Bastille Day French Festival in Melbourne
Online from Thursday 14 July
At Fed Square on Saturday 16 July (10am - 6pm) and on Sunday 17 July (10am - 5pm)
The annual Bastille Day French Festival brings together the French-Australian community to celebrate the French National Day. Transforming Melbourne, in person and online, the annual Bastille Day French Festival makes its much awaited return this July. Our festival will showcase all that is magnifique about French culture; lose yourself in the French Winter Market, tantalise your taste buds with our cocktail and wine and cheese masterclasses, be entertained with tales of sport, kick up your heels with our live entertainment, test your love of French culture with our online French Trivia event, see the best in Hip Hop (dance sport making its debut at Paris Olympics), explore Melbourne with a walking tour or learn with our Les Lumieres talks series featuring art, history, innovation and sustainability. This year’s Festival has something for everyone, at home or at Fed Square.
Some free tickets are available for AFRAN members for the Festival launch and VIP event at the Edge, as well as for attendance to the Lumières series Bleu, Blanc, Rouge and Vert.
Program - Les lumières talks
14 July 4.30pm: Les Lumières BLEU:Collaboration to Cure
Online
We all know someone who has had to battle life threatening diseases and chronic illness. Join us for this online talk which will discuss the importance of international scientific research cooperation, including Franco-Australian medical innovation, on medical discoveries and focus on the accessibility of new drugs to patients. The Les Lumières BLEU is sponsored by Servier, WEHI and AFRAN.
15 July 12.15pm: Les Lumières VERT: Revolutionary ideas to Tackle Climate Change
ACMI – Swinburne Studio, Fed Square & online
Climate Change is on everybody’s mind. But how do we tackle it in reality? This year’s Les Lumières VERT panel discussion (hybrid format) will highlight the critical role of new energy technology, innovation and international collaboration to support energy transition and climate change policies leading to net-zero emissions. The Les Lumières VERT is sponsored by ANL, Swinburne University of Technology, FACCI, La FrenchTech and Expertise France. 17 July 11am: Les Lumières BLANC:The Picasso Century
NGV Theatrette, Fed Square
Dive into the world of Pablo Picasso, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the twentieth century who spent most of his life working in France. 17 July 2pm: Les Lumières ROUGE: Revolution in Time
NGV Theatrette, Fed Square
The events of the French Revolution shook the late eighteenth-century world. Join Dr Matthew S. Champion, Senior Lecturer, University of Melbourne, for this enlightening discussion about the French Revolution and the new era born in the wake of 1789. Program - Masterclasses
16 July, 11am: Masterclass: All Things French with Fragrance
Christine, Collins Street, Melbourne
Celebrate the subtle art of savoir faire and join us for a Bastille Day dedication to French design.
16 July 3.15pm Masterclass: Cocktails, the French way
Upper Edge, The Edge, Fed Square
Learn the history of gin and vodka in this 1hr Masterclass, along with how to make two classic cocktails the French Martini and the French 75 served with a macaron.
Masterclass is strictly for 18yrs old and over.
17 July, 3pm: Masterclass: Cocktails, the French way
Upper Edge, The Edge, Fed Square
Learn the history of gin and vodka in this 1hr Masterclass, along with how to make two classic cocktails the French Martini and the French 75 served with a macaron.
Masterclass is strictly for 18yrs old and over.
Winter Market opening hours:
Saturday 16th July from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday 17th July from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm