Biarritz festivals set the pace for tourists and locals alike

The Biarritz Latin America Festival has become a benchmark for Latin American cinema. Competitions for feature films, shorts and documentaries punctuate the festival. It's a great way to discover Latin American culture. The festival is a much-appreciated event in France, and the charm of its programme and its cultural richness delight thousands of spectators.

This annual festival, held at the end of September, will appeal to young and old alike. As you enter the different festival venues (gare du midi, cinéma le royal and the casino), you can immediately feel the enthusiasm of the spectators. And it's not just an impression. 25,000 cinema admissions by 2022! Films of all genres are shown. From westerns to fantasy to family productions. There's something for everyone.

But in the end, you quickly realise that this is not a festival focused exclusively on the seventh art. Throughout the week there are meetings, debates, concerts, workshops and much more. All with a strong ecological commitment. And the good news is that it's back in 2023, from 23 to 29 September, for its 32nd edition. A weekly ticket costs around 65 euros (45 euros for students, under-25s, jobseekers, etc.). Single screenings also cost 6.50 euros (4.5 euros concessions). More information on ticketing on the festival website.

Wheels and Waves is a multi-sport festival centred on the world of motorcycling, taking place in and around Biarritz and extending as far as San Sebastian in Spain. Over five days of festivities, you'll be able to take part in a wide range of motorcycle-related activities, as well as surfing and skateboarding. From 21 to 25 June 2023, this will be the twelfth edition of the festival.

The highlight is the Wheels and Waves village in the Cité de l'Océan, right in the heart of the city. As soon as you enter the village, you feel a special and unique atmosphere. Engine noise on one side, music on the other, the atmosphere is friendly and conducive to meeting people. Motorbike professionals exchange ideas with fans from the four corners of the world and the simply curious. It's a remarkable cultural melting pot. Strolling through the village, you come across several stands with bars, exhibitors and barbers, all facing the Atlantic Ocean. After soaking up the atmosphere of the village, we head off to the other sites to discover various surfing and skateboarding competitions, as well as track and road motorbike races.

In 2023, as in previous years, it will be possible to buy tickets in advance. There are two ways of doing this. The classic pass costs 70 euros and gives access to all the festival activities. The collector's pass, which includes an extra Buddy Wheels and Waves bag, costs 100 euros. Both passes can be purchased on site for 90 euros for the classic pass and 164 euros for the collector's pass. More information on the schedule on the festival website.

For five days, discover the world of motorcycling, surfing and skateboarding in a festive and friendly atmosphere.

Price: from 70 euros

We are now ten kilometres north-east of Biarritz, in the Bayonne bullring. This time, it's not a feria or a bullfight, but a music festival of all kinds. Welcome to Arènes en Scène, the first three evenings of which were scheduled for 2022. Now it's back with a bang in 2023, with five evenings scheduled from 18 to 23 July.

Rapper Lomepal got the ball rolling on 21 July with a frenzied performance of "ma cousin". No concerts were scheduled for the 22nd, so we took advantage of this free day to visit and stroll through the pleasant streets of Bayonne. Back to business on July 23 with Latin pop singer Kendji Girac. As usual, he took to the stage with his guitar to turn up the heat. The following day, Christophe Maé brought the 2022 edition to a fitting close in front of more than 4,000 delighted spectators.

In 2023, the organisers have put together a top-class programme. Once again, there's something for everyone. Matthieu Chedid, aka M, will kick things off, followed by Ibrahim Maalouf, the Gims brothers and Dadju, Florent Pagny and Louise Attaque. Each evening will feature a different artist, and tickets are available from €39 to €74, depending on the artist and the seat chosen. For more information on ticketing or to reserve your tickets, go directly to the festival website .

Watch out, it stings! A short culinary stop-off in Espelette for this latest festival. Although less well known to tourists, it's no less appealing. As you may have guessed, in this little village south-east of Biarritz, chilli reigns supreme. For two days, usually at the end of October, a host of events are organised around Basque gastronomy, accompanied by the music of travelling brass bands known as Bandas. In 2023, the festival will be held on 28 and 29 October for the 54th time.

Normally, things are quiet in this small village of just over 2,000 inhabitants. But during the chilli festival, it becomes the attraction of the whole region. Tourists and locals alike gather to enjoy the festivities. What surprised us most was the number of visitors. When we arrived last year, we never thought we'd see so many people. Nearly 10,000 on Saturday, 30,000 on Sunday. The atmosphere is fantastic and the food delicious. The pumpkin soup with its chilli pepper that we tasted as soon as we arrived was exquisite. We wandered among the many stalls set up in the village streets. At the end of the day, an election for the best stall was organised, followed the next day by the election for the best chilli pepper!

Access to the chilli festival is open to all and free of charge. No need to book in advance. From Biarritz, it takes about 30 minutes by car. If you don't have a car, you can get there by train. A shuttle bus runs between Combo-les-Bains station and Espelette. Shuttle fares are around two euros per person.