Events in Brittany

Puces de Brest Apr (monthly) Les Halles Saint-Louis, Brest The residents of Brest turn out their attics for the Puces de Brest flea market, held in the streets around the covered market of Les Halles Saint-Louis on the second Saturday of every month.

Scallop Festival Apr (annual) Erquy The Côtes d'Armor area of Brittany prides itself on being the capital of the scallop - or Coquille Saint-Jacques.

Les Estivales du Rire Apr - May (annual) Dinard If you're one of those people who think that the French have no sense of humour, make your way to the classy town of Dinard in Brittany for a festival devoted to rib-tickling comedy

La Fête de la Morue May (annual) Binic A pretty port on Brittany's rugged coastline, Binic plays host to the annual Fête de la Morue, celebrating the local fishing industry, and in particular, cod.

Puces de Brest May (monthly) Les Halles Saint-Louis, Brest The residents of Brest turn out their attics for the Puces de Brest flea market, held in the streets around the covered market of Les Halles Saint-Louis on the second Saturday of every month.

Festival Fanfares May (annual) Le Quartz, Brest Festival Fanfares is an annual celebration of popular and folk music, from brass bands to the traditional songs of Eastern Europe, held at Le Quartz in Brest.

Art Rock Festival May (annual) Saint-Brieuc The Art Rock Festival in Saint-Brieuc combines the world of modern music with performance art and attracts over 35,000 visitors every year.

Le Pardon de Saint Yves May (annual) Tréguier The small town of Tréguier honours Saint Yves, the patron saint of lawyers. Ten thousand pilgrims in black and red ermine-trimmed robes process through streets draped with yellow and gold

Fête des Voisins/Immeubles en Fête May (annual) Brittany If you see groups out on the French streets in May, chances are they're taking part in the Immeubles en Fête (Apartment Block Party) initiative. You may even get invited to a party yourself.

Horse, Donkey and Pony Fair May - Jun (annual) La Prévalaye, Rennes More than 700 horses pack into La Pévalaye sports centre for Rennes' International Horse Fair, one of Brittany's top equine events.

National Qigong Day Jun (annual) Rennes Each year, cities across France take part in National Qigong Day. From Paris, Marseille and Montpellier to Strasbourg, Toulouse and Tours, enthusiasts and professionals put their best foot forward

Puces de Brest Jun (monthly) Les Halles Saint-Louis, Brest The residents of Brest turn out their attics for the Puces de Brest flea market, held in the streets around the covered market of Les Halles Saint-Louis on the second Saturday of every month

Les Tombées de la Nuit Jul (annual) Rennes The lively town of Rennes hosts a series of musical encounters, light and sound shows and magical nights of mystery in the medieval city centre every July.

Petite Troménie Jul (annual) Le Nemeton, Locronan Locronan's Petite Troménie is one of the oldest pardons (religious days) in Brittany. Pilgrims in costume, carrying gold brocaded, silk banners and singing Breton songs

Festival des Vieilles Charrues Jul (annual) Kerampuilh Fields, Carhaix For over a decade, Brittany's Festival des Vieilles Charrues has been welcoming rock, blues and reggae to the fields of Kerampuilh near the town of Carhaix.

Modern Art Biennale May - Jul (annual) Le Couvent des Jacobins, Rennes Venues across Rennes, including the Couvent des Jacobins and the Musée des Beaux-Arts, host the city's inaugural modern art biennale, subtitled Valeurs Croisées: Les Ateliers de Rennes.

Tour de France Jul (annual) Saint-Malo The best cyclists compete each year in the Tour de France - the world's most famous cycle race. The 2008 race sets out from Brest in Brittany, covering 3500km of rural, mountainous and coastal routes

Festival de Cornouaille Jul (annual) Quimper The Festival de Cornouaille is Brittany's biggest celebration of Breton culture. Concerts, street parades by proud Breton in their 66 distinct "guises" (costumes)

Vannes Jazz Festival Jul - Aug Jardin de Limur, Vannes This annual jazz festival, held in a verdant park in the old walled town of Vannes in south Brittany, brings top performers to make music under the stars every July.

Interceltic Festival Aug (annual) Lorient The town of Lorient in Brittany hosts this spectacular annual showcase of the Celtic arts, featuring performers from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Asturias, Galicia, the Isle of Man and Brittany.

Festival de la Cité des Hortensias Aug (annual) Perros-Guirec Perros-Guirec's two-day festival of Celtic music brings together some 500 different musicians. The weekend of concerts en plein air takes place in the centre of town

Bout du Monde Music Festival Aug (annual) Presqu'Ile de Crozon Brittany's Presqu'Ile de Crozon hosts the Bout du Monde (End of the World) music festival. Crozon's golden sands are a suitably sunny setting for a colourful programme of music and dance

Roscoff en Fête Aug (annual) Roscoff Every year in mid-August a bustling craft market and assorted excitements come to the streets of the port town of Roscoff.

Pardon Notre Dame de la Clarté Aug (annual) Perros-Guirec Each August, Perros-Guirec celebrates an old miracle. Years ago, a boat was sinking out at sea. Its crew were saved by the lights of the hamlet's chapel

La Route du Rock Festival Aug (annual) Fort de Saint-Pere, Saint-Malo A highlight of the French festival scene, and blessed with a great venue within the crumbling ramparts of an old castle in Saint-Malo, La Route du Rock Festival has blossomed into a major event

Astropolis Dance Music Festival Aug (annual) Brest Brest celebrates 20 years of rave with its four-day Astropolis Dance Music Festival. Venues, including La Carène, attract big-name French DJs as clubbers come out in force to party away the night

Fête des Filets Bleus Aug (annual) Concarneau Concarneau's Fête des Filets Bleus festival celebrates everything that is strictly "Breton" about Brittany, a region which regularly strives to prove its independence

Saint-Loup Festival Aug (annual) Guingamp For those who enjoy Breton folk dance, the Saint-Loup Festival in Guingamp offers traditional dancing, fireworks and toe-tapping Celtic music gigs.

