The Fête du Lac is a not-to-be-missed event in Haute Savoie. It is without doubt the region's biggest event. It attracts an average of over 200,000 spectators every year. On the first Saturday in August, Annecy hosts a fireworks display, light shows and themed background music. This tradition is not new. It dates back to 1860, when Napoleon II and Empress Eugénie came to Annecy. Since then, this night-time festival has been held every year. The festival is so popular and so large-scale that you are invited to book your tickets in advance.
Haute-Savoie is an excellent destination for sport, but it also knows how to have fun in other ways. A historic date to celebrate, a tradition to celebrate, a lively festival, a vibrant concert or a sporting event to experience with passion... Whatever the season, festive events follow one another as the months go by. This land of ancestral traditions remains attached to its mountain culture, but has no hesitation in proving that it is also in tune with the times. The calendar is rich and varied. Each season has its own special event. There's something for every taste and every generation. Some events attract their fair share of national and international artists. From Annecy to the Portes du Soleil and La Clusaz, every festival is an opportunity to meet the locals or relax with friends and family. Here's a (non-exhaustive) selection of the best events not to be missed if you're in the area. Get your diaries ready!
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Venice Carnival in Annecy
- © Alla Khananashvili / ShutterstockLake Annecy Festival
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Fireworks during the lake festival
- © Samuel Borges Photography / ShutterstockPractical info
🗓️ Date: first Saturday in August
👛 Price:
- numbered stands: €37.
- numbered chairs: €23 to €40.
- lawns: €6.50 to €15.
🎟️ Tickets generally open in June
👉 More information on the website
Annecy International Animation Film Festival
Quiet, it's filming in Annecy! Every year, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival takes place for a week in June. The festival, which thrills audiences the world over, welcomes over 3,300 films from around a hundred countries. It will be awarding prizes for the best short films (L'officielle, Off-Limits, Perspectives, Young Audience, etc.). Audiences will also be able to see emerging talent, meet seasoned directors, watch the latest animated masterpieces and examine current and future trends.
The festival also includes the International Animation Film Market (Mifa). This is the place to meet and talk to professionals in the film industry.
Practical info
The various films are shown at different venues around Annecy. Prices for screenings therefore vary from place to place. Tickets generally go on sale in May. Find all the information on the festival website
Music festivals in Haute-Savoie
Music lovers beware! Haute-Savoie has plenty to thrill you... The region is home to three big-name festivals. The Rock the Pistes festival promises a high-altitude concert for winter sports fans. Every year in March, over 60 concerts of electro, pop and rock music light up the Portes du Soleil.
During the summer months, it's the turn of the Rock'n'Poche festival to bring its melodious touch to the mountains. Spread over two days, the festival attracts over 10,000 people who come to enjoy around 16 concerts, featuring a host of local and international rock artists.
If rock'n'roll isn't your cup of tea, the more eclectic CosmoJazz Festival also takes place during the last week of July. As with all festivals, there are plenty of activities on site, including food and drink stalls and entertainment.
Useful links
Rock the Pistes
Rock'n Poche
CosmoJazz Festival
Les Grandes Médiévales
Twenty kilometres from Annecy, Andilly takes you back to medieval times for a few days. The Grandes Médiévales festival is held every spring. A medieval camp is set up on more than 15 hectares, and more than 60,000 visitors flock to immerse themselves in the spectacle. More than 500 artists and 1,000 extras put on around 20 hours of shows, including battles, flights of birds of prey, concerts, entertainment, storytelling and equestrian jousting.
Practical info
📍 Location: 74009, Andilly
🗓️ Date: 5 days between late May and early June
👛 Price: 5-day pack: 50 euros per adult and 30 euros for children. Possibility of taking day tickets.
👉 More information on the Grandes Médiévales website
The Reblochon Festival
There's nothing like a local festival! In La Clusaz, the locals get together for the Reblochon festival (yes, you read that right!). Cheese lovers won't want to miss this gastronomic event in the first half of August. A symbol of the region's rich heritage, the locals pay tribute to its cheese-making traditions, local produce and the trades of yesteryear.
The festival begins in the morning with a mass and ends with a fine meal in the evening, with plenty of entertainment to keep the day going. Visitors can take a stroll through the local cheese stalls. They can also discover local crafts, folk dances, cow milking, sheep shearing, a parade of floats, a hay pool for children and the preparation of Reblochon cheese in a giant cauldron.
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La Clusaz has been organizing the reblochon festival for over 50 years
- © PHILIPIMAGE / ShutterstockExample of a typical day
10am - Mass in the open air
11.15am - Aperitif concert and country-style lunch (Savoyard meal, artisans' plank, tartiflette, diots, potato fritters)
2.30pm - Parade of herds and floats accompanied by the "bell ringers" (departure from the Salon des Dames)
4pm - Arrival of the bell ringers at Le Bossonnet
5pm - Milking the cows and making farmhouse Reblochon cheese
6pm - Folk dances
7pm - Tombola and Savoyard meal
8.30pm - Concert - Entertainment
Old-fashioned bread-making in the Bossonnet communal oven
Live paintings of traditional trades (woodworking and woolworking)
Hay pool for toddlers, sheep shearing, cob making, tree felling...
Sale of Reblochon, Chevrotin, Tomme, Abondance and Tartiflette cheeses.
For more information, click here
Lake Annecy International Marathon
Whether you're a runner or a spectator, the Lake Annecy International Marathon is a major sporting event not to be missed! The race has been running since the 1980s, and offers a range of races to suit all abilities. There's also plenty of entertainment on offer during the event. To take part in this race, come to Annecy at the end of April.
For more information, click here
Another sporting event: the swim across the lake takes place on the weekend of 15 August. A race worthy of an Olympic event!
Where to stay in Annecy?
![3-star Hôtel du Palais de l'Isle](https://ims.ev.mu/large_135756096_6f8ca8c891/large_135756096_6f8ca8c891.jpg)