électronique will take place from June 29 to July 2. See more details here.
Tangopostale – Tango Festival
Tangopoltale is a big Tango festival taking place in different places in Toulouse every summer. The events include concerts, dance balls, exhibitions, and more. This year (2023) Tangopostale will take place from June 30 to July 29. See more details here.
Open-air Cinema at the Cinémathèque of Toulouse
This is a two-month event in which the Cinematheque of Toulouse invites you to experience cinema “autrement” (differently). During July and August, more than 40 movies from different genres will be screened at the courtyard of La Cinematheque de Toulouse. With the long days and the hot weather in the summer, this is one of the highlights of the summer in Toulouse.
The Cinematheque is located in a beautiful building on rue de Taur in the center of Toulouse. The program for this year will be published on their Facebook page.
Concerts sous les étoiles à Toulouse
This is a new music festival taking place at Jardin Raymond VI in Toulouse (the Saint Cyprien district). All the concerts will take place on the board of the Garonne River, under the stars, as the name of the festival suggests. This year (2023) the festival is taking place on July 1-13. See more details here.
Electro Alternativ
This is one of the biggest electronic music events in Toulouse, hosted by different music venues in the city. The lineup includes some of the biggest names in Electronic music. The festival usually takes place in September.
The dates of the festival and the lineup for 2023 will be published here.
Piano aux Jacobins (Piano concerts)
Piano aux Jacobins is a Piano festival taking place every September at the Couvent de Jacobins in the center of Toulouse. Le Couvent de Jacobins is one of the landmarks of Toulouse and a must-stop on your visit there. This year (2023) the festival is taking place on September 6-29, see the program here.
See other places not to miss on your visit to Toulouse.
Festival Toulouse les Orgues
Every year Toulouse is hosting the International Organ Festival. During the days of the festival, several churches in Toulouse are hosting daily Organ concerts. This year the event will be taking place on October 4-15.
See all the info here.
Marché de Noël de Toulouse
The main Christmas market of Toulouse takes place on Place du Capitole for about a month from the end of November until Christmas day! More than 100 wooden cabins with gifts, local products, and food adorn Place du Capitol and its impressive buildings. If you’re looking for Christmas gifts, you will find everything from jewelry, kids’ toys, cosmetics, chocolates, local wine, and more.
If you want to learn more about this and other Christmas markets in Toulouse, read my article about Christmas in the Toulouse region.
Big events and festivals around Toulouse (in Occitanie)
Jazz en Comminges
This Jazz festival is taking place every year in Saint Gaudens, a little town in the Haute Garonne department. This year the festival is celebrating its 20th edition. The event is taking place on May 17-23, see all the info here.
Arts Scenics
Arts Scenics is yet another fun summer festival taking place near Toulouse. The music festival is hosted by the town of Lisle-sur-Tarn, about an hour’s drive from Bordeaux, This year the festival will be taking place from June 30 to July 2. See the full program here.
Pause Guitare
One of the biggest music festivals in Occitanie is taking place every July in Albi (about an hour drive from Toulouse). The festival, created more than two decades ago, annually hosts more than 90 artists on six stages around the city. The program cleverly combines performances by big stars and new artists.
In 2023, the festival will take place on July 4-9.
See more info here.
Fabulous Festival
Fabulous is a gastronomy and electronic music festival, a pretty cool combination, don’t you think? The festival takes place every August in Villemur-sur-Tarn, a village located around 45 km from Toulouse. The event is hosted by the stunning Château de la Garrigue, which makes it even more special.
This year (2023) the festival is taking place on August 16-18. See all the info here.
Festival de rue de Miremont
Festival de rue de Miremont is a fun festival dedicated to street performance. Two days with a very entertaining program that includes circus, puppets shows, music concerts, equestrian aerobatics, and more. The festival takes place in Miremont, about 30k northwest of Toulouse.
This year (2023) the festival is taking place on July 22-23, see all the details here.
Circa – A circus festival
Circa is an international contemporary circus festival taking place every year in Auch (about 1.5 hour’s drive from Toulouse). The shows in this festival are beyond traditional circus and include elements of dance, music, and digital arts.
The festival usually takes place in October.
The dates and updated program for 2023 are going to be published here.
I hope you enjoyed my list of the best events in Toulouse and that it gave you the inspiration to plan a trip to this region! If so, please share this article with your friends 🙂
You can also get plenty of tips on things to do in the Southwest of France via lost in Bordeaux’s social media accounts and email list, check them out here: