Whatever month you plan to visit Martinique, you can attend a cultural, social, religious, or traditional event on the island. AZ Martinique provides this table so you can find out which events correspond to your next stay on the island. For those who have not yet booked their stay on the island, feel free to consult our calendar to plan your visit. See you soon!
January
- Calendar holiday
January 1First day of the calendar year. On this occasion, families gather around a meal of local vegetables, local rooster and rice.Superstition has it that everyone eats an orange, and the more seeds it contains, the more fruitful the year will be (usually… - Religious holiday
1st Sunday of the year after New Year's Day or January 6Epiphany is a Christian festival celebrating the birth of the Messiah, who was visited by the Magi shortly after his birth. In France, it is generally celebrated on the Sunday following New Year's Day, or on January 6. It is also called Three Kings… - Carnival
January, 7 2024Festy'Roi of Pétrol' Band marks the launch of Carnival in the municipality of Le Lamentin. Hundreds of disguised residents parade through the streets of the town, accompanied by a dozen or so Carnival bands, who liven up the streets to the sound of… - Carnival
10 January 2026The Carnival Soley Sud Show kicks off the Martinique Carnival, which will take place during the jours gras (Fat Days). This year, more than a dozen walking groups will compete for the title of best walking group on the island.The competition will… - Carnival
Sunday 18 January 18, 2026Foyal Parade marks the official launch of Carnival festivities in the capital city!For this first major celebration of the year, come out in large numbers dressed in your most dazzling costumes and creative disguises to parade through the vibrant… - Carnival
Saturday, 18 January 2026Don't miss the chance to celebrate Carnaval de Martinique by night. It's a unique experience. Disguised, masked and all lit up, the population gathers for a nocturnal parade that lights up the streets of the capital. And what about the atmosphere?…
February
- Religious holiday
February 2Candlemas is a Christian religious festival that commemorates the presentation of Christ in the Temple. It is celebrated annually on February 2, exactly 40 days after Christmas.Candlemas is traditionally regarded as the final celebration of the… - Carnival
Saturday, February 3rd, 2024Bèt à fé is a festival of lights to the rhythm of Carnival sounds. It's the second nocturnal parade organized by the city of Fort-de-France, and the last before Shrovetide. Come one, come all to this parade, which is also an opportunity to discover… - Carnival
February 11-14, 2024Martinique was the first American territory to celebrate Carnival. This festival, which celebrates the last days before the Lenten fast, consists of 4 days of popular parades in all the island's communes, the largest parade being that of Fort-de-… - Sports event
February 9 to 13, 2024The Semaine Nautique Internationale de Schoelcher is an international sailing competition organized each year by the town of Schoelcher, where competitors from the Caribbean, Europe and North America take on local sailors in a variety of disciplines…
March
- Celebration centered around a fruit or product
Saturday, March 23rd 2024Every Saturday before Easter, the commune of Le Vauclin organizes a massive sale of crabs, enabling local families to stock up for Easter. In addition to crabs, local produce, fruit and vegetables are on sale.Come one, come all to buy your crabs to… - Religious holiday
Sunday, March 31st, 2024Easter is the second most important religious festival after Christmas. Easter begins on Good Friday. In Christianity, Good Friday is the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified on Mount Golgotha. Before his crucifixion, he is said to have carried…
April
- Fair, exhibition, trade show
April 17 to 21, 2024The Foire Expo de Dillon is a festive and commercial event held over 5 days in March or April in the parking lot of Dillon's Stade Pierre Aliker.It's an opportunity for local merchants and craftsmen to showcase their products and expertise to the…
May
- Religious holidayThursday, May 9th, 2024The Ascension is the Christian religious feast commemorating the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. It is a public holiday. In Martinique, the faithful attend mass in the morning.
- Historic eventMay 8The eruption of Mount Pelee is the biggest natural disaster in the history of Martinique. Indeed, on May 8, 1902 following the eruption of Mount Pelée, 32,000 people lost their lives. The city of Saint-Pierre was completely destroyed and lost its…
- Historic event8 MaiA military parade takes place in Martinique to celebrate the armistice of the Second World War. During this war, almost 700 Martinican victims died fighting for France. Their names are commemorated at several war memorials around the island.
