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In Discover Bordeaux

Museums in Bordeaux – Art, design, wine and history

Last updated on September 21, 2021 No Comments

Bordeaux is so rich and beautiful that you can spend several days here without visiting even one museum. But actually, to the surprise of many tourists, Bordeaux has quite a variety of interesting museums. In this small city you can see permanent exhibitions of classic art, modern design, street art, architecture, archeology and more. In this article, I gathered a list of the most interesting museums to visit in Bordeaux. So if you’re in a cultural mood, this article is for you. If you found this article while desperately looking for something to do on a rainy day, check out more ideas in my article about the best things to do when it’s raining in Bordeaux.

Table of content

Discounts for Bordeaux’s museums
Wine museums in Bordeaux
Art Museums in Bordeaux
Kids Museums in Bordeaux
History, culture and others

Just before we start I need to mention a few important bits of information.

Discounts for Bordeaux’s museums

The fees that I mention next to every museum represent the full ticket price. But that doesn’t mean you will have to pay that price as there are plenty of discounts in France. The price is usually reduced (or even free in some cases) for students, people under 25 yo, seniors, people with disabilities, unemployed, and people holding the Bordeaux city pass. So it’s always good to check the site of the museum to see if you can get a reduced price.

Bordeaux city pass – This pass is a card you can buy online or at the tourist office that allows you to freely use the public transport, visit plenty of museums and enjoy some attractions for a reduced price. This pass is available for 24, 48 or 72 consecutive hours (the prices are 29€, 39€ and 43€ euros respectively). Even the expensive wine museum is there so it’s really worth checking out if you plan to visit a few places and use public transport a lot. You can see all the details and purchase the Bordeaux city pass here.
Bordeaux museums pass – this pass is more interesting for people who live here or visit the city on a regular basis. The pass gives you unlimited entry for a year to seven museums in the city. You can see the list of museums and all the details here. The price is 25 € for a single pass and 37,50 € for a couple pass. You can purchase it in any of the museums mentioned in the link above.
Free Sunday – many of the museums in the city are free on the first Sunday of the month, which includes permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Now that we’re done with all that let’s get into our artistic mood and start discovering the museums of Bordeaux.

Wine museums in Bordeaux

Cité du Vin

The Cité du Vin is one of the most popular attractions on the tourist trail in Bordeaux. In the last couple of years, it has become one of Bordeaux’s most iconic institutions even though it opened its doors only in 2016. The extraordinary building, inspired by the movement of wine swirling in a glass, is a one of a kind cultural center, all dedicated to discovering the wine world. Through its interactive exhibition, It offers a journey to both French and global wine history, culture and knowhow. You will learn about winemaking, see movies and interviews with wine producers and then smell and taste wine. The Cite du Vin allows you to discover a selection of wines from all over the world in its spectacular wine shop and to see the best panoramic view of Bordeaux. The fee of the museum is quite high (20 euros) so if you want to decide if it’s worth the money, you can read my article about my visit to the cite du vin to get a good idea of what to expect.

You can also skip the line and buy the tickets online- click here to purchase the tickets.

Cite du vin - colors of wine — A fun place even if you don’t like wine

Address: Esplanade de Pontac, 134 Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm and Saturday – Sunday and bank and school holidays from 10am to 7pm
Fee: 20€ for adults and 9€ for kids and free for kids under 6 years old.
The site of the museum: https://www.laciteduvin.com/en

Musée du Vin et du Négoce de Bordeaux

Apart from the Cité du vin, Bordeaux also has another wine museum that is dedicated to Bordeaux’s wine history. Musée du Vin et du Négoce is a small museum, located in what used to be the house of an Irish négociant (wine merchant) in the 18th century. During that time Chartons was the neighborhood of Flemish, Irish and German wine merchants who settled close to the Garonne river in order to export wine to their home countries. Thanks to this museum you can go back in time and see how a typical house of a négociant used to look like. The ground floor was used to store wine and meet the winemakers and potential customers and the top floor was the residence of the family. Throughout your visit you will learn about the evolution of winemaking in Bordeaux during the last three centuries. You will discover old techniques and equipment that were used at the time and the way wine was stored and shipped. It goes into interesting details like the first use of bottles to age wine, the first wine etiquettes and more.

This museum is small and not as modern and interactive as the Cité du vin but if you want to learn about the history of the Bordeaux wine region this is the place to go. It ends with a very nice wine tasting session where you get plenty of explanations about the different wine appellations in Bordeaux.
The museum is located in the northern part of rue Notre Dame, one of the most interesting streets in Bordeaux. If you want to know what else you can do on that street and generally in the posh Chartrons neighborhood, go to my article about the Chartrons district.

Address: The entrance is from 41 Rue Borie, Bordeaux
Opening hours: Open every day 10:00-18:00
Fee: 10€ (visit and two glasses of wine)
The site of the museum: https://www.museeduvinbordeaux.com/

Art Museums in Bordeaux

Le musée des beaux-arts – fine arts

Le musée des beaux-arts is the main art museum of Bordeaux, known for its large collection of sculptures and paintings from the 16th to the 20th century. The museum owns a huge collection of more than 6000 paintings, 600 sculptures and 3000 drawings. Nevertheless, the museum is quite small and so most of these artworks are not displayed to the public. It’s a very nice museum but it’s quite modest so don’t expect a second Louvre here :). The museum is located in a beautiful house built in 1801 and has one of the most beautiful gardens in Bordeaux. The permanent collection includes a lot of famous works by artists like Pérugin, Rubens, Chardin, Delacroix, and Matisse alongside Bordelaise artists such as Odilon Redon and Albert Marquet. The museum often hosts temporary exhibitions as well as concerts and art events.

Address: 20 Cours d’Albret, 33000 Bordeaux
Opening hours: Open every day except Tuesday 11:00-18:00
Fee: 5€ , free entry every first Sunday of the month (except July and August)
The site of the museum: http://www.musba-bordeaux.fr/

Le CAPC – musée d’art contemporain de Bordeaux

CAPC is the contemporary art museum of Bordeaux located in the chic Chartrons district. The museum is housed in an impressive former warehouse from the 19th century where commodities, traded down the river, used to be stored. It was planned to be demolished in the 20th century but was saved thanks to a new law protecting houses with historic importance. In 1984 the city decided to transform this unique space into a museum of contemporary art, an idea which was very innovative at the time. In the permanent collection, there are almost 300 works of art and it regularly hosts temporary exhibitions that are dedicated to the history of art. I’ll admit that I’m not always a fan of their exhibitions, having said that, I think the place in itself is very impressive and worth a visit.

The museum is also home to the Architecture center “Arc en rêve”, which hosts temporary exhibitions related to urban planning, design, landscaping and more. I usually find their exhibitions super interesting and recommend visiting it when you are at the museum. The center is located on the first floor and is sometimes hard to find, so just ask for help from one of the employees. The entry is free every first Sunday of the month (except July and August).

Address: 7 Rue Ferrere, 33000 Bordeaux
Opening hours: Open from Tuesday to Sunday 11:00-18:00. Every second Wednesday of the month the museum in open until 20:00.
Fee: 7€, free entry every first Sunday of the month (except July and August)
The site of the museum: http://www.capc-bordeaux.fr/capc

Musée des Art décoratifs et du Design

The museum of decorative art and design is located in a beautiful 18th-century mansion and is one of UNESCO’s heritage sites in Bordeaux. It has a large collection of furniture, porcelain and art objects, dating to the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The building itself, named Hotel de Lalande, was built by Pierre- Raymond de Lalande, a counselor of the Parliament of Bordeaux and is an architectural piece of art by itself. Through the museum’s backyard, you pass to a separate building (former stables) where the temporary exhibitions are presented. These are usually very good and attract many locals. If you’re hesitating on whether to spend your time in this museum check out their website for the temporary exhibitions as these alone can be worth the visit. The museum is free every first Sunday of the month, except for July and August.

Address: 39 rue Bouffard 33000 Bordeaux
Opening hours: Open every day except Tuesday 11:00-18:00
Fee: 5€, free entry every first Sunday of the month (except July and August)
The site of the museum: https://madd-bordeaux.fr/

La Base Sous Marine

This is one of the most unique places in Bordeaux. Built by the Germans during the Second World War, this old submarine base has been converted into a space dedicated to contemporary art, allowing you to enjoy the space itself no less than the art presented. It can be a bit tricky to find the entrance, so if you come from the la Cité du Vin tram station be sure to walk on rue Lucien Faure before turning right to Boulevard Alfred Daney. Also, if you come with kids, it’s important to know that strollers are not allowed in the exhibition as it’s dark and has a lot of stairs (you will have to leave the stroller next to the entrance).

Base sous marine - entrance — La Base sous-marine museum in Bordeaux

Starting from April 17, 2020 the museum will go through a huge transformation and the Base Sous-Marine will become the Bassin des Lumières! It currently belongs to the city of Bordeaux and only part of it is occupied by the art exhibitions. However, starting April from next year, it will be run by a private company that is upgrading it to another level. Four big pools (where previously the submarines used to dock) will be used for a spectacular light installation, taking you over the bridges and along the quays of Bassins a flot (the current port of Bordeaux). The downside is that the price is going to be much higher, from its current fee of 5 euros it’s supposed to go to 15 euros per person.

La Base sous-marine is located in the Bacalan neighborhood which is yet another cool place to discover in Bordeaux and I have a whole article about the best things to do there, you can read it here.

Address: Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33300 Bordeaux
Opening hours (until April 17. 2020): Open from Tuesday to Sunday 13:30 to 19:00 (only during exhibitions).
Fee: currently 5€ but will change soon, free entry every first Sunday of the month (except July and August).
The site of the museum: https://www.facebook.com/BasesousmarinedeBordeaux/

Institut Bernard Magrez

If you’re in for some street art, you’re in the right city! Bordeaux has plenty of amazing local street art to offer. Surprisingly enough, one of the best places to see street art in Bordeaux is located in a beautiful 18th-century mansion called Chateau Labottiere. A cool contrast, isn’t it? The place is called the Institut Bernard Magrez and it regularly hosts exhibitions by the best local and international street artists. The art is beautifully integrated with the classical features of the chateau and is being alternated every couple of months so there is always something interesting to see there. Next to the château, there are two smaller exhibition spaces where amazing exhibitions of paintings, sculpture and photography are hosted on a regular basis so you actually get to see three exhibitions during one visit. The cultural institute also hosts plenty of creative workshops for kids and concerts for adults so check their events list on their site.

Mika Bordeaux — Mika at Institut Bernard Magrez

Address: 16 rue de Tivoli, Bordeaux
Opening hours: Open from Friday to Sunday 13:00 to 18:00 (the museum is often closed for events so it’s always better to call and ask them if they are open before going).
Fee: 8 €, free every first Sunday of the month
The site of the museum: https://www.institut-bernard-magrez.com/

FRAC – local contemporary art

If you crossed Pont Saint-Jean in the last year or so you must have noticed the new, very modern building that reminds a bit the Arc of La Defense in Paris. This is MECA the Regional Pole of Culture and Creative Economy. It houses many offices that don’t mean much to most people, but there is one place inside that is worth going to if you’re looking to discover new art. FRAC, that sits in MECA is a cultural institution with a mission to promote contemporary art in Nouvelle Aquitaine, hosting several exhibitions of local artists. It has reopened its doors after being closed for two years. The exhibitions are varied and include many genres from photography to painting and sculpture. The works are not always my style but it’s big and you can always find a lot of interesting artists there.

Address: Corto Maltese, La MÉCA 5 parvis, 33800 Bordeaux
Opening hours: Open Tuesday to Saturday and the first Sunday of the month from 13:o0 to 18:30. Every third Thursday of the month the museum is open until 21:00
Fee: It’s an organization that works on contributions so you can pay 1 euro minimum or more if you wish.
The site of the museum: https://fracnouvelleaquitaine-meca.fr/

Kids Museums in Bordeaux

The Natural History museum

After years of renovations, the natural history museum of Bordeaux has finally opened its doors in March 2019. Created in 1971, the museum has one of the biggest collections in France with more than a million specimens. Besides the new design and the incredible collection, one of the new features in the renovated museum is the “Early Years Museum” for kids under 6 years old.

I’m not sure that I should’ve put it under the category of kids museums as it’s a fascinating place for everyone. But it’s extremely kids friendly and it has become a go-to place for Bordelais parents, especially when it’s cold or raining outside. If you need more ideas for activities for kids check out my article about 30 things to do with kids in Bordeaux.

Address: 5 Place Bardineau, 33000 Bordeaux
Opening hours: Open from Tuesday to Sunday. From April to September from 10:30 to 18:00 and from October to March from 10:30 to 17:30.
Fee: 5€ (7€ when there are temporary exhibitions). Free entry every first Sunday of the month (except July and August).
The site of the museum: https://www.museum-bordeaux.fr/en/accueil

Cap Sciences

Cap Sciences is a kids science museum and one of the most fun and educative places in Bordeaux. The museum proposes interactive exhibitions and activities all dedicated to different aspects of science. It touches upon topics of light, space, time, robots and more and everything is presented in an interactive and approachable way for kids to understand. They normally also have an exhibition that is dedicated to little kids, up to 6 yo, so it’s really great for all ages. All the descriptions are also translated to English so it’s a welcoming place for tourists and locals alike. Another interesting feature of the museum is the kids’ workshops arranged by different age groups. Among them, you can find photography, molecular cooking, eco-citizens and more.

Address: Hangar 20, Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux
Opening hours: Open from Tuesday to Friday from 14:00 to 18:00 and Saturday – Sunday from 14:00 to 19:00. The hours change during school break so check their exact hours on the site.
Fee: The fee changes according to the exhibitions presented in the museum so check their site for current prices.
The site of the museum: http://www.cap-sciences.net/

History, culture and others

Musee d’Aquitaine

Musée d’Aquitaine is the largest museum in Bordeaux, dedicated to archaeological findings and regional history and ethnology. The museum’s permanent collections span two floors. The first floor is largely dedicated to archaeological findings including tools from the Old Stone and Bronze ages. The other big collection covers the Gallo- Roman period of Bordeaux, with old statues and parts from the original wall that surrounded the city from the 3rd to the 18th centuries. The second floor is dedicated to the 18th century and the modern era of Bordeaux. A big part of the exhibition touches upon the importance of the port and the slave trade that Bordeaux was part of. The exhibition finished with some inspiring videos presenting the big (chances?) of Bordeaux in the last decade and leaves you with a taste to discover more of the city and region. The museum is very rich with information but the first floor is a bit outdated with almost no explanations in English. The second floor somewhat makes up for it with a more modern style of display and many more explanations in English. It also has many videos giving you an idea of how the city looked like in the 18th century, one of the most important centuries in Bordeaux’s history.

The museum also runs good temporary exhibitions on specific topics related to the Nouvelle Aquitaine region. They often have guided tours in English but their schedule is always changing so it’s better to send them a message on facebook and ask when’s the next one.

Address: 20 Cours Pasteur, 33000 Bordeaux
Opening hours: Open every day except Tuesday 11:00-18:00
Fee: 5€ , free entry every first Sunday of the month (except July and August)
The site of the museum: http://www.musee-aquitaine-bordeaux.fr/

Musée national des Douanes

This small museum is the national museum of the history of French customs. It’s located in one of the most beautiful buildings in Bordeaux, called the Hôtel des Fermes du Roi on Place de la Bourse, just in front of the water mirror. The exhibition of the museum presents the evolution of the customs administration from ancient to modern times. In the 18th century, it was the local headquarters of the French customs administration in the region, collecting taxes for the king. Through paintings, uniforms, maps and musical instruments the museum allows you to discover the works of one of France’s oldest administrations and their different challenges.

The Musée national des Douanes is a great place for people who are interested in history, especially French one. The fee is only 3 euros so it is worth a visit.

Address: 1 Place de la Bourse, 33000 Bordeaux
Opening hours: Open every day except Tuesday 10:00-18:00
Fee: 3€ , free entry every first Sunday of the month (except July and August)
The site of the museum: http://www.musee-douanes.fr/

Musée Mer marine

The sea and marine museum is one of the newest museums of Bordeaux, located on the Bassin a flot, the port of Bordeaux in the Bacalan district. As the name suggests the museum is dedicated to the sea world with a remarkable exhibition of boats, sculptures and objects. The permanent exhibition has more than 10,000 sea and marine related objects like navigation instruments, maps and many pieces of art as well. The idea behind it was to create a bridge between the marine and art worlds. Even the building itself is interesting if you like modern architecture. The museum regularly hosts temporary themed exhibitions such as different illustrations by a specific artist, photography and more. The museum is certainly a good place to visit if you’re interested in boats. The entry fee is 14€ so I’d also check their website for the temporary exhibitions to see if it’s worth going.

Address: 89 rue des Étrangers, 33300 Bordeaux
Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday 10:30-18:00 and Saturday to Sunday 10:30-19:00
Fee: 14€
The site of the museum: https://www.mmmbordeaux.com/en/home/

La Maison de l’Huître

This cute little museum is actually located on the Arcachon bay, but I decided to add it to the list because many people go to Arcachon for a day trip. The museum sits in Port de Larros in Gujan Mestras, the oysters capital of the Arcachon bay. It’s no wonder then that they have decided to dedicate a whole museum to oysters. The permanent exhibition includes a beautiful movie and plenty of items and information about all the techniques of oyster farming and the history of the oyster in our region. The museum is very interactive and fun to visit with kids. They even have a special oyster farming boat made for kids where they can play. If you’re heading to the Bassin d’Arcachon anytime soon, I highly recommend visiting there.

Address: Rue du Port de Larros, 33470 Gujan-Mestras
Opening hours: September to June from Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 18:00. July and August, open everyday from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:30 to 18:30.
Fee: 5.9€ for adults and 3.9 for kids (5-14 yo)
The site of the museum: http://www.maison-huitre.fr/

If it’s your first visit to Bordeaux don’t miss my full guide to a weekend in Bordeaux and my article about the most interesting districts in Bordeaux. And if you’re in for a foodie experience check out my foodies tours in Bordeaux 🙂

Lost in Bordeaux helps you enjoy the city and region in many ways so be sure to follow us on facebook/Instagram for more daily updates on things to do and see. Or better yet, join my newsletter where I share a lot of exclusive info about Bordeaux and the region – sign up here.

*Note – Some of the links in this article include affiliate links for which I earn a small commission. It adds absolutely nothing to your cost and helps me continue writing about this amazing region. Don’t worry, I’m not getting rich here, I’ll never recommend anything I don’t believe in 🙂

In Art

The best exhibitions in Bordeaux to see this summer

Last updated on July 4, 2019 No Comments

This year Bordeaux launched a fascinating cultural program named Liberté. As the name suggests, many of the exhibitions inaugurated in the last few weeks have the common theme of Freedom. In this article, I decided to gather a list of the best exhibitions being presented in Bordeaux this summer. The exhibitions are very diverse, from street art to design and contemporary art. I must say that this summer the cultural institutions in Bordeaux have done a great job bringing interesting and diverse exhibitions to the city. So here we go with the list of the best art exhibitions in Bordeaux this summer (2019).

Institut Bernard Magrez – Two street art exhibitions

May 28 – September 1st and July 5 – October 6

wall paintings in Montreal by SETH — photo by: Seth

Two amazing street art exhibitions are going to be presented at the Institut Bernard Magrez throughout the summer. The first one (from May 28 to September 1st) is called Instincts, an exhibition by Mika which is one of Bordeaux’s most prominent street artists. The other one (July 5 – October 6) is an exhibition by one of the most famous street artists in the world, Seth (Julien Mallard) who also happens to be French. For more details click here.

Address: 16 Rue de Tivoli, 33000 Bordeaux

Galerie des beaux arts – La passion de la liberté. Des Lumières au romantisme

June 20 – October 13

For those looking for classic arts in Bordeaux, there are some exciting news this summer. Le Musée des Beaux-Arts and le musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design are presenting a collection from le Musée du Louvre. This exhibition is marking an unprecedented partnership between Bordeaux and the prestigious art institution. ‘La passion de la liberté – Des Lumières au romantisme’ exhibitions hosting works of art from different departments in the Louvre museum, bringing together more than one hundred works – paintings, sculptures and graphic works – created mainly during the 18th and 19th centuries. The exhibition revolves around the concept of Freedom (liberté) which is the theme of all the cultural events in Bordeaux this summer. The idea is to make the public reflect on philosophical, political, ideological, social and economic aspects of freedom through famous works of art. The exhibition will be presented at the Galerie des Beaux-Arts. For more details click here.

Address: Place du Colonel Raynal – 33000 Bordeaux

Muséum de Bordeaux – Rire!

June 24 – January 26, 2020

According to scientific research, we laugh 18 times a day on average. Laughter, however, is not unique to us human beings, different animal species also have different expressions of laughter is their language. The new and super fun exhibition at the natural history museum in Bordeaux offers different activities that provoke laughter. It’s a very interactive and kids friendly exhibition that includes videos, sounds, games, and painting. If you haven’t visited this museum yet, you definitely should! For more details click here.

