🗓️ Regional Agenda

🍃 Provence Calendar – January to March 2026

Stay in Istres in our house with swimming pool?
Discover the cultural, festive, sporting and gastronomic events around Istres and in Provence to fully enjoy winter and the beginning of spring!

❄️ JANUARY 2026

In Istres

Mayor's New Year's Greetings & King Cake
📍 City Hall / Cultural Center
🗓 Early January
👑 Official ceremony followed by a friendly gathering around the King Cake, open to the public.

Winter Sales
📍 Istres city center
🗓 Early January (national dates)
🛍 Local shops and shopping centers are offering great discounts to start the year off right.

Winter Exhibition – Museum of Art and History
📍 Istres Museum
🗓 All of January
🎨 Temporary exhibitions showcasing regional artists and local heritage.

Around Istres

Nativity Scene Fair – Aubagne
🗓 All of January
🧑‍🎨 The unmissable Provençal event to discover traditional santons and meet the artisans.

Epiphany Traditions – Provence
🗓 First weekend after January 6th
🍰 Giant galettes, entertainment and friendly sharing in many Provençal villages.

Winter hikes – Camargue & Alpilles
🗓 Every weekend
🥾 Ideal for discovering landscapes, fauna and flora in a peaceful and luminous atmosphere.

🌿 FEBRUARY 2026

In Istres

Cultural programming – The Factory
📍 The Factory – Scenes & Cinemas
🗓 All of February
🎭 Concerts, theatre, comedy and shows for young and old.

Sports & wellness camps
📍 Sports complexes and local associations
🗓 School holidays
💪 Sports activities, fitness, yoga or children's camps for an active stay.

Around Istres

Martigues Carnival
🗓 Mid-February
🎭 Colourful parades, floats, marching bands and family entertainment in a festive atmosphere.

Marseille Carnival – La Plaine
🗓 February
🎉 One of the most popular carnivals in the region, creative and friendly.

Mimosa Festival – French Riviera (Bormes, Tanneron)
🗓 February
🌼 Villages in bloom, parades and markets around the mimosa in full bloom.

Valentine's Day in Provence
🗓 February 14
🍷 Gourmet restaurants, hotels and wine estates offer romantic menus and evenings.

🌸 MARCH 2026

In Istres

Spring of Poets
📍 Media library & cultural venues
🗓 Mars
📖 Readings, literary meetings and activities centered around poetry.

Spring Exhibitions – Museum & Galleries
📍 Istres
🗓 Starting in March
🎨 New exhibitions marking the return of warmer weather.

Around Istres

Spring Fair – Salon-de-Provence
🗓 Mars
🌷 Regional products, crafts, gastronomy and family entertainment.

Half marathon & nature races – Provence
🗓 Mars
🏃‍♂️ Several sporting events in the Alpilles, around Aix and the Côte Bleue.

Reopening of Provençal open-air markets
🗓 Starting in March
🧺 Lively markets in Aix-en-Provence, Martigues, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence: fresh produce, colours and scents of the South.

Spring walks – Alpilles & Côte Bleue
🗓 All of March
🥾 Ideal for hiking, cycling and seaside walks under exceptional light.

✨ Why stay in Provence from January to March?

Winter and early spring offer an authentic and luminous Provence:

• A peaceful stay in a comfortable house with a swimming pool
• Beautiful landscapes without the tourist crowds
• An immersion in Provençal traditions
• Ideal temperatures for hiking and exploring the region
• Lower rates off-season

📞 Contact us to find out about our availability and our special winter & early spring offers!