- Religious holidaySunday, May 19th, 2024Pentecost is the Christian religious festival on which Christ's disciples are said to have received the Holy Spirit, enabling them to go out and evangelize every corner of the globe. Pentecost is celebrated in the same way as Easter. Beaches are…
- Historic eventMay 22On May 22, 1848, following a slave revolt in Saint-Pierre that drew in the entire Caribbean coast, slavery was immediately abolished on the island. Initially, the decree of April 27 called for slaves to be freed two months later. May 22 was chosen…
- Hiking, adventure, sports running in natureMay 11-12, 2024For the past 25 years, this event has generally taken place in the second quarter of the year. It gives hiking enthusiasts the chance to indulge their passion, discover tropical forest landscapes and, of course, compete in four races. The Tchimbé…
- Historic event
May 1Formerly International Workers' Day, Labor Day celebrates the victory of the workers' movements of the early 20th century demanding the 8-hour working day. The day is marked by a parade of the island's trade unions. - Historic event
All MayFor the whole month of May, the town of Saint-Pierre celebrates two major events in the history of Martinique and the town of Saint-Pierre: the eruption of Mount Pelée, which destroyed the island's former capital, and the abolition of slavery,…
June
- Concert, music festivalJune 21Fête de la Musique, celebrated in over 100 countries around the world, coincides with the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere. It was launched by American musician Joel Cohen in 1976, then institutionalized by Jack Lang, then Minister of…
July
- Concert, music festivalJuly 27Mercury Beach is a musical event that usually takes place at the end of July on a beach in Martinique. It's the reference beach party in the West Indies. In addition to the throngs of young people who come to dance the night away, many boats anchor…
- Arts, cultureAll JulyThe month of July is an opportunity for the city of Fort-de-France to give voice to the sounds of Martinique and the Caribbean, to showcase its colors and movements. Throughout July, concerts, exhibitions, plays and other cultural events are offered…
- Celebration centered around a fruit or productCurrent JulyFor over 5 years now, the Musée de la Banane de l'Habitation Limbé in Sainte-Marie's Fourniols district has been organizing a banana festival. Each year, new gastronomic creations are presented to the public, including cocktails, sauces and various…
- Sports eventJuly 15-21, 2024The Tour des Yoles is the most popular event of the year, along with Carnival. Every year, between 13 and 20 round skiffs compete for the title of Tour de la Martinique. Stages are held in towns announced in advance. The rivalry between the boats is…
- Historic eventJuly 14As Martinique is a French region, it commemorates France's national holiday. July 14 refers to the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which led to the Revolution and the abolition of the privileges of the nobility and clergy. On this…
- Sports eventJuly 4th to July 13th 2025The Tour des Yoles is the most popular event of the year, along with Carnival. Every year, between 13 and 20 round skiffs compete for the title of Tour de la Martinique. Stages are held in towns announced in advance. The rivalry between the boats is…
August
- Religious holidayAugust 15Christian holiday celebrating the Virgin Mary's elevation to heaven. Public holiday in Martinique. No special festivities.
- Concert, music festivalDuring AugustThe Biguine Jazz Festival is a unique event in the world. Its aim is to bring music together, fuse it and share it with a passionate audience. The mix of musical genres on offer creates a cultural melting pot, the essence of Martinique and the…
- Concert, music festivalAugust 17-18, 2024The Baccha Festival is an annual music festival held every August at Pointe Faula in Martinique. Along with the Tour des yoles, it's the most popular event of the summer vacations. For two days, local, Caribbean and international artists take to the…
- Calendar holidayAugust 15In keeping with the Assumption tradition, August 15 is Sainte-Marie's patron saint's day, in reference to the Catholic religion's celebration of the Virgin Mary's elevation to heaven. It's the start of festivities in which the town takes center…
September
- HeritageSeptember 14-15, 2024The "European Heritage Days" were created in France in 1984 by Jack Lang, then Minister Delegate for Culture. At the time, the event was known as the "Historic Monument Open Days". The aim was to give all French people access to the wealth of France…
- Food-related eventLast weekend in SeptemberThe Semaine de la Gastronomie (Gastronomy Week) celebrates the place of the French gastronomic meal in the cultural heritage of France and its regions. A variety of events are planned for the occasion, including workshops, dinners, markets and…
October
- Heritage28 OctobreSince 1983, October 28 has been International Creole Day. This language is spoken by around 25 million people worldwide. Although Creole refers more to the Republic of Haiti, it is a language spoken on every continent. Creole is spoken in…
November
- Sports eventLate NovemberFor over 30 years, Martinique has held its international half-marathon one month before Christmas (with the exception of 2015, when the date was set for October 4). Numerous delegations from all over the world take part in this race through the…
- Hiking, adventure, sports running in nature
November or DecemberThe Raid des Alizés is a 100% women's sporting adventure organized in Martinique's natural surroundings every year.In 2015, the Comité Martiniquais du Tourisme launched the Raid des Alizés, intending to attract women from around the world to… - Historic eventNovember 11Like the Second World War, the armistice of the First World War has its own public holiday in the calendar: November 11. It's a day of remembrance for those who died for France. Although there are no survivors of this war, this significant page in…
- Religious holidayNovember 1All Saints' Day in the West Indies is all about preparation. From October onwards, families get organized to clean the family graves. For years, young "jdobeurs" (people offering a service in exchange for cash) have been going around cemeteries to…
- Concert, music festivalNovember 22Sainte Cécile is the festival of musicians. To mark the occasion, the island's communes give free rein to local musicians by organizing free open-air concerts. It's an opportunity to celebrate all the island's music, particularly traditional music (…
December
- Hiking, adventure, sports running in natureDecember 7-8, 2024If you love hiking, Martinique is the place for you! Every year since 2009, the TransMartinique® has been organized as the "hike of hikes" in Martinique. Not only will you rub shoulders with hundreds of other runners, but you'll also have the…
- Religious holidayDecember 25Christmas is one of the most festive times of the year in Martinique. Christmas in Martinique is not just one day, it's almost two months of festivities. From the day after All Saints' Day, drums, ti-bois and chachas resound to the sound of…
- Celebration centered around a fruit or productEarly DecemberEvery year, the Saint-James distillery celebrates its rum and invites the public to a festival of events. For more than three weeks, you can taste the various rums and cocktails offered at preferential rates by the Saint-James distillery. In…
- Concert, music festivalDuring DecemberIt's one of the most important festivals in the Caribbean. For over 30 years, the Martinique Jazz Festival has been a showcase for local and international artists eager to share their talents with an audience of music lovers and enthusiasts from the…
- Fireworks, pyrotechnic displayUsually on December 30Every year, the City of Fort-de-France commemorates the end of the calendar year with a traditional fireworks display in Fort-de-France Bay. For several minutes, the city, then plunged into darkness, is illuminated by a veritable pyrotechnic…