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Caen’s calendar runs from a huge student carnival in spring to a riverside music festival in July and a Christmas market in December. Most events cluster between March and December, and several are free to attend. The biggest single date for visitors is 6 June, the anniversary of the D-Day landings, which draws veterans, re-enactors and official ceremonies to Caen and the nearby beaches. Pair this list with our best time to visit Caen guide to line up dates with your trip, or start from the full Caen travel guide.
Caen Events and Festivals: Spring
Carnaval de Caen
Caen’s carnival, held on a Sunday in late March or early April, is one of the biggest student carnivals in France, drawing around 30,000 spectators. Floats, marching bands and costumed crowds parade from the university area through the city centre to Place Saint-Pierre, and the afternoon ends with confetti and live music. It is free to watch, and the route is announced on the city’s events site a few weeks beforehand. If the weather is cold, our Caen weather by month guide will tell you what to wear.
Caen Events and Festivals: Summer
D-Day Anniversary Commemorations (6 June)
The anniversary of the Normandy landings is the biggest date on the calendar. Each year around 6 June, ceremonies are held at the D-Day beaches, paratrooper drops are re-enacted, and military vehicles roll through the region. The Mémorial de Caen stages special exhibitions and screenings, and many events are free. Accommodation books out months ahead, so check our where to stay in Caen guide early if you plan to attend.
Beauregard Festival
This three-day music festival runs in early July in the grounds of the Château de Beauregard at Hérouville-Saint-Clair, just north of Caen. It books major international rock and pop acts plus French headliners, and past editions have drawn around 40,000 people a day. Day tickets are usually around €60 to €70, and camping packages are available. The site is served by shuttle buses and the Caen tram.
Éclat(s) de Rue
Caen’s street arts festival runs through July and August, filling squares and streets with free circus, theatre, music and acrobatics performances. Most shows are free and spread across the city centre and residential areas, so see our Caen neighborhoods guide to know where you will be walking. Timetables are published on the festival website each June.
Caen Events and Festivals: Autumn
Foire de Caen
The Caen Fair runs for ten days in September at the Parc des Expositions, a 10-minute tram ride from the centre. It mixes trade stands, a funfair, agricultural shows and concerts, and it has run since the 19th century. Entry is a few euros, and evening concerts cost extra.
Nördik Impakt
Held over a week in October, Nördik Impakt is a festival of hip-hop, electronic and urban culture with concerts, dance battles and graffiti exhibitions across Caen venues. It is one of the largest events of its kind in western France.
Les Boréales
Every November, Les Boréales brings Nordic literature, film, music and debate to Caen, with authors and artists from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Most talks and exhibitions are low-cost or free, and it is a good indoor option in a wet month. See our Caen travel tips guide for transport and practicalities.
Caen Events and Festivals: Winter
Caen Christmas Market
From late November to late December, the Christmas market sets up on Place Saint-Sauveur and along the central pedestrian streets, with wooden chalets selling mulled wine, local cider, cheese and crafts. There is a small ice rink most years, and the lights stay up into early January. It is free to wander. For the rest of the city’s seasonal attractions, see our things to do in Caen guide.
