St. Barthélemy / St. Barth / St. Barts Local Events, Calendar
The Caribbean influences, the Swedish heritage and the traditions of the French settlers from Brittany, Normandy and Poitou are all apparent in the cultural life of St. Barthélemy (St. Barts, St. Barth). However, much of today’s culture also revolves around a love of the sea and an appreciation for the finer things in life.
Special events throughout the year honor traditional holidays, but St. Barth also celebrates with art, music and film festivals as well as boat races, fishing contests and other sporting events. The beauty, traditions and vitality of the island can also be seen in art galleries featuring the work of numerous talented local artists.
ST BARTS HOLIDAYS and SPECIAL EVENTS
Please contact the island's Tourist Office for specific dates and details. On Public Holidays, government offices, banks, and many businesses are closed.
JANUARY
New Year's Day. Public Holiday on January 1
Epiphany / La Fête des Rois. Celebration in many homes and hotels, culminating in the serving of a traditional cake called galette des rois.
St. Barth Music Festival. This annual event features jazz, chamber music, opera, and modern dance concerts in Gustavia and Lorient.
FEBRUARY
St. Barth Fun Cup. International windsurfing competition attracts the sport's top talents.
FEBRUARY / MARCH (dates vary with the Easter Holiday)
Carnival. Parties, parades and costumed revelers in the streets of Gustavia, culminating on Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras in the US).
Ash Wednesday. Culmination of Carnival, with final parade and Burning of King Carnival, Vival, on a funeral pyre. Night parade in Gustavia.
Mi-Carême, or Mid-Lent (Public Holiday). Parades, parties during day-long respite from Lent.
MARCH
St. Barth Bucket Regatta. This annual event began in 1995 and attracts spectacular sailing vessels from around the world for three days of races and celebrations.
APRIL
Kids Trophy. Children from around the Caribbean gather for a major tennis tournament in St. Jean.
Les Voiles de St. Barth. An ultra-competitive annual sailing event that attracts top level competitors. 10th Anniversary event in 2019.
Book Festival. Author visits to schools, public readings, and used book sales.
St. Barth Sails. 6 day regatta for classic to maxi yachts.
MAY
Labor Day. Public Holiday on May 1
West Indies Regatta. A three day event over the Labor Day weekend that celebrates and encourages traditional wooden boat building in the Caribbean.
Tour de St. Barth. Organized by the Nautical Centre of St. Barthélemy, this annual competition includes windsurfing, sport catamarans and laser sailboats on a tour around the island.
Victory in Europe Day. Public Holiday on May 8
Ascension Thursday. Public Holiday. Date varies
Pentecost Monday. Public Holiday. Date varies
Slavery Abolition Day. Public Holiday on May 27
St. Barth Film Festival / Cinema Caraïbes. This annual festival features international cinema with a particular emphasis on movies from and about the Caribbean region. Guests in include filmmakers, producers and other cinema professionals from around the world who share a strong interest in Caribbean film and culture.
St. Barth Theatre Festival. Sponsored each May by the SB Artists, an all volunteer theater troupe, the festival includes performances by local actors plus those from neighboring islands and from France.
JUNE
Fête de la Musique. There's music everywhere in St. Barth on this one special day each June to celebrate the first day of summer, with concerts in theaters, on the streets, and on the Quai Général de Gaulle in Gustavia.
Summer Camp. Yoga and fitness for everyone for a month in June / July.
JULY
Fête Nationale / Bastille Day. Public Holiday. Celebrations, music and fireworks on July 14 commemorate the storming of the Bastille and the end of the French monarchy.
Fête de la Collectivité. St. Barthélemy celebrates its transition from a municipality of Guadeloupe to a French Overseas Collectivity in 2007. July 15
Family Festival. Late July to mid-August, the island celebrates summer with a series of guest DJs and pool parties.
Students Night. The island celebrates graduation at the Collectivité.
Fêtes des Quartiers du Nord. Held on Flamands Beach, this one day celebration includes tournaments, games, entertainment and a raffle.
AUGUST
Windward Fête. The Village of Lorient celebrates with a weekend of games, a fishing tournament, regattas, music, volleyball and dancing.
St. Barth Tennis Open. Men, women and children compete in the island's biggest tennis tournament, held at the sports center in St. Jean.