Address: 5 Place Bardineau, 33000 Bordeaux (in Jadin public)

Musée d’Aquitaine– La déferlante surf

June 19, 2019 – January 5, 2020

The Atlantique coasts of the south-west of France are a popular destination for surfers these days and it looks like this sport has always been here. But did you know that surfing was actually introduced to Europe through our region in the 50s? Thus it only makes sense that Musée d’Aquitaine, which explores the history of the region, will also explore the surfing culture in Aquitaine. The new exhibition, La déferlante surf, deals with different aspects of surfing from the sport itself to its economic and environmental influences. Among others, the items presented include videos, sounds, different traditional objects, images from different beaches and more. For more details click here.

Address: 20 Cours Pasteur, 33000 Bordeaux

Musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design (Madd) – Memphis – Plastic Field

June 22 – January 5, 2020

Memphis is a movement founded in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass, an Italian architect and designer, which united many young artists who dreamed of shattering the codes of modernism and rationalism. The works of this movement had a great effect on the European design landscape in the past three decades. It has radically changed the language of shapes and colors, focusing on the presence of the object rather than its functionality. This summer the geometric shapes and bright colors of the movement are being hosted by the Madd museum in Bordeaux. For more details click here.

Address: 39 Rue Bouffard, 33000 Bordeaux

le Musée Mer Marine – Sempé en liberté

May 29 – October 6

For its second exhibition, le Musée Mer Marine is hosting about 300 works of the famous cartoonist, Jean-Jacques Sempé who was born in Pessac. Sempé is mostly known for its illustrations in Frech classical kids book series Petit Nicolas and from publications in big magazines like the New Yorker and Paris Match. The sea museum finally opened its doors on June 21, so now you can go see the permanent exhibition as well. See more details here.

Address: 89 Rue des Étrangers, 33300 Bordeaux

Rivages et Vertigo Sea – a new exhibition

June 20 – September 22

The Base sous-marine is hosting a new and intriguing exhibition this summer. It is, in fact, a combination of two exhibitions addressing the themes of sea and shore. Rivages is a photography exhibition by the artist Harry Gruyaert and Vertigo Sea is a video installation by the director John Akomfrah. For more information about the exhibition click here.

Address: Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33000 Bordeaux, France

Frac – Il est une fois dans l’Ouest

June 29 – November 9

Frac Bordeaux — ‘*Il est une fois dans l’Ouest* exhibition’ (Frac) by Lost in Bordeaux

Frac is a cultural institution with a mission to promote contemporary art in Nouvelle Aquitaine. After almost two years of hiatus, it finally opened its doors to the public in the new MECA building. The new exhibition ‘Il est une fois dans l’Ouest’ hosts 15 artistic projects of artists and art curators who are originally from or operate in Nouvelle Aquitaine. I didn’t find all the art installations very interesting but many of them were very good and it was great to discover the artists of the region and the new exhibition space. For more details click here.

Address: 54 Quai de Paludate, 33800 Bordeaux

That’s it my art-loving friends! I’m still exploring the art in the region so with time I’ll add more exhibitions to the list. Meanwhile, you can also check out the list of events taking place in July in Bordeaux. Also if you’re here during the weekend check out my weekend list.

Just to remind you that I often update about events and exhibition on my facebook/Instagram accounts so be sure to follow! Also, join my newsletter where I share a lot of exclusive info about Bordeaux and the region – sign up here.

In Bordeaux by Neighborhood

Bacalan – best things to do in the north of Bordeaux

Last updated on September 25, 2018 No Comments

Bacalan is a northern district of Bordeaux, an area that, until recently, has largely been avoided by tourists and locals. The grungy landscapes of the port and its distance from the city center aren’t as appealing as the beautiful architecture and lovely squares of the historic center of Bordeaux. In the last few years, however, the Bacalan district has been changing its face, emerging to be one of the most interesting places in Bordeaux, with plenty of new neighborhoods and places to explore.

Smart planning transformed the otherwise unsavory port characteristics of the neighborhood into pleasant features. The gigantic hangars, the boats and the unusual infrastructure turned into places of emerging arts, music, food and leisure, transforming the neighborhood into one of the most intriguing places in Bordeaux. So if you haven’t yet had the chance to visit this amazing neighborhood or you feel there’s not much there for you to do, let me prove you wrong. From street art, to wine, whiskey and live music, here is the list of the best things you can do and see in Bacalan:

La Cité du Vin

La cité du vin is a “must” place for any wine lover but can be very interesting and enjoyable for people who don’t drink at all. This impressive piece of modern architecture is a one of a kind cultural center, all dedicated to discovering the wine world. Through its interactive exhibition, It offers a journey to both French and global wine history. You will learn about wine making, see movies and interviews with wine producers and then pass on to smell and taste wine. The cite du vin allows you to discover a selection of wines from all over the world and offers one of the best panoramic views of Bordeaux.

Address: 134 – 150 Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux
Opening hours: weekdays from 10am to 6pm, weekends and holidays 10am to 7pm
For more info check out the website of cite du Vin

Have a drink or a snack at les Halles des Bacalan

This fancy food market opened its gates on November 2017 and has been visited by more than 60,000 people in the first month. It’s no surprise, as Bordeaux is well known for its gourmand population. This impressive 950m2 hangar is located just in front of the famous Cité du vin and hosts 23 different artisans and traders that were chosen for the quality of their products (85% of which are produced in the South-West region of France). Now, when all of this food is accompanied by several bars, you are guaranteed to have a good time.

Opening hours: from Tuesday to Friday 8:00 – 14:30 and 16:30-20:30, Saturday 8:00- 22:00 and Sunday 8:00-17:00
Address: 149 Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux

Les Vivre de l’art – emerging arts and impressive sculptures

Les vivres de l’art is one of the most fascinating arts projects in Bordeaux. Located just a few steps from the cité du vin, in an architectural historic monument called les Vivres de la Marine. Iron sculptures made by the artist Jean-François Buisson (which works there since 2003) adorn the place and give it its creative characteristic. Since 2008 it has become an artistic association, holding cultural events, workshops, vintage sales, music festivals, exhibitions, and more. This is one place in the neighborhood you don’t want to miss, even just for a sneak peak of the beautiful and creative sculptures which can be seen from the road.

Opening hours: open daily from Monday to Friday 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 18:00, and usually hosts different events during the weekend (consult the program on their site).
Address: Les Vivres de l’Art – Place Victor Raulin – 1 rue Achard – 33300 Bordeaux
For more info check out the website of Les Vivres de l’art

Le Garage moderne – a social garage

Le Garage Moderne is a social garage, a brilliant gem of a place where you can come to fix your own car and bicycle while experiencing art and culture, workshops and social meetings. If you’re fed up with being clueless about your car or bike every time they break, then it’s time to join a social garage and acquire some skills. The mechanics in the garage moderne can accompany the reparation process with explanations adapted to your level of mechanical ability. This incredible space is far more than just a garage. There’s a restaurant where you can eat lunch, an outdoor café and a cultural space where weekly expos and concerts take place.

Address: 1 rue des Etrangers, 33000 BORDEAUX
Opening hours: The garage itself is open Monday to Friday (9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, closed Tuesday morning), the restaurant is open from Tuesday to Saturday 11:00- 18:00
For more info check out the website of le garage moderne

Street art all over

As seen in many dynamic cities around the world, the street art scene has a tendency to bloom in emerging neighborhoods. It brings both new and established artists to portray their art on the walls of their neighborhood and in some cases it’s the city who invites these artists the use the urban space and get creative. This is exactly the case of Bacalan and the results are nothing but astounding. No matter where you go, you’ll cross by some of the most impressive paintings on building walls, warehouses, and different urban structures. Even if you don’t enter any of the places I mentioned in this list, Bacalan is worth a visit only for the art.

La Base sous marine – a German bunker turned into a museum

Built by the Germans during the second World War, this old submarine base has been converted into a space dedicated to contemporary arts, which allows you to enjoy the space itself no less than the art presented there. The fact that the expositions are usually of the digital, street and visual arts kind, allows the artist to leverage this unusual space to its full potential. There aren’t any permanent exhibitions in La Base Sous Marine so the place is open only when an exhibition is being presented. It is located on one of the most interesting parts of the Bacalan area – the Bassins a flot, which are worth a visit even if the museum is closed. Finding the entrance can be quite tricky. So if you come from the” la cité du vin“ tram station be sure to walk on rue Lucien Faure before turning right to Boulevard Alfred Daney. Also, if you come with kids, it’s important to know that strollers are not allowed in the structure as it’s dark and has a lot of stairs (you can leave the stroller at the entrance).

Open from Tuesday to Sunday 13:30 to 19:00 (only during exhibitions). Check out the facebook page of la Base Sous Marine for more details.
Address: Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33300 Bordeaux

Go to a concert on the I.boat

The Iboat, mostly known as a concert venue, is a three level ferry spanning 687m2, anchored to one of the docks of Bassins a flot. Since its opening in 2011 the I.boat has dedicated itself to promoting emerging artists, especially in the electronic music scene. Within the years it has become a multidisciplinary place with a concert hall and a club hosting more than 250 events a year, a terrace hosting Dj sets and happy hours and a restaurant. One of the special features of the place is the Upper deck where they host events and exhibitions during the evenings and then transform it into a chill out area after midnight. During summer you could also enjoy the outdoor area on the deck, with an exceptional view of the basin. Take a look at the program of events.

The opening hours:

Concert from 7pm to 23pm | Club from 11.30pm to 6am from Tuesday to Saturday

Restaurant: Lunch from Monday to Saturday from 12am to 2pm and Dinner from Tuesday to Saturday from 7pm to 23pm

Address: bassin a flot n°1 – Quai Armand Lalande

Have a lunch or a drink at one of the restaurants next to the basins

standby coffee shop — Standby coffee shop

If you’re hungry or need a coffee break, I’ve got you covered. Although there are some bars and restaurants all over the Bacalan neighborhood, many of the cool places are concentrated on the southern side of the first basin (Bassin à Flot n°1). On the long dock (which you can approach from rue Lucien Faure), you’ll find restaurants, coffee shops and plenty of bars on the dock, on the roof and on boats.
Some places worth mentioning are:

The Wallace Bar – the rooftop bar of the Radisson Blu hotel (Bassin à flot n°1, Quai Armand Lalande).
Café Maritime – a very classical French restaurant with a beautiful decor (Bassin à flot n°1, Quai Armand Lalande)
The standby cafe– on the main street – just in front of the Bassins – a cool place to grab a cup of coffee (80 rue Lucien Faure).
Loft 33 – a wine bar and a restaurant with live music – Hangar G4, 51 rue Lucien Faure.

Visit the Bordeaux Whiskey Distillery

Did you know that there’s a whiskey distillery in Bordeaux? While many activities and tours in Bordeaux revolve around wine, it’s actually the local whisky producer who is housed in one of the most special places in Bordeaux. The Moon Harbour Whiskey, opened in 2014, is 100% Bordelaise, from the grains that are growing in Saint Jean d’Illac to the barrels used to age the Whiskey that are coming from some of the most famous wine chateaux in the region (such as Sauternes). The barrel room is located inside a bunker built by the Germans during the Second World War as part of the constructions of the Submarine Base (mentioned above). Apart from tasting the local whiskey and gin, the location of the barrel room is what makes the visit there so special. The tour (which is offered in French and English) is followed by explanations on malting and the production of whiskey as well as tastings of the three products of the distillery. The visit requires prior reservation by phone ( 05 56 29 86 60) or email (visit@moonharbour.fr). The price is 10€/pers for the visit and tasting.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 to 18:00 and Saturdays from 11:00 to 15:00 and from 16:30 to 18:00.
For more info check out the site of Moon Harbour.
Address: 492 Boulevard Adfred Daney, 33300 BORDEAUX

Find the UFO on the water

Le “soucoupe volante”, a UFO shaped sculpture, the work of the artist Suzanne Triester, made quite a buzz in Bordeaux when it appeared in the middle of the basins last May. This piece of art was purchased by the Bordeaux Metropole as part of their vast investment in contemporary art in the city. Now all you have to do is take a walk on the docks of the basin to find it. As the area is quite packed with boats, buildings and a lot of construction machinery, the sculpture is not that easy to find. So to give you a little hint, try to look for it when you are searching for a bar/ restaurant on the docks :).

Hope you enjoyed the list and that it will help you to discover new places in this surprising city.
If you liked the post, share the love on facebook, pinterest or twitter.

If it’s your first time in Bordeaux and you want to get to know the other parts of this beautiful city – check out my general guide to Bordeaux.
Thanks for reading!!

In Weekend plans

This weekend in Bordeaux (April 12-14)

Last updated on April 18, 2019 No Comments

This weekend you’ll find a lot of artistic events in the program as well as gardening activities because after all, it’s springtime. The biggest event this weekend is the Wine festival in Blaye, which is a beautiful place that you should definitely go to if you can. If you’re interested in boats don’t miss the big Salon Nautique in Arcachon. Here’s the list of things to do this weekend in Bordeaux (April 12-14).

The Blaye Spring Wine Festival

The Blaye Spring Wine Festival will take place on April 13-14 at the Blaye Citadel. The annual wine festival brings together more than 80 winemakers. The program includes discovery workshops (introduction to tasting, mixing and food and wine pairing), guided visits of the magnificent citadel by train or horse and more. For the full program and tickets click here.

When: April 13-14 / Where: Citadelle de Blaye, 33390 Blaye

Salon Nautique d’Arcachon

The big Salon Nautique d’Arcachon will take place this weekend (April 12-14) at Port de Plaisance D Arcachon. This is a fabulous event for boat lovers. More than 150 exhibitors will participate in the Salon, with 450 boats stationed all over the port. The event will also include a night show a triathlon, and an exposition of an exceptionally big vessel. For more details click here.

When: April 12-14 / Where:14 Quai Goslar, 33120 Arcachon

Salon des Vins de France & Gastronomie du Sud-Ouest

This weekend (April 13-14) a fair of French wine and south west gastronomy will take place at the beautiful Château Malromé. The fair includes meetings with 25 wine makers and four local producers, tastings of some of the best French wines and a master class of food matching. For more details click here.

When: April 13-14 / Where: Château Malromé, 33490 Saint-André-du-Bois

Festival Musical Écran

Festival Musical Écran is a very unique film festival all dedicated to documentaries about music. The festival will take place on April 7-14 in different places in Bordeaux: Cinéma Utopia, Cour Malby, Bibliothéque Mériadeck, Institut Cervantes and Université de Bordeaux Campus Victoire. For the full program and all the details click here.

When: April 7-14 / Where: different locations, see the program

Bordeaux International Barrel Aged Festival

This is the first edition of the International Barrel Aged Festival that will bring together 20 different breweries and 10 distilleries from 14 countries. It’s a good opportunity to meet the best producers of beer and Gin, coming from Ireland, Finland, Spain and more. The evening will take place on Friday (April 12) at Mille et Une Bières Bordeaux. The program includes plenty of alcohol, a dj set and a food truck. For more details click here.

When: April 12, from 18:00 / Where: 42 Rue Edmond Besse, 33300 Bordeaux, France

Semaine de l’art 2019

On April 12-20 an art week will take place at the Abbaye de Verneuil in the médoc region. Six artists (a sculptor, a photographer, a graphic designer and more) will present their exhibitions at the abbey. The evening program includes plenty of concerts. For tickets and more info click here.

When: April 12-20 / Where: 2 Place Saint-Pierre, 33180 Vertheuil

Fête des Jardins

spring in Bordeaux — flowers in our garden 🙂

The 10th edition of the big celebration of gardening in le Bouscat will take place this weekend (April 13-14). More than 30 exhibitors and associations will help you flower your balconies, gardens and terraces. The event will also include activities for kids, exhibitions, concerts a market and more. For more details click here.

When: April 13-14 / Where: Parc de l’Ermitage, Rond-point de l’Ermitage – 33110 le Bouscat

Festival Lier

Festival Lier is an event that brings together several artists from different disciplines for an evening of cultural diversity. The program includes music from the balkans, afrobeat, French rock, beatbox and more. The event will take place this Saturday (April 13) at the Salle des fêtes Bordeaux Grand Parc at 18:00. For more info click here.

When: April 13, from 18:00 / Where: Salle des fêtes Bordeaux Grand Parc

Troc aux Plantes

This Saturday (April 13) a day dedicated to plants and gardening will take place at Place du Marché des Chartrons. There will be stands and activities aimed to teach you everything you need to know about gardening. For more info click here.

When: April 13 / Where: 7 Place du Marché des Chartrons, 33000 Bordeaux, France

Printemps des Artistes

Printemps des Artistes in the city of Langon reunites 15 artists for a family friendly event dedicated to visual art. The program includes workshops, exhibitions, performances and a painting contest. The event will take place at the Centre Culturel des Carmes 33 on April 13. For more details click here.

When: April 13 / Where: 8 place des Carmes, 33210 Langon

Mably Afro Acid w/ Maryisonacid

This Friday (April 12) cour Mably hosts a big free party that will include a dj-sets by Maryisonacid and Ana al Fabet. For more details click here.

When: April 12, from 19:00 / Where: 3 rue Mably à Bordeaux

Students March for climate change

Join the students of Bordeaux for this important event. A student March for climate change will take place this Friday (April 12) at 14:00. The march will leave from Place de la Victoire. You can see more updates on their instagram page.

When: April 12 / Where: Place de la victoire

Le Bordeaux préféré de mon guide

This is a great opportunity to discover some hidden spots in Bordeaux. Every Sunday afternoon a guide from the Bordeaux tourist office will take you through an off the beaten track tour of Bordeaux where you will discover lesser known places in the city. For reservations and more info click here.

When: April 14 / Where: Bordeaux tourist office

Itinéraires des Photographes Voyageurs – photography festival

The 29th edition of the “traveling photographers routes” festival is taking place on April 2-28. During one month, 18 photography exhibitions will be presented at the main cultural institutions in the city, among them, the Rocher de Palmer in Cenon, the Bibliothèque Grand Parc, Espace Saint-Rémi and others. Get the full list of artists and more info about the event here.

photography exhibition at espace saint remi bordeaux — photo by : Gaelle Abravanel

When: April 2 -28 / Where: Different locations in Bordeaux (see program)

D’un soleil à l’autre

In the D’un soleil à l’autre exhibition artists present their poetic journey in space. Aspects like elastic distances, weightlessness, dazzling, infinitely large landscapes and incandescent materials are beautifully translated into contemporary digital art. La Base sous marine is known for the phenomenal use of their unique space for art, so don’t miss this one. The exhibition will be presented at the museum from March 9 to May 19. For more info click here.

When: March 9 – May 19 / Where: Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33000 Bordeaux

If you need some ideas for things to do this weekend check out my new post about 30 things to do with kids in Bordeaux.

That’s all for this weekend! If you’re not on my email list yet, join me and get more exclusive tips about Bordeaux – subscribe here!

If you want to know what other events are taking place this month in the city, check out my post about the 15 things not miss in April in Bordeaux.

In Weekend plans

This weekend in Bordeaux (March 22-24)

Last updated on March 28, 2019 No Comments

Many cool events are taking place in Bordeaux this weekend. For the foodies among you, we have the Basque food fair and a farmers’ market in a fancy chateau. Also, you can enjoy a headphones party, a posters fair in Darwin, a kids’ book salon and more. Here’s the list of things to do this weekend in Bordeaux (March 22-24).

Les Basques à Bordeaux

A big celebration of Basque food and culture will take place in Bordeaux (Hangar 14) on April 28-29. The event will include plenty of food stands featuring all the traditional basque products such as piment d’Espelette, jambon de Bayonne, les pintxos de Guipuzcoa, the famous Bayonne chocolate, regional wines and more. The cultural program includes concerts, different activities of crafts and sports as well as cooking workshops. For more details click here.

When: April 28-29 / Where: Hangar 14, Quai des Chartrons, 33000 Bordeaux

Salon International du Disque de Bordeaux

The international salon of vinyl and cd records of Bordeaux will take place March 23-24 in the Parc des Expositions. It’s the 59th edition of this festival that brings together 80 exhibitors from France and abroad and proposes all genres of music: rock, pop, soul, jazz, punk, reggae and more. For more details click here. Price: Normal 3€50 / Student 2€ / free for kids.

When: March 23-24 / Where: Stadium-vélodrome, Cours Jules Ladoumègue, 33000
Bordeaux

Le marché des producteurs in a château

The famous Château Pape Clément invites you this Sunday (March 24) to their first farmers’ market of the year. The event will include free wine tasting (the Bernard Magrez wine), for which you have to reserve a spot (for reservations call 05 57 26 38 34). For more details click here.

When: March 24 / Where: 216 Avenue du Docteur Nancel Penard, 33600 Pessac

Carnaval d’Arcachon

This is the weekend of the big Carnival of Arcachon taking place on Sunday (March 24). The event starts in the morning at Place des Marquises with shows and activities for kids. In the afternoon (15:00) a grand parade will take place on the streets of the city (the route: casino de la plage, boulevard de la plage, rue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, cours Lamarque, avenue Gambetta, boulevard de la plage, place des Marquises). In the evening a party will take place at place des Marquises. For more details click here.

