The top events to experience in Calais

All of these events are just a 10 to 15-minute drive from the LeShuttle terminal in Coquelles, making them easy to enjoy whether you’re on a weekend break or passing through. Plan your trip around these vibrant highlights and experience the warm Calais welcome at its best.

Haute Couture, Design, Art: a joint exhibition across both Calais museumsTiger cloud photo credit: Tal Lancman

From 13 June 2026, the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode are presenting a single shared exhibition for the first time: Maurizio Galante & Tal Lancman: Haute Couture, Design, Art. Two venues, one body of work – and a programme that rewards visitors who make time for both.

Maurizio Galante has been a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris since 1996, his silhouettes known for holding rigour and poetry in the same line. Tal Lancman spent 17 years directing Textile View, the international design and lifestyle reference, before turning that same focused attention to objects that work directly on the senses. The two have collaborated since 2003 and have shown their work across the world.

At the Cité de la Dentelle, the exhibition opens with a wall sculpture in perforated metal – its laminated strips a direct echo of the mechanical lace looms that made Calais famous – before moving through haute couture pieces where material and meaning are inseparable. At the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the register shifts. The Tatino Cactus, a soft pouf shaped like a cactus, has a reliable effect on visitors: almost everyone reaches out to check for spines before sitting down. There are none. The humour is deliberate, and it carries the same logic as the rest of their work – objects that produce a reaction before you've had time to think about it.

Music Festivals on the Calais Coast

Calais Music Festival

The summer music scene around Calais has been growing steadily, with two festivals now drawing serious line-ups to settings that make them worth planning a trip around.

In late May, the Calais Marina Festival brings live music to the harbour on two stages, with an atmosphere shaped as much by the waterfront setting as by the programme itself. The 2026 edition features Boris Way, whose electronic pop has accumulated serious streaming numbers across Europe, alongside Odetto. The festival draws around 7,000 visitors, with food stalls, a presence from the SNSM lifeboat crew, and late-night afters running until 3am.

At the start of June, Marck Attack – held in the commune of Marck, just outside Calais – puts a harder electronic edge on the festival calendar. The Avener, who has built a reputation for mixing vintage soul samples with contemporary electronic production, headlines alongside Henri PFR, known for his melodic, hook-driven sets. The combination of open-air setting, strong bookings and proximity to the tunnel makes both festivals a genuine reason to plan a crossing around a specific weekend.

The Calais XXL Marathon

Views of the Cap Blanc Nez (photo credit: NOHCAB)

On 28 June 2026, Calais hosts its first ever marathon. The Calais XXL Marathon offers three distances on the same day — a full 42.195 km, a half-marathon and a 10 km — drawing on a course that covers the seafront, the city centre and the wider territory, with roughly 260 metres of positive elevation and the Opal Coast light as a constant backdrop. Around 6,000 runners are expected across all three races.

The route doesn't just pass through the landscape: it was designed to reveal it. From the promenade along the Digue Gaston-Berthe, with the Strait of Dover stretching out ahead, to the streets that run past the UNESCO-listed belfry and the Burghers of Calais, the course reads as a portrait of the territory. Calais has hosted urban trail events for several years — the momentum behind those races is what pushed organisers to create something more permanent. The marathon slots deliberately into the regional calendar between the Marathon de la Mer in May and the Trail de la Côte d'Opale in September.

For British visitors, the timing is worth noting. The race falls on a Sunday in late June, a 10 to 15 minute drive from the LeShuttle terminal, which makes a race-weekend trip from the UK straightforward — cross on Saturday, run on Sunday, recover by the sea. Registrations are open at calaisxxl.com/marathon

Summer Fun on Calais Beach

Every year from June to September, Calais Beach transforms into a lively family resort packed with free activities. Enjoy open-air concerts, sports tournaments, inflatable playgrounds, beach volleyball competitions and fun fairs - all just steps from the sea. Early mornings start with yoga or fitness classes on the sand, while evenings bring music festivals, DJ nights and outdoor movies.

Live music is at the heart of the summer in Calais. Concerts take place all season long, whether on the seafront beside the Dragon of Calais, right on the beach, or in the bustling Place d'Armes - the city's vibrant square surrounded by bars and restaurants. From international DJ sets to rock nights and tribute bands, the city comes alive with sounds and rhythms for all ages.

Key dates: 

10 July 2026: "Once Upon a Time Bowie", a tribute to David Bowie, Place d'Armes, from 8pm. Enjoy a free two-hour outdoor fully staged show, that normally plays venues like the Bataclan in Paris, it traces Bowie's career from Ziggy Stardust to Let's Dance. The show runs alongside the “Bowie Odyssée exhibition” at the Forum Gambetta (4 July to 16 August, free), which brings together over 1,000 pieces: vinyl, original documents, fifty signed prints by Mick Rock assembled by one of France's leading Bowie collectors, who lives on the Calais coast. The exhibition is bilingual French-English throughout. 

14 July 2026: Celebrate Bastille Day with a free concert and fireworks over the Channel, from 8pm. The evening opens on the Place d'Armes with Back to the Hits 80/90, two hours of french live Hits covers from 8pm to 10pm. At 11pm, fireworks will be fired from the beach. 

Saturday 8 August: Dance the night away with Calais For Night, at the Place d'Armes, from 8pm to midnight. It is the second edition of Calais's free outdoor electronic night. The lineup includes North Project (Warner Music), El Figo (who performed at Tomorrowland 2025), Morgan Nagoya (NRJ Extravadance), Chris Willsman (Ultra Music Festival Miami) and Siks. A free hours open air music highlight.

Saturday 22 August: Come and enjoy "Don't Stop QUEEN Now" with Mickey Callisto, Place d'Armes, from 9pm. Praised for a striking vocal and physical resemblance to Freddie Mercury, Mickey Callisto brings a full Queen show to the Place d'Armes to close the season. It is a Free outdoors event right in the centre of Calais.

Don't miss the artisan markets on Friday and Saturday evenings, perfect for browsing local crafts and tasting delicious street food. The whole summer vibe is free to enjoy - even the parking - so save your budget for a well-deserved ice cream or a cone of fries, a true Calais tradition by the sea.

The sunny Calais beach offers the perfect summer escape. Credit: Nohcab Calais XX

Calais Street Art Festival

Come and discover the Calais Street Art Festival (free, open city) showcasing 11 artists from 5 countries, including L7 Matrix (Brazil), Nuno Viegas (Portugal) and Shozy (Russia), who will paint a large-scale 3D trompe-l'œil on the Lycée Coubertin and create new murals across the city over five weeks. Calais won the Golden Street Art 2025 national prize; this sixth edition adds to a permanent collection of over 90 works already on the walls. Any day trips between those dates will catch it in full swing. 

copyright: Fred Collier

The Rodin Gallery at the Fine Arts Museum

The Fine Arts Museum of Calais has recently opened a new permanent space dedicated to Auguste Rodin, offering fresh insight into one of France's most celebrated sculptors. This intimate gallery explores Rodin's artistic journey and his deep connection to Calais, particularly through his most famous local masterpiece, The Burghers of Calais. Visitors can discover preparatory sketches, models and sculptures that reveal the creative process behind this powerful work, commissioned to commemorate the Hundred Years' War and the English occupation of Calais in the 14th century.

Beyond the art, the gallery invites visitors to reflect on the city's turbulent history as an English stronghold, making it a perfect complement to the Burghers statue in front of the Town Hall. Combine your visit with a stroll through Richelieu Park next door, or enjoy a café break along the Rue Royale in this peaceful corner of Calais.

Explore the timeless works of Auguste Rodin at the Fine Arts Museum in Calais. Credit: Charles Delcourt

Christmas in Calais

From late November to early January, Calais lights up for the festive season with Christmas in Calais, one of the region’s most beloved holiday programmes. The highlight is the Grand Christmas Parade, where floats, performers and musicians bring magic to the streets in a spectacular evening procession that draws visitors from across northern France. 

Enjoy a festive evening at the Christmas market. Credit: Nohcab Calais XXL

Throughout the season, enjoy the Christmas markets, ice-skating rink, light displays and festive concerts. It’s a heart-warming way to experience Calais’ family spirit and hospitality during the holidays. 

Plan your visit from LeShuttle

Whether you love culture, seaside fun or festive celebrations, Calais offers something special every season. And the best part? All these highlights are just 10 to 15 minutes by car from the LeShuttle terminal in Coquelles. Park easily in the city centre or by the beach, explore on foot or by free local bus, and enjoy a hassle-free day or weekend trip packed with unforgettable moments.