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Boulogne-sur-Mer

The Festival de la Côte d'Opale

Four nights of French-language music facing the harbour, since 1976

  • Founded in 1976
  • French-language music
  • The Éperon site
  • Four nights
The main stage of the festival and the crowd, at sunset

Next edition

Dates not yet announced

The event takes place early july, every year.

Where
The Éperon site
Price
Paid, by the night or with a pass
Crowds
Four nights of concerts
Check the dates on le site du festival

The Festival de la Côte d'Opale was founded in 1976 by the Office culturel régional du Nord-Pas-de-Calais. It's one of the oldest music festivals in France — it marked its fiftieth edition in July 2026.

Its focus hasn't shifted: French-language music, over four nights, in early July, at the heart of Boulogne-sur-Mer. The festival is held on the Éperon site, between the town and the harbour, which is what makes it distinctive: you leave the concert and you're in town, not in a field twenty kilometres away.

What it is, and what it isn't

It isn't an open-air festival with camping and a four-day wristband. It's a series of concerts in town, each with its own headliner, and you can just come to one. Locals go for the evening and sleep in their own beds.

The line-up mixes big names in French chanson with new discoveries. Recent editions have featured Louise Attaque, Benjamin Biolay, M. Pokora, Vanessa Paradis, Jean-Louis Aubert and Soprano.

The festival crowd seen from the stage

Getting there and parking

The Éperon site is a few minutes' walk from the town centre and Boulogne-sur-Mer station, on the Paris — Boulogne line. It's the coast's festival where you need a car the least.

If you're driving, aim for the car parks in the centre rather than the streets around the site: the town is hilly and one-way, and the surrounding streets close on concert nights.

  • By train, Boulogne-Ville station is a quarter of an hour's walk away
  • By car, the A16 then the car parks in the centre
  • On site, everything is on foot: the venue is right in town
The festival stage under the smoke effects, facing the audience

The rest of the year

Boulogne-sur-Mer isn't just about July. If you're coming for the festival, the walled town, the Château-Musée and Nausicaá are each worth half a day — and the basilica holds the largest crypt in France.

Plan your day

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    Our 3 places to stay

    Where to stay in Boulogne sur Mer for the event?

    Our favourite

    For a night with a little extra comfort

    Au coin du spa

    A B&B that plays the cosy card, best followed by a day outdoors. Few rooms, so book early in the season.

    B&B

    For a tight budget, close to the centre

    Ilot Désille

    The good compromise for staying in Boulogne without blowing the trip's budget. Everything else is then within walking distance.

    B&B

    To stay in the old town

    Comme à la maison

    Sleeping inside the ramparts changes a visit: the cobbled streets are yours in the morning, before the cars arrive.

    B&B

    Our 3 restaurants

    Where to eat in Boulogne sur Mer?

    Our favourite

    For the fish, facing the harbour

    Fleur de Sel

    On quai Gambetta, in the row of tables watching the boats come in. The menu follows what the fish market landed that morning.

    Fish and seafood · €€ · 90 quai Gambetta

    For a simple, hearty lunch

    Mon cousin belge

    A brasserie on place de la République, a couple of minutes from the centre. The kind of place you sit down at without booking.

    Brasserie · € · Place de la République

    For the evening, a favourite with locals

    Le Châtillon

    An institution in the harbour quarter, known to every Boulonnais. Best to call ahead if you're coming at the weekend.

    Traditional cuisine · €€ · 6 rue Charles Tellier

    On the Opal Coast

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