When: March 24 / Where: Place des Marquises, Arcachon

Village Festival – Posters sale

The European short film festival will start in Bordeaux in a week ( see more details about the event in my post on things to do in March). This Sunday (March 24), Darwin will open the Festival village with a big sale of movie posters. The event will also include stands and activities related to board games, virtual reality and more. For more details click here.

When: March 24 / Where: 87 quai des Queyries, 33100 Bordeaux

La Fête des Ruches à Bordeaux !

la Ruche qui dit Oui is a big French association that organizes local markets all over France, allowing you to buy products directly from farmers. This Saturday (March 23) the association invites you to celebrate sustainable food at a party that will take place at La soupe au caillou. The event will include music, workshops, exhibitions and tastings of local products that will be introduced by the farmers themselves. For more details click here.

When: March 23/ Where: 6 place du Maucaillou, 33800 Bordeaux

Gaspi’Halles

Halles de Bacalan invites you this Saturday (March 23) to a day of responsible food. The Gaspi’Halles event will include a workshop where you will learn how to reuse your food for other dishes, a workshop about compost, meeting with ecological startups and games for kids. For more details click here.

When: March 23 / Where: 10 esplanade de pontac, 33300 Bordeaux

Vide-dressing for charity

This Saturday (March 23) a big second-hand sale will take place at the Maison Rose. The sale will include everything from clothing to bags, shoes, stylish accessories and more. The profits from the sale will go to La Maison Rose, an association supporting women diagnosed with cancer. For more details click here.

When: March 23/ Where: 9 Rue de Condé, 33000 Bordeaux

Salon du livre jeunesse

The 18th edition of the kids’ books salon will take place this weekend (March 22-23) at the Médiathèque La Source in Bouscat. This year it’s dedicated to space! The event will include plenty of activities for kids, such as storytelling, book signings and access to the planetarium. For more details click here.

When: March 22-23 / Where: Place Gambetta 33110 Le Bouscat

Les Fous Rires de Bordeaux

Les Fous Rires de Bordeaux (16-23 March) is a very unique humor festival hosting more than 80 artists and different activities taking place all over the city. The festival is an opportunity to experience humor in different forms, such as live on stage, in pictures and even through cooking!

There are two parts to the festival: Festival IN, with well-known artists on stage and Festival OUF– that proposes free activities during the whole week of the festival such as workshops, happenings, entertaining children in hospitals and more. See the full program here.

When: March 16-23 / Where: Different locations in Bordeaux

La compagnie Panik

La compagnie Panik is a circus incorporating horses as well as dance, body theater and mime techniques as integral parts of the show. The theater will install their blue tent at the Quai de Queyries on March 8- 31 and will perform two different shows: “Cabaret de Côté” and “Cirque Bleu”. For more details and tickets click here.

When: March 8-31 / Where: Quai de Queyries 33000 Bordeaux

Foire aux Plaisirs

This is the spring edition of the traditional Bordelaise Fair that is taking place at Place des Quinconces from February 22 to March 24. It’s a perfect activity for kids and for those who are young in spirit as La Foire aux Plaisirs de Bordeaux has it all: a big wheel, roller coasters, ghost trains, bumper cars, donuts, crèpes, barbes à papa and more. The fair is open daily from 14:00, you are not required to pay any entry fee, only for some of the attractions. See more info about the fair here.

When: February 22 to March 24 / Where: Place des Quinconces , 33000 Bordeaux

Silent tropical Party

Finally, the concept of headphone parties is arriving to Bordeaux. If you’re not familiar with it yet, it’s a completely silent party where you hear the music only through your headphones. A silent electronic party will take place this Friday (March 22) at Les Vivres de l’Art. For more info click here.

When: March 22 / Where: 4 rue Achard, 33300 Bordeaux, France

Classic music at Saint André

This Friday (March 22) a classic concert will take place at Saint André. The Choir of la Maîtrise de Bordeaux will open the musical season in the main church of Bordeaux with the music of Vivaldi and Zelenka. For more details click here.

When: March 22/ Where: Place Pey Berland, 33000 Bordeaux

D’un soleil à l’autre – New exhibition at the Base sous marine

In the D’un soleil à l’autre exhibition artists present their poetic journey in space. Aspects like elastic distances, weightlessness, dazzling, infinitely large landscapes and incandescent materials are beautifully translated into contemporary and digital art. La Base sous marine is known for the phenomenal use of their unique space for art, so don’t miss this one. The exhibition will be presented at the museum from March 9 to May 19. For more info click here.

When: March 9 – May 19 / Where: Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33000 Bordeaux

Important notice for all you wine lovers, the open doors weekend at the châteaux of Medoc is in two weeks and I have all the details in my latest post.

That’s all for this weekend! If you’re not on my email list yet, join me and get more exclusive tips about Bordeaux – subscribe here!

In Bordeaux Monthly

15 things to do in March in Bordeaux

Last updated on March 5, 2019 No Comments

The spring is here and the city is coming back to life with sunny beautiful days with plenty of interesting events. So what is waiting for you in March 2019? Dance, wine, antiques, cinema and more. Now get your diaries ready and follow my list of things to do this month in Bordeaux!

Salon des vins des Vignerons Indépendants de Bordeaux

The Salon des vins of the Bordeaux independent winemakers will take place on March 8-10 at the Parc des Expositions de Bordeaux. Wine producers from the region will present their wine and will invite you to a free taste . This event is not focused on professionals but rather on all wine lovers! This year the salon celebrates its 20th anniversary and they promised it will be bigger than ever. Come prepared to drink a lot. For more info click here.

When: March 8-10 / Where: Cours Jules Ladoumègue, 33000 Bordeaux

Salon du Vintage

The annual vintage salon will take place in Hangar 14 (Quai des Chartrons) on Marche 9-10. This chic event will gather more than 150 exhibitors with a great selection of accessories, furniture, vinyl records, classic cars, jukebox, paintings and more. Just outside of Hangar 14, plenty of food trucks will wait for you during lunch. For more details check the facebook page and the website of the event. Entry is 5€ and free for kids under 12 years old.

When: March 9-10 / Where: 173 Quai des Chartrons, 33300 Bordeaux

Swing Festival

Every March, for more than a decade now, Bordeaux has been hosting the Swing Art Festival (March 15-17) where swing dancers come from all around the globe to teach the dancers of Bordeaux their art of swinging. This festival is much more than just swing dancing, it’s three days of live music, art, vintage markets, workshops, and a get together of many people from all around the world to celebrate this sweeping dance. The event will take place in Halle des Chartrons and it’s Free! For more details click here.

When: March 15-17 / Where: 10 Place du Marché Chartrons, 33000

The Italian Spring Festival

Le printemps italien is a an Italian literature festival that will take place on March 14-16 in several locations around Bordeaux Metropole. The program includes meetings with Italian writers, screenings of Italian films, wine tastings and more. For the full program and tickets to events click here.

When: March 14- 16 / Where: different locations around Bordeaux

Les Fous Rires de Bordeaux

There are two parts to the festival: Festival IN, with well-known artists on stage. Festival OUF– that proposes free activities during the whole week of the festival such as workshops, happenings, entertaining children in hospitals and more. See the full program here.

When: March 16-23 / Where: Different locations in Bordeaux

Saint Patrick’s day

Saint Patrick’s day is always a good opportunity to get drunk from an Irish beer or whisky while listening to good music. Although it’s not Dublin, there are quite a lot of Irish and English bars in Bordeaux. Most of them make a big Saint Patrick’s day celebration with music and a lot of drunk and happy people. Check out my list of Irish/English bars in Bordeaux and choose one for March 17!

Foire aux Plaisirs

When: February 22 to March 24 / Where:Place des Quinconces , 33000 Bordeaux

Salon International du Disque de Bordeaux

The international salon of vinyl and cd records of Bordeaux will take place March 23-24 in the Parc des expositions. It’s the 59th edition of this festival that brings together 80 exhibitors from France and abroad and proposes all genres of music: rock, pop, soul, jazz, punk, reggae and more. For more details click here. Price: Normal 3€50 / Student 2€ / free for kids.

When: March 23-24 / Where: Stadium-vélodrome, Cours Jules Ladoumègue, 33000 BORDEAUX

The European short film festival

The 22nd edition of the European Short Film festival (festival européen du court métrage de bordeaux) will take place on March 27-29 at the UGC Ciné Cité Bordeaux. The festival includes a program of about thirty movies from all over the world and a jury of famous personalities from the French cinema industry, from actors to directors and screenwriters. For more info and tickets check out the website of the festival or their facebook page.

When: March 27-29 / Where: 13-15 rue Georges Bonnac, 33000 Bordeaux, France

SHOWS

Lac des Cygnes

The Russian National Opera will perform the Swan Lake, one of the most famous ballets in the world on March 16 at the Bordeaux Arkea Arena. For tickets and more info click here.

When: March 16 / Where: 48-50 Avenue Jean Alfonséa, 33270 Floirac

Tango Pasion

Tango Pasion is coming back to France after more than 3000 shows around the world. Six world renowned couples of amazing dancers will take the stage of the Arkea Arena on March 28. There aren’t many tickets left so hurry up. For more info and tickets click here.

When: March 28 / Where: 48-50 Avenue Jean Alfonséa, 33270 Floirac

Celtic Legends

Celtic Legends will perform their new show “Connemara Tour 2019” at the Arkea Arena on March 27 (two shows). For more details and tickets click here.

When: March 27 / Where: 48-50 Avenue Jean Alfonséa, 33270 Floirac

Exhibitions:

D’un soleil à l’autre – New exhibition at the Base sous marine

In the D’un soleil à l’autre exhibition artists present their poetic journey in space. Aspects like elastic distances, weightlessness, dazzling, infinitely large landscapes and incandescent materials are beautifully translated into contemporary and digital art. La Base sous marine is known for the phenomenal use of their unique space for art, so don’t miss this one. The exhibition will be presented at the museum from March 9 to May 19. For more info click here.

When: March 9 – May 19/ Where:Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33000 Bordeaux, France

Festins – new exhibition

Institut Bernard Magrez will be presenting its new exhibition in a few days (March 7) and it looks awesome. Festins is an exhibition by two artists, Gérard RANCINAN and Caroline GAUDRIAULT, that have been working together in the last 20 years and have now agreed to present their works at the museum. For more details click here and here. The exhibition will be presented at the institute until June 9. On March 8, in honor of the international women’s day the entry for women is free. This place never disappoints!

When: March 7 – June 9 / Where: 16 rue de Tivoli, 33000 Bordeaux

Sous les mers, au-delà de l’image- Musee de la Mer et de la Marine

“Sous les mers, au-delà de l’image” is a photography exhibition presented at the new Musee de la Mer et de la Marine until April 30. The expo consists of more than 100 photographs by Paul Nicklen and David Doubilet, two National Géographic photographers. Check out more info on the site of the museum.