Quimper Musical Weeks Aug (annual) Théâtre de Cornouaille, Quimper Quimper has held its classical Quimper Musical Weeks festival during the long hot evenings of August for over 25 years.

Fête du Menez Hom Aug (annual) Plomodiern The Fête du Menez Hom folk festival takes place in the pretty seaside town of Plomodiern in the heart of the Menez Hom region

Festival de Cinéma de Douarnenez Aug (annual) Douarnenez The week-long Festival de Cinéma de Douarnenez draws some 22,000 visitors to the town with screenings, discussions, exhibitions, literary gatherings and concerts.

Fête de l'oignon rosé Aug (annual) Roscoff Wine, oysters, olives...it seems the French see all their favourite foodstuffs as an excuse for a festival - and why not?

Les Festives Halles Aug (annual) Questembert Questembert's 16th-century market halls resound to the strains of street performance and market trading as more than 100 artists and craftsmen gather for this annual festival.

Grand Pardon de Sainte-Anne-La-Palud Aug - Sep (annual) Chapelle de Sainte-Anne, Plonévez-Porzay More than 10,000 pilgrims attend the Grand Pardon de Sainte-Anne-La-Paludone, one of the oldest and most dramatic pardons (religious days) in Finistere, the western corner of Brittany.

Château de la Hunaudaye Apr - Sep (annual) Château de la Hunaudaye, Pledeliac The Château de la Hunaudaye is a majestic ruin of a castle close to the town of Plédéliac that still manages to look imposing despite having seen more grandiose days.

Trégor Photography Festival Jun - Sep; not Sun (annual) L'Imagerie, Lannion The photographic gallery L'Imagerie, in Lannion on the north coast of Brittany, hosts the annual summer Trégor Photography Festival, an exhibition of work by major French photographers.

Thursdays in the Port Jul - Sep; Thu only (annual) Port de Commerce, Brest Every Thursday during the summer months, the town of Brest invites locals and visitors to a colourful carnival in the port, where music and good food are served up in equal measure.

Gallo Festival Sep (annual) Rennes Do you speak Gallo? Brittany's Roman dialect is enjoying a revival and is now celebrated at its own Gallo festival, held in the Place du Parlement in the centre of Rennes.

Doll Museum Apr - Sep (annual) Musée de Poupées, Josselin Relive your childhood at the doll museum in the historic town of Josselin in Brittany. The museum is situated in the old stables of the local château and contains exhibitions of historic toys

British Film Festival Oct (annual) Dinard British films have a cult following in France so it is no surprise to find a British Film Festival, nor is it surprising that it should be held in Dinard. The town's Palais des Arts hosts the event.

Ebruitez-vous Festival Sep - Oct (annual) Rennes Celebrating Brittany's love of all things musical, the Ebruitez-vous Festival (meaning "make some noise") brings together contemporary music with cinema, poetry, circus, theatre and dance.

Fête du Pommé Oct (annual) Bazouges-la-Pérouse Pommé is a by-product of the cider-making process. Once a staple of the region's winter diet (when reduced, the sugary paste could last for months),

Festival Saint-Simon at Saint-Briac Oct (annual) Saint Briac sur Mer Hundreds of craftsmen - ceramicists, woodturners, even fashion designers - gather every year in the Emerald Coast town of Saint-Briac sur Mer to exhibit their talents at the vast Festival

park Aquanature Le Stérou Mar - Nov (annual) park Aquanature Le Stérou, Priziac Half an hour away from the Breton coast lies an unspoilt haven for nature and wildlife - the park Aquanature Le Stérou.

Buskers Festival Nov (annual) Quintin Singers and actors recreate the ambience of the Belle Epoque in the beautiful half-timbered streets of Quintin for the town's Festival des Chanteurs de Rue (Buskers Festival).

park de Préhistoire Apr - Nov (annual) park de Préhistoire, Malansac Shrouded in mystery, but perennially fascinating, the dinosaurs roar back to life in the park de Préhistoire in Brittany. Twenty-five hectares of full-scale dinosaur models

Brest Short Film Festival Nov (annual) Le Quartz, Brest The annual Brest Short Film Festival at Le Quartz in Brest screens more than 250 shorts by filmmakers from all over Europe

Documentary Film Month Nov (annual) Brittany Cinemas, arthouses, schools and libraries across the whole of France and the French-speaking world participate each year in November's Documentary Film Month (Le Mois du Film Documentaire).

Roscoff Exotic Garden Mar - Nov (annual) Roscoff Exotic Garden, Roscoff The Gulf Stream ensures that the flowers stay blooming far longer in the Roscoff Exotic Garden than inland. The garden covers 1.6 hectares and has 3000 species

Île de Bréhat Daily Île de Bréhat Sitting two kilometres off the coast of Brittany, the two islands that make up the Île de Bréhat have diverse ecosystems steeped in flourishing flora and diverse fauna. There are no cars here

Oceanopolis Daily Océanopolis, Brest The vast Oceanopolis aquarium in Brest offers a brilliant day out for a family or marine-minded individual. There are 42 different aquariums of varying sizes (from 50,000 to 1 million litres)

Centre Atlantique de la Photographie Daily; not Mon Centre Atlantique de la Photographie, Brest Created in 1996 through the initiative of a group of Breton photographers - the Centre Atlantique de la Photographie in Brest is a centre for photographic excellence and creation