Festival Style in France

Outfit guides for 10 French festivals, from Nice Carnival to Rock en Seine.

10Festivals
9Cities
February–AugustSeason

France has 10 festivals in this guide, spread across 9 cities. They run in February, March, May, June, July and August, and festival-day temperatures range from 3°C (37°F) to 28°C (82°F), with nights down to -6°C (21°F). That range is the reason there is no single "France festival outfit". The answer changes by month and by site.

1 of them runs in real heat (28°C or more), where loose natural fabrics beat coverage and a brimmed hat does more than any garment. 2 sit below 16°C, where the outer layer effectively is the outfit. 2 carry a high rain risk, which makes waterproof footwear a requirement rather than a precaution.

The ground matters as much as the sky. You will find city streets, snow, industrial site, open field, forest and city park, which puts waterproof boots at the top of the list for most of these events. 4 of the 10 have camping on site, so outfits have to survive living in a bag on the ground for several days.

Stylistically the crowd here leans indie, streetwear, elegant and camping. Nice Carnival is the largest of them at around 200,000 people, and it sets the tone the smaller ones react to. None of that is a dress code. It is what you will see, which is worth knowing if you would rather blend in or deliberately not.

Festival dressing in France: FAQ

It depends on which one and when. Festival days in France range from 3°C (37°F) to 28°C (82°F), with nights down to -6°C (21°F), so a light base plus one carryable warm layer covers most of them. 2 of these festivals have a high rain risk, so add a packable shell and waterproof footwear for those.

The festivals in this guide run in February, March, May, June, July and August. Exact dates are set by the organisers each year. Check the official site of the festival you are going to before booking travel.

Down to about -6°C (21°F) at the coldest of these festivals. That is cold enough that a jacket you can carry all day is worth the inconvenience.

4 of the 10 festivals listed here have camping on site: Hellfest, Garorock, Les Vieilles Charrues, Main Square Festival. Camping changes what you pack. Outfits in sealed sets, separate sleep clothes, and a second pair of dry shoes.

Waterproof boots for the field sites, and never anything new. You will walk 15.000 to 30.000 steps a day, and footwear is the only garment that can end your weekend early.