When: Until April 30 / Where: 89 rue des étrangers, 33300 BORDEAUX

That’s it guys!!! I do this list so you won’t miss the best events and concerts taking place during the month. If there are other things you would like to see in my monthly lists please feel free to leave a comment below!

In Bordeaux Monthly

Best things to do in Bordeaux in October 2018

Last updated on October 23, 2018 1 Comment

The program of October proves that the Bordelaise summer is officially over. Outdoor music concerts and food truck festivals were replaced with new exhibitions, indoor events scattered across the city and some interesting outdoor activities such as a color run and an agricultural march. And yet again we see how Bordeaux can offer activities come rain or shine 🙂
From an art festival to space month and balloon flights, this is the list of the best things to do in and around Bordeaux in October 2018:

FAB – International art festival

FAB is the annual International art festival of Bordeaux Metropole taking place this year on October 5-24. As one of Europe’s biggest art festivals it attracts some known names from the international contemporary art scene. During the three weeks of the festival more than 30 shows will take place in more than 20 different locations in Bordeaux, from the TnBA theater to the Opera of Bordeaux and the Base Sous Marine. Click here to see the full program of the festival.

When: October 5-24
Where: Different locations in Bordeaux – check out the program,

Space month

The city of Mérignac will host a whole month of space discovery with workshops, exhibitions, conferences, parties and more. Here’s a sneak peek at the rich program of October:

PROXIMA exhibition – discover how astronauts prepare before going to space – October 5-26 at the Médiathèque de Mérignac.

A visit at the planetarium – October 8 at MJC Mérignac Centre

L’Espace en fête – an afternoon of space workshops for little astronaut apprentices – October 6 at Côté sciences Air&Espace

This is only a small part of what is planed for you by the Town hall of Merignac and Cap Sciences. For the full program and registration details click here. For more details and updates check out the facebook page of the event.

When: October 1-31
Where: Different locations in Merignac – see the program

La Grande Transhumance Urbaine

Don’t be surprised if on the weekend of October 5-7 you’ll suddenly see plenty of sheep crossing your street, that’s the Grande Transhumance Urbaine. The idea behind this three days even is to connect city people to agriculture. Seven breeders and their sheeps will lead the march, that will start in Blanquefort, continue through the center of Bordeaux and finish in Villenave d’Ornon. People are welcome to participate in this 33km march or parts of it. Based on the success this event has had in the last few years, more than 1500 are expected to follow the breeders. You can still enjoy the festival even if you don’t want to make the walk, just attend the events in every town that’s on the way. See the full program of events related to this festival here.

When: October 5-7
Where:Blanquefort, Bordeaux Lac, Place de la Victoire in Bordeaux and Villenave d’Ornon (see exact location in the program)

Tauzia Fête les Jardins

Tauzia fête les Jardins is one of the most beautiful plant celebration in the south of France. The fifth edition of this fantastic event in Gradignan will take place on October 5-7. A three day event that gathers plants growers, professional gardeners, landscape architects and artists. The rich program of the festival includes plenty of workshops, conferences, activities for kids such as painting and music in the garden, creating a bamboo palisade, creating a herbarium, plastic arts in the garden for kids and more. For more info check out the facebook page of the event.

When: October 5-7
Where: 216, cours du général de Gaulle, 33170 Gradignan

Color obstacle rush

The color obstacle rush is a feast of music, color and sports. Live DJs, a fun warm-up, a 5-km course consisting of 5 color stations, 20 music zones, and 20 new obstacles including giant slides, bouncy castles, tunnels, foam, kangaroo balloons – just to name a few! The event is a bit pricey and requires prior registration – buy your tickets here. To read more about the Color Obstacle Rush click here. The event will take place on October 6 at the Bordeaux Hippodrome.

When: October 6
Where: Hippodrome Bordeaux, 8 Avenue de l’Hippodrome, 33110 Le Bouscat

Les Campulsations

Les Campulsations is a students festival, celebrating the beginning of the new academic year in different locations in the Aquitaine region: Bordeaux, Talence, Pessac, Gradignan, Bayonne, Biarritz, Périgueux, Agen and Pau. In Bordeaux Metropole the events will take place in many different locations from university campuses to museums and theaters. The program is very varied and includes such events as a brocante party, music concerts, theater shows, exhibitions and more- check out the full program and find an event near you. The festival will take place from September 27 to October 6.

When: September 27 to October 6
Where: Different locations, consult the program.

Festival Gospel En Cathedrale

A concert of gospel music will take place in Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux on October 7 at 17:30. For more details click here.

When: October 7 at 17:30
Where: place Pey-Berland, 33000 Bordeaux,

FIFIB- Bordeaux international festival of independent movies

Bordeaux Independent Films Festival will take place on October 9-15 at Rue Malby in the center of Bordeaux. The program of the festival includes films screening, concerts and meeting with special guests. Every evening, the festival village will transform into an open cinema theater and a dance floor. The event is free and open for all. See the full program on the site of the festival and more details on the facebook page.

When: October 9-15
Where: Le Village du FIFIB, 3 rue Mably, 30000 BORDEAUX

Foire aux Plaisirs

This is the spring edition of the traditional Bordelais Fair that is taking place at Place des Quinconces from October 12 to November 4. It’s a perfect activity for kids and for those who are young in spirit as La Foire aux Plaisirs de Bordeaux has it all: big wheel, roller coasters, ghost trains, bumper cars, donuts, crèpes, barbes à papa and more. The fair is open daily from 14:00, you are not required to pay any entry fee, only for some of the attractions. See more info about the fair here.

When: October 12 – November 4
Where:Place des Quinconces , 33000 Bordeaux

Speen Festival

The Speen festival is a performance art festival mixing dance music and theater. Throughout the weekend of the festival (October 13-14) many performances will take place on Place de la Comédie and Cours du châpeau rouge, among them: a Brazilian music concert, dance performances, a jazz concert, improvisation theater and more. Check out the full program here and more details on the facebook page of the festival.

When: October 13-14
Where: Place de la Comédie and Cours du châpeau rouge, 33000 Bordeaux

Lire en Poche – books festival

Lire en Poche is a pocket books festival that will take place in Gradignan in October 12-13. Besides a huge books sale, a wide range of activities are offered to the participants, among them: reading sessions, theater shows, music, games, workshops for kids and more. The entrance to the festival is free, however some activities are paid and/or require prior reservation, which will start on October 6 at 8:00 – click here to register. For more info click here.

When: September 12-14
Where: Théâtre des Quatre Saisons et à La Médiathèque Jean Vautrin, 32 route de Léognan – 33170 GRADIGNAN

Salon ABC Kidz

A big event dedicated to future parents and young families will take place on October 13-14 in Hangar 14. Salon ABC kids is the annual gathering of all the important companies and organizations related to babies and little kids from clothing to room decoration, toys and different services like child care companies and health providers. The event allows young parents to meet all the relevant products and services in one place. Many activities will take place at the Salon to make it more entertaining, among them a massage space, workshops for kids, soft play for toddlers and more. For tickets and more info click here.

When: October 13-14
Where: 115 Quai des Chartrons, 33000 Bordeaux

Nuit des Bibliothèques

Have you ever visited some of Bordeaux libraries? If you think of it as only a place storing books, think again, as the libraries in this city are much more than that. Throughout the year they propose plenty of events, courses and activities for kids. Nuit des Bibliothèques will take place on October 13, and is your opportunity to discover the libraries across the city. 25 libraries in 20 different towns in Bordeaux Metropole will participate in this event and will offer such activities as concerts, theater shows, science workshops, games for kids and more. See the full list of all the participating institutions here.

When: October 13 – evening
Where: Bordeaux, Merignac, Talence, Pessac and more – check out the full program

Montgolfiades de Saint-Emilion

Montgolfiades is an annual festival of balloon flights organized by Le Ciel est à Toi association. The flights will take place October 19-21 above Saint Emilion and the vineyards around it, so the sight is promised to be breathtaking. For more info click here.

When: October 19-21
Where: Bordeaux, Merignac, Talence, Pessac and more – check out the full program

Bordeaux Swing Festival

The international festival of Lindy hop (part of the Swing family) will take place on October 19-21 in the Bordeaux region and this year they have invited a special guest, one of biggest stars in the the New York swing scene- Gordon Webster. Two swing parties will take place at the beautiful le Rocher de Palmer in Cenon, with a battle between the Gordon Webster Hot Swing Sextet bands. The program of the festival also includes 7 hours of classes with 11 international teachers. For more details check out the website of the festival.

When: October 19-21
Where: Different locations in Bordeaux – check out the full program

Fête du Vin nouveau & de la brocante

On the last weekend of this month (October 27-28) the Chartrons neighborhood invites you to celebrate the Autumn with a festival of new wine and a brocante. During these two days, the main street, rue Notre-Dame , will be transformed into a brocante with wine stands and roasted chestnuts. Come and spend a festive weekend on one of the most interesting streets in Bordeaux.

When: October 27-29
Where: Rue notre dame, 33000 Bordeaux

First exhibition at the Musee de la Mer et de la Marine

La Musee de la Mer et de la Marine is finally about to present its first exhibition, just a few months after the cancellation of the Monet exhibition. Although the museum itself is not due to open soon, it has decided to open an exposition room where a new photography expo will be presented between October 1st and April 30, 2019. The “Sous les mers, au-delà de l’image” exhibition consists of more than 100 photographs by Paul Nicklen and David Doubilet, two National Géographic photographers. Check more info on the site of the museum.

When: October 1 – April 30, 2019
Where:89 rue des étrangers, 33300 BORDEAUX

New exhibition at the Base Sous Marine- Medio Acqua

It is no secret that the Base sous marine is one of my favorite places in Bordeaux so the fact that they’re about to open a new exhibition is making me very happy. The Medio Acqua exhibition will include installations by major French and intentional artists as well as a selection of video works by young emerging artists, recently graduated from the prestigious Fresnoy School. The main theme of the exhibition will be inspired by the world of water, while the location and the structure of the base sous marine plays an important role in it.

When: October 26- January 6
Where: Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33300 Bordeaux

Hope you enjoyed the list! Now don’t be shy, share it with your friends!

Do you have other events to add to the list? Please share them in the comments so all of us can enjoy them

If it’s your first time in Bordeaux and you want to discover it properly, check out my ultimate guide to your first visit in Bordeaux.

