Month by Month guide to the best annual festivals and events in the Dordogne

ANNUAL CALENDAR OF FESTIVALS & EVENTS IN THE DORDOGNE AND NEARBY DEPARTMENTS

(Please double-check events are on first before making plans)

January:

  • “Comic Strip Festival” a massive 4-day event (third largest in the world) held at the end of January in Angouleme (Charente).
  • Truffle Festival Sarlat an event on the third weekend in January celebrating every aspect of the Perigord black truffle (Dordogne) 

Feb:

  • Arnac-Pompadour Horse racing and horse events during every month from February to October (Correze)

March:

  • “Fest de l’Oie” this annual goose fair is held over 2 days in early March in Sarlat-le-Caneda with geese parading through the town, cookery demonstrations and much consuming of goose (Dordogne)

May:

  • “Fete de la Fraise” in Beaulieu Sur Dordogne, held on the second Sunday in May in celebration of strawberries including the making of an 8ft strawberry tart (Dordogne)
  • "Fete des Fraises et des Fleur" strawberry and flower festival in Vergt on third weekend in May with up to 15 000 visitors (Dordogne)
  • “Fetes des Fromages Fermier” celebrating cheese in Rocamadour on Whit Sunday (Lot)
  • “Les Floralies” St Jean de Cole, a huge floral festival held the second weekend in May(Dordogne)

June:

  • World Music Festival 21st June celebrated across France
  • Lamb festival in Bellac with the Grand Chapter of the Lamb Brotherhood and a procession (Haute Vienne)

June and July:

  • “Itinéraire Baroque” in the Green Périgord. A festival dedicated to Baroque music and Romanesque architecture (Dordogne)
  • The good eating festival at Piages in the Périgord-Limousin Regional Nature Park (Dordogne)
  • Chefs’ roundtable at the Lanaud Centre in Boisseuil: demonstrations of recipes using limousin beef and catering (Haute Vienne)
  • Snail Festival in La Coquille (Dordogne)

July:

  • Filibree is a festival on July 5th-7th highlighting everything Occitan including the language and culture. Its location moves each year. (Dordogne)
  • Blues Passions Festival in Cognac during the first week of July in celebration of blues and featuring major Blues players (Charente)
  • French National Day 14th July celebrated across France, Mialet has a huge Vide Grenier and Fireworks (Dordogne)
  • “Festival des Jeux du Théâtre” in Sarlat, this theatre festival is one of the most famous in France (Dordogne)
  • “L’été musical en Bergerac” an eclectic programme of events at some of the region’s most famous historic sites (Dordogne)
  • “Souillac en Jazz” International jazz festival held in the third week of July in Souillac
  • “Vezere Festival”  annual classic music festival played in venues across the area around Brive (Dordogne)
  • “Bastille Day” 14th July celebrated national holiday across France. Large vide grenier, food event and fireworks held in Miallet
  • "Fete du Cognac" 25th-27th July a major event in the Charente region where you can try Cognac, Pineau and Charente wines alongside local produce (Charente)
  • “Festival International des Arts du Mime et du Geste, Mimos” in Périgueux 23rd to 28th July. For one week, street theatre and mime take over the town (Dordogne)  

August:

  • “Itinérance Médiévale en Vallée du Dropt”, from 7th -31st August in the Bergerac region you can relive the Middle Ages in all its glory! (Dordogne)
  • “Flamenco Festival” in Bergerac where the town adopts Spanish rhythms at this 3-day event attracting leading names from the flamenco world (Dordogne)
  • Limousin beef day at Saint-Léonard de Noblat (Limousin)

August and September:

August to October:

September:

  • “Vintage Days” in Perigueux a three-day event on the first weekend in Sept. Celebrating everything vintage including over 100 old vehicles parked in the centre. (Dordogne) 
  • “Hot Air Balloon Festival” in Rocamadour at the end of September, is a massive festival dedicated to hot air balloons. (Lot)
  • Snail festival at Boisseuil (Limousin)
  • Toques and Porcelain at Limoges: tastings, exhibition to combine Limoges porcelain and Limousin gastronomy. (Limousin)
  • Hemp festival at Cognac la Forêt (Haute Vienne)
  • Ovine Tech at Bellac which is a trade fair where sheep take pride of place (Limousin)
  • French Cuisine Festival held across France

October:

  • Fetes de la Chataigne (Chestnut Festival) Dornazac last weekend in the month (Haute Vienne)
  • Ancient apple varieties day at Magnac-Bourg (Haute Vienne)
  • Frairie des petits ventres gastronomy festival in Limoges every 3rd Friday in October in the Boucherie quarter. (Limousin)

November:

  • “Rue des métiers d’Art” in Nontron. This fair brings together the best artisans in a delightful setting and is THE show for rural arts and crafts! (Dordogne)
  • “La Foire du Livre” Brive huge book event (Correze)
  • Annual Turkey festival in Varaignes on November 11th celebrating all things Turkey and including a Bourru and chestnut fest. 10,000-15 000 visitors each year (Dordogne)
  • Apples and other local fruit at Mortemart by the West Limousin apple crunchers association (Haute Vienne)
  • Orchard apple festival at Saint-Just le Martel (Limousin)
  • Gourmet book festival in Perigueux held every 2 years on the odds. Includes cookery demos, food pairing and other culinary delights (Dordogne)
  • Beaujolais Nouveau Day on the third Thursday in Month

December:

  • Christmas markets in the centre of both Limoges and Perigueux
  • Goose & Duck festivals in Limoges and St Yreix la Perche (Haute Vienne)
  • Capon festival at Blond with a Brotherhoods’ procession and capon racing (Haute Vienne)