Vincent Hernandez, founder of BBR Group and creator of the Bastille Festival, is continuing to expand his flagship event in Australia with a second edition in Adelaide. Following an enthusiastic initial reception, the festival returns to celebrate the French art of living through an immersive experience blending gastronomy, wine, music and culture.
Designed as a true sensory journey, the Bastille Festival Adelaide is part of a drive to bring French culture to life, making it accessible and deeply convivial, at the heart of a city that has a strong connection with gastronomy, wine, culture and events. In the following interview, Vincent Hernandez reflects on the festival’s origins, its establishment in Adelaide and his vision of a cultural experience that is both immersive and accessible.
Vincent, why did you choose Adelaide as the second city for your Bastille Festival?
We fell in love with Adelaide straight away. It’s a city with a strong connection to food, wine, culture and events. When we launched the first edition last year, we were really touched by the public’s response. There was a genuine curiosity and enthusiasm to discover the French art of living.
And Adelaide has a very human side to it. People take the time to live life, share a drink, discover products and listen to music. This fits perfectly with the DNA of the Bastille Festival.
We wanted to bring a bit of that European winter atmosphere to a city that already has a deep love for food, wine and culture.
Where did the idea for the Bastille Festival come from, first in Sydney and now in Adelaide?
The idea for the Bastille Festival stemmed from a very simple feeling: the lack of winter and European experiences in Australia.
When I arrived here, I realised there was a huge interest in French culture, but often in a rather traditional or elitist way. We wanted to create something lively, popular, immersive and accessible to everyone.
The festival was launched in Sydney over 13 years ago with the aim of recreating the energy of Europe’s bustling streets: Christmas markets, food festivals, lively squares, street concerts, mulled wine, melted cheese, the smells of cooking, the lights…
Today, Adelaide allows us to bring this same philosophy to another Australian city that shares this love of good food and coming together.
Is it inspired by other festivals you’ve taken part in?
Yes, of course. I think every experience we have influences the way we create events.
I grew up a bit all over the world, surrounded by markets, village festivals, local fairs, food festivals and moments that were simple yet very warm and welcoming. But the inspiration comes mainly from the European atmosphere in general. That idea that an event can transform a city and create deeply emotional memories.
We always try to create experiences that aren’t just for ‘watching’, but really for living.
What are the must-do events not to be missed this year?
This year, we really wanted to enrich the experience.
The Champagne High Tea is a lovely new addition, because it blends French elegance with a convivial atmosphere. The wine and cheese tastings also allow you to discover different regions of France in an immersive and accessible way. And then there’s the open-air French cinema, which I personally love, because it creates a very romantic and very European atmosphere right in the heart of the city.
But honestly, the festival’s real highlight remains the overall atmosphere. Strolling around, listening to live music, sharing a raclette or a choucroute, discovering artisans, drinking a French wine
When did you found BBR Group and what did you do before?
I founded BBR Group over 10 years ago.
Before that, I was a television journalist in France. I’ve always been passionate about stories, emotions and connecting people through experiences.
When I arrived in Australia, I started organising events because I saw huge potential for developing immersive cultural experiences that were accessible to the general public.
Today, BBR Group creates festivals and experiences pretty much all over Australia, always with the aim of transforming venues into lively, emotive destinations.
Where in France are you from? How long have you been in Australia? Did you come here with the idea of setting up an events company?
I’m originally from Paris and Normandy, but I grew up in Central Africa, Hong Kong and many other places around the world.
I’ve been in Australia for several years now and, to be honest, no, I didn’t arrive here with a business plan or a specific idea to set up an events company.
At first, it was mainly a personal adventure. But very quickly, I realised just how curious Australians were about world cultures and what a great opportunity there was to create memorable experiences around that. Little by little, it turned into a real entrepreneurial adventure.
How does the Bastille Festival Adelaide stand out from other French-themed festivals in Australia?
I think what sets us apart is the immersion and the emotion. We don’t just want to put on a “French market”. We want to recreate an atmosphere, an energy, a sense of travel.
Everything is designed to transport visitors: the lighting, the live music, the culinary experiences, the French regions represented, the smells of food cooking in the streets…
And above all, we’re trying to create something that’s very lively, very accessible and very popular. You can come for a drink with friends, enjoy a romantic evening, spend time with family, or simply discover another culture. And then there’s our support for local artists – that’s something very important to me, and this year we have a superb selection!
How do you manage to balance authenticity, accessibility and appeal to a wide audience?
That’s probably the biggest challenge, but also the most important one.
For us, authenticity doesn’t mean being complicated or inaccessible. Quite the opposite.
French culture is, above all, about sharing, conviviality, simple pleasures, and long conversations around a table.
So we try to maintain genuine quality in our products, recipes, wines and experiences, whilst creating a welcoming atmosphere where everyone feels at home. The festival should be just as enjoyable for someone discovering French culture for the first time as it is for a French person feeling nostalgic for home.
What aspects of French culture are most important to highlight in Adelaide, and why?
I think what resonates most with Australians is the French art of living.
Of course, there’s the food and wine, which remain very important, but beyond that, there’s this way of slowing down, savouring the present moment, and sharing.
The Bastille Festival is very much about human connection. In an age where everything moves so fast, creating spaces where people take the time to eat together, listen to music, laugh and discover a culture becomes very precious.
What do you want people to feel after a day at the Bastille Festival Adelaide?
I’d like them to feel that they’ve shared a good time and a lot of joie de vivre. That they leave with memories, emotions, smells, flavours and images.
If, for a few hours, someone forgets their daily routine and feels transported to a lively little European street, then we’ve succeeded in our mission.
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We thank Vincent Hernandez for this interview and can’t wait to go to Bastille Festival Adelaide next week!
KEY INFO FOR BASTILLE FESTIVAL ADELAIDE 2026
WHAT: Bastille Festival Adelaide 2026
WHEN: Thursday 28 to Sunday 31 May 2026
- Thursday: 4pm – 10pm
- Friday: 12pm – 11pm
- Saturday: 10am – 11pm
- Sunday: 10am – 9pm
WHERE: Festival Plaza, ADELAIDE
HOW: To attend the festival itself, you can just go. But to take part in the paid experiences, you’ll find everything you need here.
HOW MUCH: Entry to the festival is free and the experience pricing depends on the experience chosen.
