How Languedoc celebrates 'Le 14 Juillet' Bastille day with fireworks!

14th of July celebration - the perfect opportunity to see the true South of France and its wonderful welcoming people.

The 14th of July is the annual celebration of Bastille Day. Each town and village in the country celebrates this day although festivities vary according to location. In Paris for instance, there are large military parades every year accompanied by the impressive “Patrouille de France” aircraft aerobatics.

In the South of France it is a more humble, social and community-orientated event. Central squares and village plazas are filled with tables and chairs in preparation for the feast.


The festive menu is distributed a couple of days before the event and usually consists of a large paella or hog roast. Traditionally villagers also bring taboulets, salads, patés and homemade dips. Neighbours and friends eat and drink together, as volunteers help to serve the food. Traditionally you’ll find locals behind a make-shift bar selling beers, sangria and regional wines.

The older generation of women (a.k.a “les mammies du village”) take the lead in bringing everyone to the dance floor. French disco tunes and old classics always manage to dominate the playlist, however it is not complete without the national anthem and a couple of “chansons paillardes”*.

The climax of the evening is of course the midnight fireworks. The French (well known for being proud!), strive to have the most fantastic spectacle in the area. Fourteenth of July fireworks never disappoint.

If the village fête doesn’t sound quite right for you, try to find a slightly higher viewpoint on a hill where you can sit, relax, maybe enjoy a bottle of wine and watch as surrounding villages’ fireworks go off simultaneously. It really is breath taking!


*Chanson Paillarde (loosely translated from the French Wikipedia page):


A popular song chanted among friends in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Generally the lyrics are crude and filled with innuendos, most commonly sung when inebriated at some form of festivity.

How to get tickets for the community meal:

Its very simple, just go to the local Mairie in the town or village you’d like to spend the evening and ask their secretary for tickets to the feast.

What to do in Languedoc in August ? - La Féria

You may ask yourself what the most 'happening' event is in Languedoc, South of France in August?

Definitely the FERIA!

Among the many places in the South of France that celebrate the Féria; Béziers, Bayonne and Nîmes are the three most popular towns in which people choose to attend the Féria.

Our pick:        La Féria de Béziers  

(it is a five day-long festival, dates usually ranging between the 10th and 17th of August)

The Féria is one of the region’s most anticipated events of the summer. It originates from traditional Spanish festivities where bullfighting takes place in the city’s beautiful “Arènes”.

 By evening, families and friends meet in the improvised outdoor restaurants serving home made paella and a variety of rustic tapas. As more and more people start to pour into the city, a vibrant ambiance fills the streets.

Hundreds of stands sell delicious wines and sangrias from Domains based all over the region.  (Our pick: look out for the litchi sangria! It is to die for)

Music flows everywhere throughout the city, guiding the wine connoisseurs and the party-goers to the next bodega where there are usually live bands and DJ’s as entertainment. 

The fiesta is everywhere you go, indoors or out.

There are also smaller daytime events to attend to other than the obvious choice; bullfighting. There are horse-shows, parades, flamenco dancing and bands to see. (If you think the bullfighting may offend members of your party, but you still wish to really get into the spirit of the festival, there are Portuguese bullfights on as well.

There is no killing only “games” involving the bulls and the men themselves are in very little danger. Many more families attend these “Corridas”, they are a great way to indulge into the atmosphere of the arena full of chanting people, which is quite a unique experience that we recommend to everyone- at least once in a lifetime)

Programmes will be ready available everywhere in the city in restaurants and cafes as well as on the Internet. These will provide you with all the information on “what’s happening, where and when?”, they will also tell you where you can buy tickets for both Spanish and Portuguese bullfights.

One last piece of important advice; the traditional colours are sacred, so make you sure you dress in red and white!