Events calendar Tours

For shopping and bargain-seekers alike, this is a day not to be missed. For one long Sunday, retailers take to the streets, unpacking their stock and selling off their wares! To avoid the crowds, especially on Rue Nationale and Rue de Bordeaux, it's best to get up early. Don't worry, though, there are plenty of other small, more breathable streets in the city where you can find bargains here and there. Avenue de Grammont and Rue Charles Gilles are home to a friendly garage sale, while boulevard Heurteloup is home to a number of gastronomic stalls!

On Saint Anne's Day (July 26), the old town smells of garlic and basil. The event is said to have originated in the Middle Ages. Fans of unusual strolls, gardeners and budding cooks take advantage of the opportunity to stroll through the old town of Tours on this day! The Place de la Victoire, the Place and Rue Châteauneuf and the Rue du Grand-Marché are transformed into a large market where all varieties of these two products are present. And all around, in the Halles and rue Courteline, you can find second-hand goods dealers, artists and craftsmen, as well as various delicacies.

A veritable rendezvous for those who love good local and organic produce, Convergences Bio is a huge open-air market that takes place on the quays of the Loire once a year. Market gardeners, cheesemakers, fishermen, livestock farmers, cereal growers, beekeepers and so many others who make up the region's peasant wealth come together for this ephemeral village. There's plenty to meet, taste and nibble at, and a few militant stalls where you can get to know the world again. In September, the organizers also propose the Banquet Festif et Solidaire de l'île Simon.

The ^9th art has its local festival! Comic enthusiasts gather in the Place Châteauneuf or the Salle Ockeghem to stroll between the stands, discover new releases and have their comics signed by the authors on hand. The program also includes exhibitions, film screenings (and often a drawing concert!), and entertainment for young and old. Drawing workshops are a big hit, as are conferences. LSF interpretations and read-alouds are also organized. See you on the 2nd weekend of September!

In addition to illuminating its streets with Christmas colors to transport passers-by into a festive universe, the city of Tours also has its Christmas market. Since 1998, the chalets have been set up in Place de la Gare and on Boulevard Heurteloup. With the new municipality (and the covid), the market is expanding! In 2021, we could discover craftsmen and traders in front of the cathedral, on Place de la Résistance and on Place Anatole France. Jewelry, local products, sweets, mulled wine and handicrafts are on the agenda. And for a nice souvenir with the family, you can take a picture with Santa Claus or take advantage of the outdoor skating rink, the big wheel and the rides.

Among the many festivals hosted by Studio cinemas, the FICAT (Festival International de Cinéma Asiatique de Tours) offers screenings of films, documentaries and shorts, as well as a special program for young audiences. In the space of just a few days, spectators can experience the full diversity of Asia, with films from various Asian and Far Eastern countries. Other partner venues host screenings, calligraphy workshops, conferences...

France is no slouch when it comes to cheeses, but the whole world is full of them! Tourangeaux are in luck, as Tours has been hosting the Mondial du Fromage et des produits laitiers for several years now. The event takes place in the large halls of the Parc des Expositions, hosting hundreds of exhibitors and producers. Cheese lovers will be delighted to wander the aisles, discovering products from all over the world and the latest innovations. The program includes evening tastings, a competition for the best cheesemaker and other events.

Initiated by the CCNT, this festival offers a week of contemporary dance performances to be discovered on its premises, but also in numerous partner venues and more unusual places such as museums and historical monuments in the metropolis. In keeping with the CCNT's year-round programming, the event is an opportunity to discover contemporary dance in all its diversity, with a host of international companies at affordable prices.

Since 2018, Tours has had its own Ironman: "Tours'N Man, le défi des Rois". The program includes the events that make up the famous triathlon: swimming in the Rives du Cher lake, cycling and running between the Loire and Cher rivers. The Tours'N Man is also an opportunity to take advantage of our rich heritage, as the events take place near exceptional sites! A total of 1,500 athletes, 8,000 spectators and 800 volunteers... For those on the other side of the fence: an initiation course for children, entertainment and catering facilities.