Published the 01/30/2023 in Useful Information
Need help choosing the dates for your next vacation? In lack of ideas for the stay?
Festivals, open houses, exhibitions...
Here is the calendar for the first half of 2023 with all the events in the Bordeaux region not to miss!
Truffle markets in Sarlat
Winter is the season! There are those with wholesale sales, where professionals meet on Wednesday afternoons. And then on Saturday mornings, the controlled markets open to everyone, in a room located opposite the town hall, rue Fénelon. The black diamond is often on the menu of restaurants in the city!
Reopening of la Cité du Vin
It starts with an immersive experience in different environments that the new "Bordeaux 360°" workshop invites you to - as well as the "Via sensoria" tasting trail from spring 2023. As for the permanent exhibition, it is organized around 6 universes (history, geography, arts, gastronomy, science and oenology) and 18 themed areas, over 3000 m². Part of the digital equipment, multimedia productions and scenography will be renewed. A larger place will be given in particular to Nature…
Exhibitions “Dalí, the endless enigma” and “Gaudí, architect of the imagination”
in le Bassins des Lumières in Bordeaux
Two new masterful exhibitions are set up at the Bassins des Lumières, the former submarine base in Bordeaux, enhanced by these immersive multimedia installations.
February 16 - Bazas Gras Ox Festival
For more than 700 years, every Thursday preceding Mardi Gras, this popular festival brings together the most beautiful specimens of the Bazadaise breed (between 800 kg and one ton). Adorned with ribbons and flowery crowns, the fat oxen parade to the sound of fifes and drums in the streets of the city, before being judged by a jury of experts on the Place de la Cathédrale.
March 5 – Carnival of the two banks
Every year, the long-awaited Carnival of the Two Banks returns to the heart of the city of Bordeaux! With 20,000 revelers, it is the largest parade of its kind in all of South-West France. This year, carnival participants are preparing their Japanese-themed floats, costumes and shows!
March 3-26 – Pleasure Fair
This year this fair celebrates 170 years! Event not to be missed on the Place des Quinconces!
April 1-2 – Open doors at the Château de Medoc
Did you know that the Médoc vineyard was the first to collectively organize open doors for its châteaux? Set up by the Masion du tourisme et du vin de Pauillac in collaboration with the Conseil des Vins du Médoc, their success has opened up the beautiful season on the side of the Gironde Estuary for 28 years.
April 15-16 - Blaye Wine Spring
Le Printemps des Vins is made up of nearly 100 winegrowers from Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux who welcome you behind their barrels inside the citadel of Blaye. This weekend will be made up of meetings, sharing and tastings of course, but will also be punctuated by numerous activities such as cruises on the estuary, train rides, culinary workshops, guided tours of the citadel, etc. Come in large numbers to meet our winegrowers and spend a festive weekend around our appellation!
April 24-27 – Week of Les Primeurs
From April 24 to 27, 2023, Bordeaux and several of its famous châteaux will host La Semaine des Primeurs, which will allow winegrowers to present their 2022 vintage “en primeur” to the press and distribution professionals. On the program for this week are wine tastings from all the appellations of the Bordeaux vineyards, such as Graves, Sauternes, Saint-Émillion, Médoc, Pomerol, Margaux and Saint-Estèphe. These wines will be tasted in six different Bordeaux chateaux.
April 29-May 1 – Saint-Emilion open house
3 festive days to discover our appellation! A privileged meeting with the winegrowers of Saint-Emilion, Lussac Saint-Emilion and Puisseguin Saint-Emilion who open their doors to you in a large number of castles with many activities in perspective!
May 13-21 - Bordeaux International Fair
The Foire Internationale de Bordeaux is one of the most important events of the year in Gironde. Every year, more than 200,000 people walk the aisles of the fair in search of their happiness. Among the important moments of the Fair, do not miss its agricultural show, the second largest in France after that of Paris, or the unmissable pop culture event, the Bordeaux Geekfest!
27-28 – Open days in Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux
The weekend of Pentecost will see the great return of the annual meeting of the Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux winegrowers, the open days for the 28th edition. On the program 50 properties open to the public and events at the wine house as well as in the small and large castles, come meet enthusiasts and explore the most beautiful landscapes of Bordeaux.
The Epicuriales
one of the most unifying culinary events in France is held in the heart of the wine capital: Les Epicuriales de Bordeaux. For several weeks, an ephemeral village is built especially for the occasion to accommodate around thirty restaurants of known and recognized chefs, who have come especially to delight the taste buds.
June 22-25 – Bordeaux Fête le Vin
You will find on the quays the iconic wine route running through the different villages of the appellations. For 4 days, we will taste the wines of Bordeaux and New Aquitaine with the winegrowers and merchants, accompanied by the essential Tasting Pass! The celebration will also be experienced in preview from June 15, 2023 in restaurants and wine shops in the Metropolis, with music in performance halls where winegrowers and merchants from the region will come to meet you.
July 6-10 – Sea Festival in Arcachon
For two days, Basin lovers come together to celebrate the sea and its traditions. You can participate with family or friends in the giant picnic on the Sea Front, attend the nautical parade. Don't forget your yellow scarf!
July 26-30 – Bayonne Festival
Among the great festivals of the South-West, those of Bayonne come first with more than a million Festayres in the Basque capital, at the end of July. It is therefore a must for anyone who wants to experience this type of event combining dance, music and numerous activities, symbols of the conviviality and well-being of our region.
27-30 July – Open doors of the Crus Artisans de Medoc
The "Crus Artisans du Médoc" open their doors to you to help you discover their vineyard and their wines, but above all their state of mind, attached to their history and their roots. A return to the sources of the true profession of the winegrower! Opportunity to taste all the wines from the participating estates at the Maison du Tourisme et du Vin de Pauillac, during opening hours.
August 3-5 - Fest'arts of Libourne
The city of Libourne, near Bordeaux, hosts the annual Street Arts Festival: the Fest'arts. On this occasion, around 40,000 people gather in the streets to discover a myriad of free shows for the whole family.
Battle of Castillion
Let yourself be surprised by the number of extras and actors (more than 250 on stage, more than 500 for the entire season), by 40 knights and their mounts, by the size of the scenic area (3 ha) staged by the play of lights and pyrotechnic effects. Discover the customs of the villagers and winegrowers, share the life of the monks of the priory. Discover the great figures of Guyenne: Eleanor of Aquitaine, John Talbot... Immerse yourself in 1453 which also marks the end of the Middle Ages with the fall of Constantinople.