Beaune lives by the rhythm of the vine, but not only that. Between music festivals, open cellars and the great November gathering, something happens almost every month. Here are the events that come round every year — enough to build a stay around whatever actually interests you.
The event of the year: the Hospices wine auction
On the weekend of the third Sunday in November, Beaune becomes the wine capital of the world. The Hospices de Beaune charity auction takes place that afternoon under the covered market; it is the oldest charity wine sale in the world, and its results set the tone for the vintage.
Around it revolve the Trois Glorieuses: the Chapter of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin at the Château du Clos de Vougeot on Saturday, the gala dinner on Sunday evening, and La Paulée at Meursault on Monday lunchtime — a meal where every guest brings their own bottles. The whole town is celebrating, and has been fully booked for months. If you are aiming for that weekend, reserve very far ahead.
The festivals, month by month
March — Beaune Humour. Stand-up and comedy at the Lanterne Magique.
April — Beethoven Festival. The great works of the repertoire performed in the town’s heritage buildings. Old stone does a great deal for the acoustics.
May — the month of open cellars. Mai Musical de Meursault brings orchestras and soloists into local heritage settings, Montrachet Jazz pairs wine and jazz at Puligny-Montrachet, and “Bienvenue à Savigny” sees the growers of Savigny-lès-Beaune open their cellars. It is the best month to discover estates without an appointment.
June to September — Scène d’été. Open-air shows and concerts right through the warm season.
July — the Beaune International Baroque Opera Festival. Founded in 1982, it is a world reference for early music. Concerts are given in settings including the Hospices courtyard and the Notre-Dame collegiate church: the venues alone are worth the journey. At Meursault, “Bach à Bacchus” combines baroque music with tastings.
August — Les Moments Musicaux de Chagny. Recitals and chamber music, twenty minutes to the south.
September — Jazz O’Verre. Jazz and Burgundy wines, just as the harvest is in full swing. The same month, the Santenay painting festival sets up its open-air studios.
October — Canal Comédie at the Théâtre des Copiaus in Chagny.
November — Beaune Blues Boogie. A few days of concerts, right after the wine auction.
December — Mômes et Merveilles. Puppets, storytelling, circus and workshops: the festival made for children, during the Christmas lights.
The weekly fixture: Saturday market
Not a festival, but the appointment we recommend most often. On Saturday mornings the covered market and the streets around it fill up: cheeses, charcuterie, jambon persillé, whatever is in season. It is the best place to put together a picnic before a day in the vineyards.
Before you book
Exact dates shift from year to year. This page gives you the periods; for the precise programme of the week you have in mind, the Beaune tourist office keeps the calendar up to date — and so do we, at reception. One call is enough.
To see what each season changes beyond the events, read Beaune through the seasons. And for the rest of your stay, our guide to the town.