Have a great month 🙂

In Weekend plans

This weekend in Bordeaux (September 14-16)

Last updated on September 17, 2018 No Comments

This weekend the European Patrimony days will take place and some of you might take this opportunity to discover the city through its beautiful buildings and institutions. If you are not into that, there are still plenty of events taking place this weekend in and around Bordeaux. A street art festival, an open air electronic music party, swing dancing on the streets, a biking tour and much more.

Here is the list of things to do this weekend in and around Bordeaux:

Journées Européennes du Patrimoine

The European Patrimony days are a great opportunity to discover some of the most beautiful and interesting places in Bordeaux that are usually hidden from the public. During the weekend of September 15-16 many public and private buildings will open their doors to the and allow you a taste of the city’s history. Some of the most interesting places to visit during the weekend are: the Opera of Bordeaux, Grosse Cloche, Hôtel de Nairac, Tribunal de grande instance de Bordeaux and many more. If you haven’t planned anything yet and want to avoid standing in line, check out my post about the 10 places to visit on Journées Européennes du Patrimoine.

You can see the full list of places open to visits here.

When: September 15-16
Where: Many places across the city, check out the program above.

Shake Well Festival

Shake Well Festival is an international graffiti festival taking place in the university campus of Pessac on September 14-16. This is a free event that gathers more than one hundred graffiti artists and gives them a huge space of 2000 m2 to express themselves during the weekend of the festival. The event will be accompanied by a lineup of different electronic music artists taking the scene from 10:00 to 21:00. For more info check out the website of the festival.

When: September 14-16
Where: Domaine Universitaire, BORDEAUX MONTAIGNE, 19 esplanade des Antilles, 33607 Pessac

Swing on the streets

Swing In Kiosque is a series of improvised dance events that are taking place in Jardin Public two times a month. This weekend the event will take place on September 16. Take a look at the full program of events on their facebook page .

When: September 16 at 15:00
Where: Jardin Public, 33000 Bordeaux

Festival L’Effet Papillon

The third edition of the Effet Paillon Festival will take place in Martignas-sur-jalle on September 14-15. The festive weekend will be packed with music, street art shows, a designers market, workshops and an outdoor food area. For more details and the lineup click here, to purchase tickets click here.

When: September 14-15
Where: 14 avenue de Verdun, 33127 Martignas-Sur-Jalle

Last Chance to see the street art expo in Base Sous Marine

Legendes Urbaines, the beautiful street art exhibition presented at the Base Sous Marine during the last 2 months is coming to an end on September 16 so this is your last chance to go and see it. The exhibition, hosting more than 50 street artists, follows the evolution of street art from the 80’s until today and presents different art styles from graffiti, to video art, vitrage paintings, works on wood, fabric and much more. The entrance to the Base Sous Marine will be free on the weekend of September 15-16.

For more details check out the facebook page of la Base Sous-marine.

When: until September 16
Where: La Base Sous Marine, Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33300 Bordeaux

The Pavillon d’été of L’Orangeade

The summer pavilion on le Quai Deschamps on the right bank of the Garonne is a great way to enjoy your evenings during the hot Bordelaise summer days. The pavilion, organized by the Orangeade association, is hosting free music and gastronomy events every Friday and Saturday until September 22. Take a look at the program for this Friday (Sep 14) and for this Saturday (Sep 15).

When: September 7-8, starting 6pm
Where: Quai Deschamps, 33100 Bordeaux

Relache Festival

A free concert of JJ. Thames and BearCatz will take place this Friday at the Place Fernand Lafargue as part of the Relache festival. The free music festival is promoting local music, and is taking place in different locations during the summer months. For more info click here.

When: September 14 starting 18:00
Where: Place Fernand Lafargue, 33000 Bordeaux,

Open Air Festival

Bordeaux Open Air is a series of free summer electronic music events, all set in different locations and with a great city vibe to them. The next event will take place on September 16 in Jardin Public and will be dedicated to Djs from New Delhi .

See more info about the event on their facebook page.

When: September 16, 14:00
Where: Jardin Public, place du Champ de Mars, 33000 Bordeaux

La Guinguette des Enfants

One of the best summer places in Bordeaux la Guinguette Chez Alriq dedicate this Saturday to families with kids. Plenty of games, workshops and a picnics will take place on the bank of the Garonne. For more info click here, the price is 5€ for adults.

When: September 15, 11:00 to 17:00
Where: ZA Quai des Queyries, Port Bastide, 33100 Bordeaux

The big scooter race

The Nire Laguna Thomas association organised a wonderful event to help raise funds for research on pediatric cancer.
A kids scooter race will take place this Saturday on the Quai of Bordeaux, starting from la Maison Eco-citoyenne. More than 300 kids, ages 5 to 10 will take place in the event. If you want your kids to participate in the race, register here.

When: September 15 10:30 to 16:30
Where: la Maison Eco-citoyenne , 33000 Bordeaux

Summer Rock in Bouliac

This Saturday (September 15) a fun event will take place in Bouliac called “Bouliac on the Rock”. The program includes an American cars exhibition, a rock concert, a raffle, vinyl discs and food stands. The festival is free, see more info here.

When: September 15, starting 11:00
Where: Parking du stade, Bouliac,

Exhibition and a painting atelier for kids in Le Garage Moderne

An exhibition of three painters will take place on September 13-25 in one of the most unique places in the north of Bordeaux, Le Garage Moderne. This Saturday (September 15), the Garage Moderne will also hold a painting workshop for kids so you can enjoy some art while your kids are busy creating one.

When: September 15, 14:00- 18:00. The exhibition will be presented September 13-25.
Where: 1 Rue des Étrangers, 33300 Bordeaux

Vélotour Bordeaux

Did you ever ride a bike in a museum or a hotel? Discover Bordeaux by bike through places where usually bicycles are not allowed: museums, sport centers, cultural and historic places and more. More than ten places have opened their doors for this unusual experience. The tour will take place this Saturday (September 16) and will start at the Maison Écocitoyenne Bordeaux. For tickets click here and for more info about the event click here.

When: September 16
Where: Quai Richelieu, 33000 Bordeaux

Open doors in Climb Up

Climb Up Bordeaux will hold an open door weekend (September 15-16) to allow you discover one of the newest climbing centers in Bordeaux. For details check out the website and the facebook page of the event.

When: September 15-16 (9:00- 18:00)
Where:17 Avenue Pythagore, 33700 Mérignac

Vegan Market in the Bastide Neighborhood

A vegan and vegetarian market will take place this Saturday (September 15) at la Place Stalingrad. The stands will include food, drinks, oils, accessories, flowers and different objects, all with the agenda to promote a vegan and vegetarian lifestyle. For more info click here.

When: September 15, 10:00- 18:00
Where: Place Stalingrad, 33100 Bordeaux

Monuments of Cinema

The Monuments of Cinema festival allows you to see great movies at remarkable monuments in the Gironde. During the whole week (September 8-15) movies such as Lumière, l’aventure continue, Monty Python and Everybody wants some! will be screened in places like Château de Cadillac, Parc Chavat in Podensac and the Sauve-Majeure Abbey. See the full program here.

When: September 8-15
Where: Different locations in Gironde, check out the program

If you want to plan ahead check out my general list of things to in Bordeaux in September 2018.

Hope you enjoyed the list! Now don’t be shy, share it with your friends!

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Have a great weekend!

In What to do

Things to do in Bordeaux in September 2018

Last updated on January 23, 2019 No Comments

The Bordelaise summer is usually quite chill and laid back, filled with open air concerts and summer events on the banks of the Garonne. In contrast, September is a more active month, with plenty of festivals and gastronomy events.
This is the perfect list for those of you looking to go out and explore Bordeaux’s surroundings as it includes many events taking place just a few minutes ride from the city’s center.
This September we have: The Climax festival in Darwin, the Marathon of Medoc, a street art festival in Pessac, a beer festival and much more. So tie up your shoe laces and let’s go!
Here are the best things to do this month in and around Bordeaux:

Climax Festival

The Climax festival taking place in Darwin focuses on environmental issues and climate change. Conferences and debates will take place throughout the four day festival (September 6-9) and will be accompanied by art and cultural events. Every night, a rich lineup of electronic music will make the festival more attractive and dynamic. This is one of the biggest festivals in the center of Bordeaux and its location only adds to the attractiveness of the event. Take a look at the full program on the site of the festival, for tickets click here.

When: September 6-9
Where: CASERNE DARWIN (87 Quai des Queyries, 33100 Bordeaux) and ROCHER PALMER (1 Rue Aristide Briand, 33152 Cenon)

Medoc Marathon

Running 42km is only a small part of the Medoc Marathon experience. It is mostly about enjoying great wine, food and the great scenery. No wonder that it’s considered the longest marathon in the world. This year the marathon will take place in the vineyards of the Médoc region on September 8 and will include plenty of activities such as: musical breaks, wine tasting stops and eating a steak at the 39th km (try finishing the race after that stop 🙂 ). You don’t have to run to enjoy this event, many activities will take place on the day of the marathon and the day before, follow the program here. For more info check out the website of the marathon and the facebook page of the event.

When: September 6-8
Where: the Marathon will start in Pauillac

Vign en Ville

This is the 3rd edition of Vign en Ville, an event dedicated to the know how of wine making. During the weekend of September 8-9, wine makers from the Bienvenue à la ferme network will teach you all about wine production through a series of workshops and activities. The event will take place in Jardin Public and besides wine activities will include a special lunch (on Sunday) with products coming from different farmers in the area. The event is free and open to everyone. For more info check out the facebook page of the event.

When: September 8-9
Where: Jardin Public

Bordeaux Food truck Festival

This is the biggest gathering of food trucks in the region of Nouvelle Aquitaine, with around 60 food trucks registered to participate in the five events of the festival, which are spread on different dates until the end of September. This festival aims to mix street food with the finesse of the wine world. As part of this gastronomic event, visitors can taste the wines of the hosting châteaux and specialty food coming from all corners of the world: French, Italian, Brazilian and many more.

Two food truck events will takes places this months: September 8-9 in Château Léognan and September 29-30 in the Hippodrome Bordeaux in Le Bouscat. See all the details about the five weekends of the Bordeaux food truck festival here.

When: September 8-9
Where: Château Léognan 88, Chemin du Barp, 33850 Léognan, Aquitaine and Hippodrome Bordeaux-Le Bouscat, 8 avenue de l’Hippodrome, 33110 Le Bouscat

Ouvre La Voix Festival

Ouvre La Voix Festival gives you the opportunity to discover the beautiful Entre-Deux-Mers region in Gironde in a special way. The three day program of the festival (September 7-9) combines concerts, wine and gastronomy with biking routes taking you to places like Créon, Frontenac, Sauveterre de Guyenne and more. Concerts and gastronomy events will take place in the towns on the bike trail. Most of the concerts are free, some activities (including the shuttle from Bordeaux to Créon) require reservation. See more details and the full program here.

