10 Things to Do in Marseille in Summer

The best things to see and do in Marseille change seasonally and it is in the summer that some of the most important events and traditions of the year take place. At the same time, this is the season with the highest number of tourists and Marseille, being a major port centre, does not escape this beneficial reality.

So read on for a compilation of plans from June to the end of September to enjoy the Marseille experience to the fullest by attending the best festivals and enjoying the main summer attractions.

Electronic music is quite important to the tourist industry within the Mediterranean and in the city of Marseille in mid-June one of the best festivals dedicated to this fun and youthful music genre takes place. It is usually a three-day event that runs from Friday to Sunday in the second or third week of the month.

The artists who take part in the event are usually nationally and internationally renowned and it is also common for the smaller stages of the festival to invite local artists from Marseille who are making a name for themselves locally. This is to increase their reach to a much larger and more diverse audience.

The festival's venue is constantly changing, but in recent years the Borely Park has been chosen. This is due to the fact that it is quite accessible to people from all parts of the city as well as the beauty that characterises this public space.

At the same time, the fact that the event lasts a whole weekend and that it starts late is quite favourable so that you can dedicate your morning to other activities such as the best tours of Marseille.

Details of interest:

• Price: ticket prices change every year, but most commonly a three-day pass costs €85 while a single-day pass costs around €35.

On the other hand, if a music festival still sounds interesting to you during the month of August and your visit to the city coincides with these dates then the Delta Festival is something you shouldn't miss. This is a festival that also focuses on electronic music, but in this case it involves other genres of music as well as all kinds of immersive installations that incorporate performance and structural art.

The event usually takes place during the second or third week of August and in this case it is usually a festival that lasts a longer amount of days, as it is usually a full week or at least five continuous days.

Despite being a very youth-oriented event, it is characterised by a very family-like atmosphere. Therefore, depending on the number of artists invited, it is likely to be a good activity to do with children.

It is also a very favourable option for those who have a four-day trip to Marseille, especially because tickets can be bought individually for each day and this means that you can complement it with the sightseeing you are probably interested in doing.

Details of interest

• Price: Typically, a five-day ticket costs approximately 100 euros and a one-day ticket costs 30 euros.

France's national day is celebrated in mid-summer, on 14 July. This bank holidays was instituted in 1880 and symbolises the end of the absolute monarchy, as well as representing the union of the French nation and the celebration of its republican sovereignty. Throughout the country, the French celebrate this day in special parades as well as in popular or private celebrations.

So, if you are privileged enough to visit Marseille on Bastille Day, don't miss the opportunity to take part in one of the many activities organised by the city's town hall.

There are likely to be several commemorative events in the old port and places like the Parc Borely or the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica will be packed with locals enjoying the fireworks display.

It's definitely a great time to party in some of the city's more bohemian and eclectic areas. It is also a very appropriate time to take a short trip to one of the villages near Marseille. So take a look at some of the best tours of Provence from Marseille to help you explore this beautiful and quirky region.

On June 23rd, Mediterranean communities celebrate the feast of St. John, a date that coincides with the change from spring to summer and has been an important holiday since before Christ.

Marseille and other cities on the Côte d'Azur have their own version of this event and it is basically an evening when the people of Marseille head to the beaches to have a popular party where several bonfires will be lit. It is a symbol of burning away all that is evil and opening the space for collective prosperity.

There is folk dancing and above all lots of alcohol and it is a good way to get acquainted with the traditions of this part of France.

It's also the perfect follow up to a day out when you decide to take part in some of the best boat tours in Marseille, ideal for kicking off the summer by touring the city's shores and venturing to the best beaches in the Parc National Des Calanques.

Another highly recommended event to enjoy on a visit to the city of Marseille is to take part in one of the activities organised as part of the Marseille Dance and Multiple Arts Festival.

This is an annual event that proposes an integration of theatre, music, cinema, dance and art exhibitions throughout the city. The aim is to show the most modern and creative side of this community.

There is no specific venue or price range, as hundreds of events and activities take place in various cultural establishments in Marseille from June to September. However, several activities are likely to take place in some of Marseille' s best museums and especially in public parks such as the Henri-Fabre or the François Billoux Park.

In fact, you should note that many of the festival's events are completely free, while others will need to be booked well in advance. This is due to the fact that some of the plays are limited to the capacity of the establishment or are a little more exclusive.

The Day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is celebrated every year on 15 August and in France, as in many European countries, it is a bank holiday. Each locality interprets this Catholic celebration according to the patron saint they have in their city and in the case of Marseille the whole event revolves around the Virgin of Panier.

Exactly for this reason, the festivity begins with a procession that goes through the whole district of Le Panier until it reaches the church of Saint-Laurent.

However, all along the streets it is likely that religious events are taking place or that the people of Marseille are simply taking advantage of the holiday to go out to eat and enjoy the **city'**s most attractive sites.

So it can be said that taking part in this festivity or at least walking around the Le Panier district on this date is one of the best things to do in Marseille in August, which is a month that has no more local or national holidays.

A quite distinctive factor of the city of Marseille and its cultural identity is the reinvention of spaces to make them more and more public, especially when it comes to places that in the past had an industrial purpose. In this context, La Friche de la Belle de Mai is a site not to be missed during your summer visit.

It is the site of a former tobacco factory which, since 1992, has dedicated its 45,000 m² to the expression of art in all its forms. Throughout the summer months there are likely to be several exhibitions of contemporary art, many open-air cinema screenings, some concerts, a lot of theatre and above all several nights of street art and Marseille parties.

Visiting this place is one of the best things to do in Marseille with children because there are activities suitable for people of all ages.

Marseille and its surroundings are full of beaches that will seduce tourists and locals alike. This city is located in the Côte d'Azur, which is the most beautiful part of Mediterranean France. At least when it comes to enjoying the sea and the mainland coast.

For this reason, venturing out of the city to explore other small towns in the region is something recommended especially if you participate in the routes that are part of the best bike tours in Marseille. This is because it's a plan that involves a bit of sporty exercise with the chance to swim at some of the best beaches in the country.

The ones between L'Estanque and Miramas are some of the best, but any other nearby destination would be an excellent idea. In fact, travelling west towards Nice, Cannes and Monaco is also an excellent plan for a summer-long exploration of this part of the French Mediterranean.

In fact, if the idea of leaving Marseille to go to the beach and enjoy the good summer weather isn't something you're too keen on, you can still take a short walk from Les Catalans beach to the Prado beaches, as both have an excellent promenade with all sorts of cafes, restaurants and family entertainment venues.

Actually the Prado beaches are a little more recommended if you want to swim in the sea. That's while all the ones from this point towards Le Catalans beach are better alternatives to watch the scenery from the viewpoints that are available to the public.

Either way, this is a plan that takes up half your day and although it's one of the best things to do this summer there's no doubt that it can be enjoyed with other activities such as rides on Marseille's best tour buses, which will get you to other great attractions in the city for little money and in record time.

Sport and specifically football is quite important to the French and Marseille's city team is based at the Orange Velodrome stadium. This site is impressive for its architectural beauty as well as its sheer size.

At the same time, visiting it during the summer is one of the best ideas you can have for the opportunity to enjoy a match full of fans of this Ligue 1 team. This knowing that the season starts in mid-August and therefore there are more than a month and a half of summer nights to enjoy sporting events in this important Marseille stadium.

You have to keep in mind that this is a plan to develop in the evening because most of the matches take place at that time of the day. So you can perfectly do other activities on the same date and I advise you that one of them is the best gastronomic tours in Marseille, especially because they will help you to get familiar with the flavours of the city and then you can continue exploring them on your own.

Throughout the summer in Marseille you will find different temperature ranges. This is because in July and August maximum temperatures are likely to exceed 35°C while in late September they will almost certainly not go above 30°C.

The same goes for minimum temperatures, as in June they will still remain below 20°C while in August it is almost impossible to get anywhere near those figures.

Summer is the busiest time of the year for the city of Marseille and this means that most tourist services will be in significant demand. Therefore, my top recommendation will always be to book as many activities as possible in advance, as this guarantees that you will be able to participate in them on the date and at the time of your choice.

At the same time, summer is the most expensive time of the year to visit Marseille for the simple reason that the limited supply and excessive demand makes hotels, transport and other services a little more expensive.

This is why many of the activities I have recommended are free of charge. Also, fortunately, this is a city where public spaces abound so that people can entertain themselves without spending too much money.

If you intend to visit Marseille during the summer then your suitcase should include a good sunscreen, comfortable and breathable clothes and, above all, suitable footwear for walking around the city and visiting the different beaches.