Knowing the France public holidays before you book can save you from a locked museum door, an empty supermarket shelf on a Sunday, or a train that sells out because half the country is taking a long weekend. France has eleven national public holidays, and the calendar around them (school vacations, bridge days, summer festivals) shapes crowds and prices more than most visitors expect. This guide lists the dates for the rest of 2026 and for 2027, explains what actually closes, and maps the festivals worth building a trip around. It pairs well with our guide to the best time to visit France.
France Public Holidays: The 11 National Dates
France observes eleven jours fériés nationwide: New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Victory in Europe Day, Ascension, Whit Monday, Bastille Day, the Assumption, All Saints, Armistice Day and Christmas. Three are movable and tied to Easter (Easter Monday, Ascension and Whit Monday); the other eight are fixed dates. That is why the table below changes weekday from year to year; the Paris Je t’aime holiday calendar lists the same dates.
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day (1 January) | Thursday 1 Jan | Friday 1 Jan |
| Easter Monday | Monday 6 April | Monday 29 March |
| Labour Day (1 May) | Friday 1 May | Saturday 1 May |
| Victory Day 1945 (8 May) | Friday 8 May | Saturday 8 May |
| Ascension | Thursday 14 May | Thursday 6 May |
| Whit Monday | Monday 25 May | Monday 17 May |
| Bastille Day (14 July) | Tuesday 14 July | Wednesday 14 July |
| Assumption (15 August) | Saturday 15 Aug | Sunday 15 Aug |
| All Saints (1 November) | Sunday 1 Nov | Monday 1 Nov |
| Armistice Day (11 November) | Wednesday 11 Nov | Thursday 11 Nov |
| Christmas (25 December) | Friday 25 Dec | Saturday 25 Dec |
The movable dates follow from Easter Sunday, which falls on 28 March in 2027; Ascension is 39 days after Easter and Whit Monday 50 days after, which gives the 2027 dates above. Public holidays that land on a weekend are not moved to a weekday in France, so the Assumption on a Saturday in 2026 and a Sunday in 2027 simply costs workers a day off, and gives travelers nothing extra to plan around.
Why Some Years Are Better for Long Weekends
The French have a name for the trick of stretching a holiday: faire le pont, literally to make the bridge. When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many people take the Monday or Friday off to build a four-day weekend. Ascension is always a Thursday, so every year it produces a mini-exodus. In 2026 it comes on 14 May, and 1 May and 8 May both land on Fridays, which makes May 2026 an unusually generous month for residents. In 2027, by contrast, 1 May and 8 May fall on Saturdays and cost French workers their long weekends, while Ascension (6 May) and Whit Monday (17 May) still produce one bridge and one natural three-day weekend.
For you, bridge weekends mean fuller TGV trains, higher prices on Friday and Sunday departures, and packed roads out of Paris. Reserve rail seats early for these dates, and expect coastal destinations, the Loire and Normandy to feel like high season even when the calendar says spring. If you are flexible, travel mid-week around these holidays: cities such as Paris are often quieter when residents leave for the coast.
What Actually Closes on a Holiday
The practical effect of a holiday varies enormously by date. The reliable pattern is that 1 January, 1 May and 25 December are the three hardest closures: many museums and monuments shut. The Louvre, for example, is closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. On other holidays, check each site’s calendar.
- Shops and supermarkets: Public holidays often mean closed shops, so buy groceries the day before.
- Banks: expect them to be closed on holidays; make sure you have a card that works at ATMs. Our guide to money in France covers cards, cash machines and everyday costs.
- Restaurants: opening varies by holiday, so confirm with the restaurant.
- Transport: timetables can differ on public holidays. Check the operator’s page for the specific day.
Before heading to any attraction on a holiday, check its official opening calendar the same week. Hours do change, and a closed door after a long journey is the most avoidable holiday mishap.
Alsace and Moselle: Two Extra Holidays
Three eastern departments, Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin and Moselle, have two additional public holidays: Good Friday and 26 December (Saint Stephen’s Day). The reason is historical: the region was part of Germany until 1918, and when it returned to France it kept advantages acquired under German law. If your itinerary includes Strasbourg or Colmar, remember that on those two days local businesses and some services may operate on holiday schedules, and the 26 December closure follows hard on Christmas Day. Our guides to Strasbourg and Colmar are the better place for itinerary details; the key point here is to avoid planning chores such as shopping or banking on those dates.
School Holidays: The Calendar That Moves Prices
Public holidays are single days; school vacations are the periods that shift hotel rates and crowds. French school holidays are organized in three zones: Zone A (including Lyon, Grenoble and Bordeaux), Zone B (including Nice, Marseille, Lille, Rennes and Strasbourg) and Zone C (including Paris, Versailles, Toulouse and Montpellier). All Saints and Christmas holidays are common to every zone, while winter and spring breaks are staggered so that ski resorts and coastal areas are not overwhelmed all at once.
- All Saints (Toussaint) 2026: Saturday 17 October to Monday 2 November, all zones.
- Christmas 2026: Saturday 19 December to Monday 4 January 2027, all zones.
- Winter 2027: Zone C from 6 February, Zone A from 13 February, Zone B from 20 February, each lasting about two weeks.
- Spring 2027: Zone C from 3 April, Zone A from 10 April, Zone B from 17 April.
- Summer 2027: begins Saturday 3 July.
Ski regions and Atlantic coasts are the most affected, because families travel from whichever zone is on break. Paris, in Zone C, often feels calmer when its own residents leave, though international tourist numbers do not follow the school calendar. Official dates are published on service-public.gouv.fr. School holidays are one more reason to use the season-by-season guide when choosing dates.
The Festival Calendar, Month by Month
Festivals are where the calendar becomes fun. The ones below have dates confirmed by at least two sources; many others exist, so check the monthly pages in our events series for the full list, starting with our France events October 2026 guide.
February: Nice Carnival and the Menton Lemon Festival
The 2027 edition runs 9 to 28 February 2027. Neighboring Menton hosts its Fête du Citron from 14 to 28 February 2027. Both overlap with school winter holidays for some zones, so book lodging early. For Riviera planning, see our Nice and the French Riviera guide.
May: Cannes Film Festival
The festival takes place in May; the 2026 edition ran from 12 to 23 May. Riviera lodging is in demand around such dates, so book early or plan a different week. Dates for the 2027 edition should be confirmed with the organizers.
21 June: Fête de la Musique
Every year on 21 June, music events take over streets and squares across the country. It falls on Sunday 21 June in 2026 and on Monday 21 June in 2027. It is not a public holiday, so shops and services run as normal. Expect crowds in city centers and keep valuables secure.
July: Bastille Day and Avignon
On 14 July Paris holds a military parade down the Champs-Élysées starting around 11 a.m., with some 4,000 uniformed personnel marching, and fireworks after dark near the Eiffel Tower on the Champ-de-Mars. Viewing spots fill hours ahead. Because 14 July is a public holiday, expect closures and check transport timetables for the day. In Avignon, the Festival d’Avignon fills the city with theater in July; see our Avignon travel guide for what else to do in town. Dates vary each year, so confirm with the festival.
September: Heritage Days
The Journées européennes du patrimoine open thousands of monuments, many normally closed to the public, usually free of charge. The 43rd edition takes place on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026. Popular sites such as ministries and palaces generate long queues, so go early or pick smaller, lesser-known locations.
December: Fête des Lumières in Lyon
Lyon’s festival of lights is anchored on 8 December. In 2026 it runs from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December. It draws very large crowds, so hotels fill quickly; read our Lyon travel guide for the rest of the city.
How to Use the Calendar When You Plan
A few habits help. First, check each of your travel days against both the holiday table and the school zones. Second, treat 1 May, 25 December and 1 January as closed days for sightseeing, and plan outdoor walks, markets or neighborhoods instead. Third, if a holiday is on a Thursday (Ascension, and in 2027 Armistice Day on 11 November), expect a Friday bridge and book trains early.
Tipping, greetings and restaurant manners do not change on holidays, but staff may be stretched; our guide to tipping and etiquette in France explains what is expected in normal service. If you want to build a trip around a festival rather than avoid one, pick the event first, then book transport, then lodging, in that order of urgency.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public holidays does France have?
France has eleven national public holidays: 1 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, 8 May, Ascension, Whit Monday, 14 July, 15 August, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December. Alsace and Moselle add Good Friday and 26 December.
Are museums open on French public holidays?
Many museums close on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. The Louvre, for example, closes on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Always check the site’s calendar before you go.
What is a pont in France?
It means bridge. When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many people take the Monday or Friday off to make a four-day weekend, which fills trains and roads.
When is Easter Monday?
Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027, so Easter Monday is 29 March 2027. Ascension follows on 6 May and Whit Monday on 17 May.
Is the Fête de la Musique a public holiday?
No. It is celebrated every 21 June, but it is not a day off, and local noise and public-space rules still apply.
Bottom Line
Treat the eleven holidays as fixed obstacles and the festivals as optional anchors. Check every travel day against the table, avoid sightseeing plans that depend on 1 January, 1 May or 25 December, book trains early around Ascension and other bridge weekends, and verify festival dates with organizers before paying for non-refundable lodging.
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