Best Photography Festivals in France 2023
There are so many great photo festivals around the world - and Europe has no shortage of inspiring festivals to view photography. I’m going to narrow it down a bit and feature (imho) the best photography festivals in France.
Four initially come to mind - and if you happen to be in France when these festivals are taking place - then I highly recommend you visit. These festivals are important for so many reasons. I find it great for inspiration. You will view curated collections of work from these visual storytellers that are excellent examples of their genre. And I particularly enjoy chance meetings with likeminded people.
Les Rencontres d’Arles de la Photographie
This summer photography festival begins July 3 this year and ends September 24. The most exciting week is the first, from July 3-July 9. During Opening Week you will see familiar photography faces, the streets are crowded, every available space seems to be a gallery of some sort displaying photography. …Throughout the city day and night, photographers and curators of the program meet the public at evening projections, exhibition tours, debates, lectures (taken from their website)
Photo Workshops, Portfolio Reviews, Exhibitions, guided tours and activities..so much to do and so much work to be inspired by. Every year I try and get there the first few days because of the buzz and excitement and then I may come back one or two more times during the quieter weeks. I have made this visit to Arles something that my younger daughter and I do during Opening Week each year. We live about an hour from Arles, so it is easy for us to return for visits during the nearly 3 months of the festival.
Arles is a great city - you will have no problem spending a few days exploring!
VISA pour L’Image - International Festival of Photojournalism
Right at the end of summer, this two week photojournalism festival is held in Perpignan, France. This year the dates are September 2- September 17, 2023. [you could easily pair both Arles + Perpignan together on a trip to France in September!]
Each year, a selection of the best stories from around the world is shown in Perpignan. Featuring in the 2023 Festival program (subject to change):
War in Ukraine
Earthquake in Turkiye and Syria
Elections in Turkiye
Iran, Sudan, Myanmar +
Uprising in Peru
Migration
Climate change and effects
Land grabbing
Overfishing
Retirement legislation and protests in France
Elections in Brazil
La Gacilly Photo Festival
This year’s Festival takes place from June 1 - October 1. Located in Western France, Southern Brittany, La Gacilly is not far from Rennes + Nantes.
[taken from their website] Founded in 2004, the La Gacilly Photo Festival invites you on an immersive photographic experience as you stroll around 20 or so open-air galleries presenting the very best in contemporary photographic creation that questions our relationship with our world and our natural environment.
Photographs adorn the streets, gardens and alleys of La Gacilly, whose outstanding built and natural heritage provides a perfect backdrop to the thousand or so images on display. Public space becomes a stage, shared and open to all, free of charge.
Every summer, some 300,000 people come to the La Gacilly Photo Festival with family or friends, as newcomers or devoted regulars, to enjoy large-format, open-air exhibitions of some of the greatest names and emerging talents in photography.
Paris Photo 2023
You would assume that one of the greatest cities in the world would host a fantastic photography festival. And Paris does! Paris Photo is The International Art Fair for photography held this year from November 9 - November 12th.
taken from their website: ‘Paris Photo 2023 ‘will present the best of photographic creation from vintage and modern masters to the latest contemporary trends alongside an ambitious programme of exhibitions, conversations, artist signatures sessions and curated fair paths’.
Paris Photo is the largest international art fair dedicated to the photographic medium and is held each November in the heart of Paris. Since 1997, the Fair’s mission is to promote and nurture photographic creation and the galleries, publishers and artists at its source.
