List of major events in Martinique
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, 4 2026Festy'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
February 7, 2026Bèt à fé is a festival of lights set to the rhythms of Carnival in the streets of Martinique's capital city. It is the second night parade organized by the city of Fort-de-France and the last one before Mardi Gras. Come along and join in this parade… - Carnival
February 15-18, 2026Martinique proudly holds the distinction of being the first territory in the Americas to celebrate Carnival. This vibrant festival marks the final days before Lent with four unforgettable days of parades, music, and dance across every town on the… - Sports event
February 28 to March 4, 2025The 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, 28 March 2026Every 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…
April
- Religious holiday
Sunday, 5 April 2026Easter 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…
May
- 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,… - Historic event
May 1Formerly known as International Workers' Day, Labor Day celebrates the victory of the labor movements of the early 20th century demanding an 8-hour workday. This day is an opportunity for the island's trade unions to parade through the streets of… - Historic event
May 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 entirely destroyed and lost its… - Historic event
May 8A 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 holiday
Thursday, 14 May 2026The 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. - Fair, exhibition, trade show
May 14-18, 2025The 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… - Hiking, adventure, sports running in nature
May 16-17, 2026This hike typically takes place during the second quarter of the year and has been held for over 25 years. It offers all hiking enthusiasts the opportunity to pursue their passion while discovering the landscapes of tropical forests. It also… - Historic event
May 22On May 22, 1848, following a revolt of enslaved people in Saint-Pierre that drew with them those from the communes along the Caribbean coast, slavery was immediately abolished on the island. Initially, the decree of April 27 had provided for the… - Religious holiday
Sunday, 24 May 2026Pentecost 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…
June
- Concert, music festival
June 21The Music Festival (Fête de la Musique in French), 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…
July
- Arts, culture
All JulyThe month of July is an opportunity for the city of Fort-de-France to showcase the sounds of Martinique and the Caribbean, and to highlight its colors and movements. Throughout July, concerts, exhibitions, plays, and other cultural events are… - Sports event
July 4th to July 13th 2025Cycling is one of the favorite sports in Martinique, and the Tour de la Martinique remains highly popular year after year. This international race is an opportunity to discover both local and international champions who, one day, may aspire to take… - Historic event
July 14As a French region, Martinique commemorates France’s national holiday on July 14. This date marks the storming of the Bastille in 1789, a pivotal event that launched the French Revolution and led to the abolition of the privileges of the nobility… - Celebration centered around a fruit or product
Current 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… - Concert, music festival
July 25, 2026Mercury 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… - Sports event
July 26 to August 2, 2026The 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
- Concert, music festival
August 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… - Concert, music festival
During 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… - Calendar holiday
August 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… - Religious holiday
August 15Christian holiday celebrating the Virgin Mary's elevation to heaven. Public holiday in Martinique. No special festivities.
September
- Food-related event
Last 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… - Heritage
September 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…
October
- Heritage
28 OctoberSince 1983, October 28 has been celebrated as International Creole Day. This language is spoken by around 25 million people worldwide. Although Creole is most closely associated with the Republic of Haiti, it is spoken on every continent.Creole is…
November
- Religious holiday
November 1-2All Saints’ Day in the West Indies is a time of preparation. From October onwards, families organize themselves to clean and tend to the family graves.For generations, young jdobeurs—those offering services in exchange for payment—have gone from… - Historic event
November 11Like World War II, the armistice of World War I has a public holiday dedicated to it, November 11. It is a day of remembrance for those who died for France. Although there are no survivors left from this war, this significant page in the history of… - Concert, music festival
November 22Saint Cecilia's Day is a celebration of musicians. On this occasion, the island's municipalities give local musicians a chance to perform by organizing free outdoor concerts. It is an opportunity to showcase all the island's music, particularly… - Hiking, adventure, sports running in nature
November 25-30The 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… - Sports event
Late NovemberFor 39 years, Martinique has held its international half-marathon one month before Christmas (except 2015, when the date was set for October 4). Numerous delegations from all over the world take part in this race through the streets of Fort-de-…
December
- Celebration centered around a fruit or product
Early 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 addition… - Hiking, adventure, sports running in nature
December 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 holiday
December 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… - Fireworks, pyrotechnic display
Usually 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… - Concert, music festival
During DecemberIt is one of the most important festivals in the Caribbean. Titak Jazz, formerly known as the Martinique Jazz Festival, has for more than 30 years been a showcase for local and international artists eager to share their talents with an audience of…