This is the weekend of 14 Juillet (French national day) so many events in and around Bordeaux will be dedicated to that. Two big summer festivals are also starting this weekend, one will make you dance during the summer and the other will keep you and your kids fit. Before we dig into this weekend’s list, I wanted to remind you to take a look at what else is on this month in my July list.
Here’s the list of things to do in Bordeaux this weekend (July 12-14).
Celebrate French National Day
July 14th is the French national day which is celebrated in every city in France. Like every year, Bordeaux will hold a series of popular events and parties, the main ones are:
- Military parade at Quai des Chartrons – 18:30
- The traditional dance party at Placette de Munich – Quai Louis XVIII (in front of Quinconces) – 20:30
- Fireworks show above the Garonne river between Pont de Pierre and Place de la Bourse – 22:45
Most towns around Bordeaux will also hold firework shows (full list):
July 13:
- Cenon – Parc Palmer – 23 :00
- Mérignac – Stade Robert Brettes – 23:00
- Gradignan – Parc de Mandavit – 22:45
- Bouliac – Parc de Vialle Bété – 22:00
- Bruges – Esplanade Charles de Gaulle -23:00
- Blanquefort– Parc de Fongravey- 23:00
July 14
- Pessac – Parc de Cazalet – 23 :00
- Talence – Parc Peixoto – 23 :00
- Lormont – Place Aristide – 23:00
- Arcachon – next to the sea – 23:00
Bal Pompiers
Bal Pompiers are traditional firemen parties that take place in many cities in France on July 13 and 14. Bordeaux’s firemen will also celebrate the national day with a few parties of their own. One of the biggest ones will take place at the Ornano Fire Academy (Meriadeck) on July 13, check more details here. Another big party is Bal de la Benauge that will take place on July 13 at the Benauge fire station, Check more details here.
When: July 13 / Where: see the addresses of the fire stations in the links above
Quai des Sports
This is the 11th edition of this fun sportive event taking place every summer (July 13 to August 11) at the Parc des sports Saint Michel. The program this month includes a variety of sportive activities such as a fitness night, beach volleyball, basketball, BMX, beach wrestling and more. The festival will be accompanied by artistic and music events. Many of the activities are aimed at kids and teenagers and are a perfect solution for entertaining them in the center of Bordeaux during the summer. Check the full program here.
When: Daily from July 13 to August 11 / Where: Parc des sports Saint Michel, Bordeaux
Dance on the Quai
Dansons sur les Quais is 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 will be 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. Dansons sur les Quais is finally starting this Sunday (July 14) and will take place on the quai almost daily until August 18. For more details and the full program check out the website of Dansons sur les Quai.
When: Daily from July 14 to August 18 / Where: Quai Louis XVIII, 33000 Bordeaux
Go to the beach
In case you missed it on my facebook page, a few days ago I published an article about the best beaches near Bordeaux. So if you were planning to discover a new beach this weekend this article will give you some great ideas. I included beaches on lakes, on the ocean and on Bassin d’Arcachon.
Bordeaux Open Air
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. Every event is dedicated to a different country and hosts its DJ’s for sets of electronic music. The next Open Air event will take place this Sunday (July 14) at Square Dom Bedos. For more details click here.
When: July 14, starting 15:00 / Where: Square Dom Bedos, Bordeaux
Raphaëlle Boitel – Horizon
Horizon is a dance and acrobatic artwork by the French choreographer Raphaëlle Boitel. The piece pays tribute to the emblematic architecture in Bordeaux by using the Opera building as its stage. The show will take place on Place de la Comedie on Friday and Saturday (July 12-13) at 20:00. For more details click here.
When: July 12-13 / Where: Place de la comédie, 33000 Bordeaux
The summer pavilion on the right side of the river
Like every summer in the last five years, the Orangeade association opens its summer pavilion on le Quai Deschamps (in the Bastide neighborhood) with live concerts every Friday (18:00 – 01:00) and Saturday (12:00 to 01:00). These events are not just music concerts but rather a place for friends and families to spend the weekend with yoga classes, creative workshops, activities for kids and more. The next event will take place this weekend (July 12-13), for more details click here.
When: July 12-13 / Where: Quai Deschamps, 33100 Bordeaux, France
Zanzibar – Opening
This weekend Darwin will open their summer bar. This year the bar takes inspiration from East Africa and will pay tribute to Afro-Caribbean and South American music. You can join the opening event on Friday and Saturday (July 12-13) with plenty of cocktails and concerts. See the full program here.
When: July 12-13 / Where: Quai Deschamps, 33100 Bordeaux, France
Go to see an exhibition
There are some amazing exhibitions presented this summer at various museums in Bordeaux. I gathered the best exhibition you should see this summer in one of my recent articles, read it here. It’s a great way to escape the heat 🙂
L’Eté de l’Escale du livre
Plenty of free activities for kids will take place this Thursday and Friday (July 11-12) in front of la Salle Des Fêtes Bordeaux Grand-Parc. Check out the full program here.
When: July 11-12 / Where: 39 Cours de Luze, 33300 Bordeaux, France
Music O Teich
Music O Teich will take place this weekend (July 12-14) at the port of Le Teich in Bassin d’Arcachon. The event includes a big creators market and free concerts every night. For more info click here.
When: July 12-14 / Where: 33470 Le Teich, Aquitaine, France
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A note for newcomers to Bordeaux 🙂
If you’re visiting Bordeaux for the first time, be sure to check out my ultimate guide to Bordeaux to get familiar with all the must-see places in Bordeaux. To help you choose a hotel in Bordeaux I’ve gathered a list of the best hotels in the center of Bordeaux as well as a guide to the districts of Bordeaux to help you find your preferred AirBnB location.
Finally, if you are looking for a fun and delicious activity in Bordeaux, check out my food tours in which I’ll take you through a three hours journey in the culinary scene of the Southwest of France.