When: September 7-8
Where: Different places at the Entre-Deux-Mers region (check out the program)

Shake Well Festival

Shake Well Festival is an international graffiti festival that will take place in the university campus of Pessac on September 14-16. This is a free event that gathers more than a hundred graffiti artists and gives them a huge space of 2000 m2 to express themselves during the weekend of the festival. The event will be accompanied by a lineup of different electronic music artists that will take the scene from 10:00 to 21:00. For more info check out the website of the festival.

When: September 14-16
Where: Domaine Universitaire, BORDEAUX MONTAIGNE, 19 esplanade des Antilles, 33607 Pessac

Journées Européennes du Patrimoine

The European Heritage days are a great opportunity to discover from within some of the most beautiful and interesting places in Bordeaux. During the weekend of September 15-16 many public and private buildings will open their doors to the public and allow you to taste some of the history of this city. Some of the most interesting places to visit during the weekend are: the Opera of Bordeaux, Grosse Cloche, Hôtel de Nairac, Tribunal de grande instance de Bordeaux and many more.

You can see the full list of the places that will be open to visits here.

When: September 15-16
Where: Many places across the city, check out the program above.

Swing on the streets

Swing In Kiosque is a series of improvised dance events that are taking place in Jardin Public two times a month. This month the events will take place on September 9 and September 16. Take a look on the full program of events on their facebook page .

When: September 9 and September 16 at 15:00
Where: Jardin Public, 33000 Bordeaux

Festival L’Effet Papillon

When: September 14-16
Where: 14 avenue de Verdun, 33127 Martignas-Sur-Jalle

Last Chance to see the street art expo in Base Sous Marine

Legendes Urbaines, the beautiful street art exhibition that has been presented at the Base Sous Marine in the last 2 months is going down on September 16 so this is your last chance to go and see it. The exhibition, hosting more than 50 street artists, follows the evolution of street art from the 80s until today and presents different art styles from graffiti, to video art, vitrage paintings, works on wood, fabric and much more. The entrance to the Base Sous Marine will be free on the weekend of September 15-16.

For more details check out the facebook page of la Base Sous-marine.

When: until September 16
Where: La Base Sous Marine, Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33300 Bordeaux

Festival Arts Mêlés

This is the 10 year anniversary of Arts Mêlés, a festival of magic and supernatural experiences that is organized by the town of Eysines. As always the program is full of shows of magicians, illusionists , acrobats and more making it also fun for kids. The event is free and will take place on the weekend of September 22-23 at the Parc du château Lescombes. Check out the full program here. Read more about the festival and the performing artists here.

When: September 22-23
Where: 10 Rue de l’Église, 33320 Eysines

Open Air Festival

Bordeaux Open Air continues into September with more cool events of Electronic Music at different locations in the city center. The next events of the Open Air Festival will take place On September16 in Jardin Public and September 23 at Square Dom Bedos.

When: September 16 and September 23
Where: Jardin Public anat Square Dom Bedos in Bordeaux

Festival Le Maquis

Le Maquis festival is taking place in one of the best summer spots in Bordeaux: “Chez Alriq”, the tavern on the banks of the Garonne that hosts concerts every weekend. Before the place closes for winter it has cooperated with the Kélé association to celebrate the African continent, to show its beauty and richness and to create a bridge between the African and Bordelaise people. The festival will take place on September 28-29 and will include a list of African musicians who will introduce us to the great music coming from this continent. See the full program here.

When: September 28-29
Where: ZA Quai des Queyries, Port Bastide, 33100 Bordeaux

BLIB – the beer festival of Bordeaux

This is the 4th edition of Bordeaux’s beer festival taking place on September 25-29. During the five days of the festival you can attend and participate in plenty of activities around craft beer in cellars, bars, restaurants and breweries. The grand finale (September 29) of the festival will gather all the brewers in one event, you can buy the tickets for the final event here. Check out the facebook page of the event for more info. The exact bars participating in the festival will be published on the BLIB site.

When: September 25-29
Where: Different places in Bordeaux

La Nuit Verte de PanOramas

During the last five years the PamOramas event has been trying to get the public familiarized with the green spaces at the right side of the Garonne and this year it’s Floriac’s turn. On September 29, a Nuit Verte (green night) will take place at the parc de l’Observatoire in Floirac with a program of contemporary and digital arts. Check our the full program for the evening here.

When: September 29
Where: 2 rue de l’Observatoire, 33270 Floirac

Hope you enjoyed the list! Now don’t be shy, share it with your friends!

Do you have other events to add to the list? Please share them in the comments so all of us can enjoy them

If it’s your first time in Bordeaux and you want to discover it properly, check out my ultimate guide to your first visit in Bordeaux.

Enjoy the Summer!

In Weekend plans

What to do in Bordeaux this weekend (August 18-19)

Last updated on July 15, 2019 No Comments

This weekend we have free concerts on the banks of the Garonne, Jardin Public and at the charming port town of Andernos les Bains. Other than that, there are some interesting exhibitions for those of you looking to hide from the sun as well as plenty of ideas to enjoy the Bordelaise summer without spending a dime.

Here is the list of things to do this weekend in and around Bordeaux (August 18-19):

Enjoy a concert at the summer pavilion on the Garonne

When: August 17-18, from 6pm
Where: Quai Deschamps, 33100 Bordeaux

Open Air Festival

Bordeaux Open Air is a series of free summer electronic music events, all set in different locations and with a great city vibe to them. The next event will take place on August 19 in Jardin Public and will be dedicated to Djs from London.

See more info about the event on their facebook page.

When: August 19, 15:00
Where: Jardin Public, place du Champ de Mars, 33000 Bordeaux

Dance Tango at the Grande Poste

Like every summer the Tango Bordeaux association organizes public tango dance in different location in the center of Bordeaux. Join their tango party at the Grande Poste this Sunday (August 19), see more info on the facebook page of the event.

When: August 18– 16:00
Where: 7 rue du palais gallien, 33000 Bordeaux

Brasilian Funk in charming Andernos les Bains

Bate Funk Brasileiro is a group of 13 musicians playing tribute to Brazilian music from the Rio Black Power of the 70s to the Samba Funk of today. The concert will take place this Saturday (August 18) at the beautiful port town of Andernos les Bains. For more info check out the facebook page of the event.

When: August 18– 21:30
Where: Esplanade de la jetée andernos

Go to the beach at Bordeaux Lac

The beach is the perfect summer spot and if you’re in Bordeaux you don’t have to go very far for it. The cute beach of Bordeaux Lac has everything you need: a sandy clean beach with beautiful clear water and a lot of shade from the nearby trees for those who don’t really like the sun. the beach is open to the public daily from June 1st to August 31 and starting July 1st it offers water and beach activities such as sailing, kayaking, mini-golf and more. Check out the list of daily activities here.

When: June 1- August 31
Where: Boulevard Jacques Chaban Delmas, 33520 BRUGES

Dance on the Quai

This is the last weekend of Dansons sur les Quais, a series of dancing classes and events where people gather to dance together and learn a variety of dancing genres like Tango, Salsa, Bollywood, Forro, Hip Hop, Street Jazz, Zumba, Country and more. These activities are guided by professional dancers from different dance schools in Bordeaux and they are completely free, so this is a great opportunity you don’t want to miss. The dancing events are taking place daily on the quai until August 19. For more details and the full program check out the website of Dansons sur les Quai.

When: Daily until August 19
Where: Quai Louis XVIII, 33000 Bordeaux

Hide from the sun in the beautiful Parc Bordolais

Parc Bordelais, the biggest parc in Bordeaux, is located in the northern part of the city in the Cauderan neighborhood. Although a bit far from the city center, making an effort to get there really pays off. A lake, beautiful trees, huge green spaces and a lovely terrasse café are only part of what parc Bordolais has to offer. This park is one of the best places for kids in Bordeaux. Besides two large playgrounds (for younger and older kids), there is a puppet theater and a little train that takes you on a tour around the park. If you want to discover more parks in Bordeaux check out my list of the best picnic locations in the city.

parc Bordelais in Bordeaux — Parc Bordelais by Lost in Bordeaux

Bordeaux Metropolitan Summer

Like every year Bordeaux Metropolitan invites you to discover the city and the area around it through a series of cultural events. More than 100 activities including music, dance, public reading, theater, circus and gastronomy are taking place between July 8 and September 25. These events are so widely spread across the metropolitan area of Bordeaux that you are guaranteed to discover places (especially parks) that you have never heard of before: Parc d’observation in Floirac, Parc du Viver in Merignac, Parc Camponac in Pessac and many more. Check out the full program of events here.

When: Daily from July 8 to September 25
Where: Bordeaux Metropolitan – check out the exact location of every event in the program.

Exhibition at the beautiful Espace Saint Rémi

Espace Saint Rémi is a beautiful place to go see exhibitions and cultural events in the center of Bordeaux. During the next ten days (August 16-26) the place will host an exhibition by three different artists: Léonard Lahoz (porcelain design), Twotom (aquarelle painting), Anne d’Aressy (pastels). A meeting with the artist Léonard Lahoz will take place this Friday at 18:00.

When: August 16-26
Where:Espace Saint-Rémi – 4 rue Jouannet – 33000 Bordeaux

Join the guided visit of the Urban Legends Exhibition

Legendes Urbaines, an exhibition that hosts more than 50 street artists, is beeing presented from June 21 to September 16 at La Base Sous Marine, one of the most unique places in Bordeaux. The exhibition follows the evolution of street art from the 80s until today and presents different art styles from graffiti, to video art, vitrage paintings, works on wood, fabric and much more. If you want to learn more about the meaning behind these fascinating pieces of art, join the guided tour that will take place this Saturday (August 18) at 16:00. The tour doesn’t require prior reservation and is limited to 30 people (price is 3 euros). For more details about the tour click here.

When: August 18, 16:00
Where: La Base Sous Marine, Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33300 Bordeaux

Garden Party – in one of the nicest terasses of Bordeaux

A nice collaboration is taking place this summer between Frida, a restaurant with a beautiful inside garden, and the French Gin producer G’Vine Gin. Every Sunday during the summer a cocktail party takes place at Frida, with a selection of special cocktails and a discount price of 6 euros for Gin and Tonic. For more info click here.

When: August 19, 17:00
Where:27-29 rue Buhan, 33000 Bordeaux, France

Hope you enjoyed the list! Now don’t be shy, share it with your friends!

Do you have other events to add to the list? Please share them in the comments so all of us can enjoy them

If you want to plan ahead check out my general list of things to in Bordeaux in August 2018.

Have a great weekend!

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