Preparations for the 36th edition of Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days) in France are now well underway, and applications are now open! Taking place from 21 to 22 September, the largest cultural festival in the country will celebrate some of its most significant people, traditions and places as part of the theme of Arts and Entertainment. With thousands of events being organized countrywide, France is hoping to build on the success of the 2018 celebrations which saw an amazing 24,000 events across around 16,000 heritage sites.

The festival’s 12 million visitors can expect a special treat this September. Thousands of historical and cultural sites are preparing rich and unique programmes dedicated to various arts and entertainment forms that have shaped the cultural scene of France throughout its history.

Historical buildings, amphitheatres, museums, cinemas, theatres, sports facilities and concert halls will provide various opportunities for the discovery of diverse forms of arts and entertainment. Visitors will be able to learn more, for example, about traditional games, sports and funfair and carnival practices.

As in 2018, the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine will include activities taking place in schools on Friday, September 20 to promote access to school heritage. Similarly, the 2018 initiative by Française des Jeux and the Mission Bern will be repeated this year with an aim to preserve cultural sites labelled as “heritage in danger”.

Guidelines for Organisers

Applications for European Heritage Days 2019 in France are officially open.

Cultural centres, heritage organizations, local groups and individuals are all welcome to bring their creative ideas to life and make the cultural festival in France a unique and memorable celebration of people, places and art forms. From guided tours, skills demonstrations, concerts, exhibitions, theatre performances and themed circuits, organizers can promote historical, artistic and architectural sites in their region that carry special significance for the community.

Interested organizers can apply by filling out the registration form corresponding to their region. After entering the details of the event(s) they are planning to organize, the applicants need to wait for the approval of the national coordinators. The approved events are then published and promoted on the official website and across all media channels.

For any further information, submit your request via the online form.

The European Heritage Days Regional Agendas are based on the Open Agenda solution. The online solution provides efficient and unified management of multiple events encouraging collaboration and better communication between different organizations.

Aiming to highlight diverse art and entertainment forms and explore new and well known sites with significant histories, 2019’s European Heritage Days in France promise an exciting selection of inspiring events this autumn. The theme of Arts and Entertainment aims to encourage new ideas and fresh perspectives that will enable better understandings of heritage in all of its forms. 

More information is available here: https://journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr/