Next weekend, the Bastille Day French Festival 2025 returns to Melbourne to celebrate a decade of French culture, cuisine, wine, and much more. Marking its 10th anniversary, this year’s festival promises an even bigger and better celebration, bringing the vibrant spirit of France to Melbourne like never before!
An event by the Community for the Community created in 2015, at the initiative of Myriam Boisbouvier-Wylie, then Honorary Consul General of France in Melbourne, Bastille Day French Festival was originally held around the State Library Victoria. Since then, it’s been held at the Meat Market, Federation Square, online during COVID lockdown, and of course Queen Victoria Market since 2022.
At Bastille Day French Festival 2025, you can expect local French-Australian businesses, mouth-watering French cuisine, dazzling artists and performers, a cultural program filled with Les Lumières talks, Walking Tours and masterclasses, right in the heart of the city! Entry is free!
BASTILLE DAY FRENCH FESTIVAL 2025 STALLHOLDERS
Crêpes and galettes
No French festival is complete without a crêpe, and you’ll find plenty swirling on the pans at the Bastille Day French Festival 2025, thanks to La Louche Crêperie, Crêpe Délices, and Little Yarra Crêperie.
Charcuterie and cheese
La Bastide Charcuterie will tempt with saucisson, terrines, pâtés, cheese, sausages, jambon cru, and foie gras. L’Artisan Gourmet Food offers chicken liver pâté, terrine, rillettes, and confit duck saucissons. Cheese lovers can sample Australian cheeses made in the French tradition from Long Paddock Cheese and The Cheese School, or indulge in Frencheese’s warming raclette.
Classic French fare
The French Providore serves up croque monsieur, croissants, and crêpes.
Fun twists and treats
OzWaffle adds a playful twist with waffles on a stick and bubble waffles.
Bakeries and pâtisseries
Pastry enthusiasts are spoiled for choice. Choukette Fine Pastries offers crème brûlée, quiche, chouquettes, and duck à l’orange pie. Kanelle Patisserie Pies features quiches, cakes, and lollipop chicken. Oji House presents naturally fermented baguettes, croissants, jambon beurre and cheese sandwiches, and brioche vendéenne. Oui Oui Croissant delights with croissants in sweet and savoury varieties. Escargot Bakery and Motte Bakery round out the selection with breads, viennoiseries, and French-inspired cakes.
Sweet Treats
Satisfy your sweet tooth with QQ La Praline’s chocolates, MD Royale Bakes’ handmade macarons, gluten-free brookies, and melting moments. By Josephine offers baking kits to create macarons, cannelés, and madeleines at home.
Wine and champagne
Raise a glass with Mosaïque Wines’ selection of champagne and French wines.
Specialty Stalls:
- France at Home: Pop-up version of their online supermarket with French biscuits, confectionery, condiments, and more—you can also pre-order online for market pickup
- La Truffière: Fresh truffles and homemade truffle products
- Alliance Française de Melbourne
- Canal+ Australie can sign you up for their $30 per month streaming and live French TV package – read about it here
- Intext Language International Bookshop: French books, stationery, games, and memorabilia
- New Caledonian Chamber of Trade & Crafts
- Susan Kerian: French-inspired fashion illustrations, greeting cards, and tote bags.
- Mr Smart Melbourne: 100% made-in-France clothing, homewares, and accessories.
LIVE MUSIC PROGRAM
The Main Stage will feature a diverse line-up of entertainers to suit all musical tastes. Vive La Différence blend French pop, jazz, and funk and will perform Saturday morning and afternoon. Georgia Darcy will combine French song and comedy cabaret in her fun show Under the Paris Sky performed Saturday morning. Music archivist, DJ and Director of record label The Roundtable, James Pianta will also perform.
Experience the wider Francophone world on Sunday with Fire and Ice, a duo blending French, Creole, Latin, and jazz influences, and Kulture Creole Entertainment, specialists in Sega music from the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Seychelles and Reunion.
Noria and the Parisians will bring the verve, swing and excitement of a Parisian nightclub to Queen Victoria Market. La Mauvaise Reputation will take you back to 1930s Paris with their wild rhythms and passion for Parisian jazz. As always, all of the live music performances are free to attend.
FREE KIDS ACTIVITIES AT BASTILLE DAY FRENCH FESTIVAL 2025
Mimo the Mime will entertain kids as he roves throughout the Bastille Day French Festival. The French Circus School offers age-appropriate sessions where children can discover circus skills.
FREE LES LUMIÈRES TALKS
Les Lumières Talks, a key feature of the Bastille Day French Festival, are free, enlightening sessions covering history and contemporary topics relevant to everyone. This year’s talks cover topics such as turmoil surrounding the final 1886 impressionist exhibition, political nature of street art, women in energy, global tech innovations and trends in sport. These are happening both within and after the Bastille Day French Festival 2025.
- Les Lumières BLANC: Endgame 10:30am, 13 July, Veriu, Queen Victoria Market
A talk examining the turmoil surrounding the final 1886 Impressionist exhibition. - Les Lumières ROUGE: Can Street art still be political? 12:15pm, 13 July, Veriu, Queen Victoria Market
Explore the question: Is street art still political? - Les Lumières BLEU: Beyond the Game: Innovation and Tech in Sport 5:30pm, 14 July Upper Edge, The Edge, Fed Square
Global tech innovations and trends in the sporting world and how they’re likely to shape the future of sport - Les Lumières VERT: Empowering women in energy : Why mentoring matters 5pm, 24 July at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins
An inspiring panel celebrating women in energy and fostering Franco-Australian collaboration, followed by a networking session.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE AT THE ONLINE TRIVIA
Test your knowledge of France in the Bastille Day French Festival’s annual online quiz, featuring four rounds. It’s happening online on Thursday 10 July. Participation is free but you need to register here.
‘FRENCH ICONS OF MELBOURNE’ WALKING TOURS
Catherine Cardinet will guide you to uncover Melbourne through a French lens! Highlights include stops at L’Occitane and La Belle Miette, ending with a treat at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins. The tour is conducted in English and leaves from the Bastille Day French Festival at Queen Victoria Market and ends at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins.
BASTILLE DAY FRENCH FESTIVAL 2025 MASTERCLASSES
The Bastille Day French Festival offers a variety of masterclasses, perfect for those eager to learn new skills and deepen their appreciation of French culture. All masterclasses are held at Queen Victoria Market unless otherwise specified.
- L’Oréal Groupe’s Look & Learn $38.37: Lancôme’s Beauty Director, Lara Srokowski, as she takes you through an exclusive masterclass, detailing how to get the Parisian look
- Embark on a Culinary Journey with Saint Agur® $48.96: Discover the world of Saint Agur blue cheese with tastings, tips & easy recipes
- All Things French with Fragrance $46.51: Insight into the fashion ateliers and fragrance houses that have endured through decades of change with an unflinching commitment to quality, craft and innovation – HELD AT SOFITEL MELBOURNE ON COLLINS
- Vive l’Art: French-Themed Stencil with Blender Studios $96.61: Celebrate France’s vibrant culture through the exciting medium of stencil art.
- Cheese and Wine Pairing $75.43: the art of cheese and wine pairing, where you will try 5 wines and 5 cheeses
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Whether you’re a Francophile, a foodie, a family looking for fun, or simply curious about French culture, the Bastille Day French Festival 2025 promises something special for everyone. With delicious food, vibrant entertainment, enlightening talks, and hands-on experiences, this milestone 10th anniversary celebration is set to be the most memorable yet. Don’t miss your chance to join the festivities and experience a little slice of France right in the heart of Melbourne!
KEY INFO FOR BASTILLE DAY FRENCH FESTIVAL 2025
WHAT: Bastille Day French Festival Melbourne
WHERE: Queen Victoria Market, Sheds C and D, MELBOURNE
WHEN: From 9am to 4pm Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July
HOW: Simply turn up to enjoy the festival atmosphere. To book into any of the events (both paid and unpaid) do so here
HOW MUCH: Entry is free! Les Lumières Talks are also free but require a ticket. Masterclasses are paid and need to be pre-booked.
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Are you going to Bastille Day French Festival 2025 next weekend?
For more Bastille Day events, check out our ultimate guide to celebrating Bastille Day 2025 in Australia