Summer Sales Shopping Festival. Tremendous savings on designer clothing plus parties, fashion shows and musical events.
Election of Miss St. Barth. The winner of this annual beauty pageant represents St. Barthélemy in the next Miss National Prestige contest.
St. Barth Summer Sessions. St. Bart Rocks, a non-profit association, organizes ten days of great music in cafes and restaurants around the island.
SBJAM Musik Festival. Three days filled with concerts featuring Caribbean music.
Assumption Day and also St. Barth / Pitea Day. Religious and public holiday, commemorates 1977 Sister Cityhood of St. Barth and Pitea, Sweden. August 15
Gustavia Fête. A day of fun activities to enjoy on the dock in Gustavia.
Fête de Saint-Barthélemy. The island commemorates its patron saint with official ceremonies, processions, regattas, a reception at the Collectivity, culminating in dancing and a fireworks display at the Quai du Général-de-Gaulle in Gustavia.
St. Louis Fête. The Village of Corossol celebrates its patron saint with activities including tournaments, regattas, music and dance.
NOVEMBER
All Saints Day. Public and religious holiday. From dusk on, cemeteries are decorated with hundreds of lighted candles. November 1
All Souls Day. Public Holiday. November 2
Armistice Day, public holiday commemorating the end of World War I. November 11
St. Barth Gourmet Festival welcomes famous chefs from France for a three day demonstration of their culinary talents.
Swedish Week and PITEA Day. Celebration of the cultural bonds between St. Barth and Sweden. Held in mid-November, this event includes a 5K run, a 10K walk (the Gustavialoppet) and an arts & crafts show.
St. Barth Cata Cup. Competitions for catamarans held on St. Jean Beach.
DECEMBER
Christmas Village. Lights, displays, a holiday market featuring many "made in St.Barth" items, holiday specialty foods, and Santa Claus create a Christmas spirit on the dock in Gustavia for most of December.
Annual Christmas Parade at the dock in Gustavia.
New Year's Eve Regatta. A "just for fun" sailboat race around the island open to residents and visitors on the morning of December 31.
Réveillon de la Saint Sylvestre. New Year's Eve galas at hotels and restaurants, then welcome the new year with fireworks at midnight on the Quai Général de Gaulle in Gustavia.
ST BARTS HOLIDAYS and SPECIAL EVENTS
Please contact the island's Tourist Office for specific dates and details. On Public Holidays, government offices, banks, and many businesses are closed.
JANUARY
New Year's Day. Public Holiday on January 1
Epiphany / La Fête des Rois. Celebration in many homes and hotels, culminating in the serving of a traditional cake called galette des rois.
St. Barth Music Festival. This annual event features jazz, chamber music, opera, and modern dance concerts in Gustavia and Lorient.
FEBRUARY
St. Barth Fun Cup. International windsurfing competition attracts the sport's top talents.
FEBRUARY / MARCH (dates vary with the Easter Holiday)
Carnival. Parties, parades and costumed revelers in the streets of Gustavia, culminating on Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras in the US).
Ash Wednesday. Culmination of Carnival, with final parade and Burning of King Carnival, Vival, on a funeral pyre. Night parade in Gustavia.
Mi-Carême, or Mid-Lent (Public Holiday). Parades, parties during day-long respite from Lent.
MARCH
St. Barth Bucket Regatta. This annual event began in 1995 and attracts spectacular sailing vessels from around the world for three days of races and celebrations.
APRIL
Kids Trophy. Children from around the Caribbean gather for a major tennis tournament in St. Jean.
Les Voiles de St. Barth. An ultra-competitive annual sailing event that attracts top level competitors. 10th Anniversary event in 2019.
Book Festival. Author visits to schools, public readings, and used book sales.
St. Barth Sails. 6 day regatta for classic to maxi yachts.
MAY
Labor Day. Public Holiday on May 1
West Indies Regatta. A three day event over the Labor Day weekend that celebrates and encourages traditional wooden boat building in the Caribbean.
Tour de St. Barth. Organized by the Nautical Centre of St. Barthélemy, this annual competition includes windsurfing, sport catamarans and laser sailboats on a tour around the island.
Victory in Europe Day. Public Holiday on May 8
Ascension Thursday. Public Holiday. Date varies
Pentecost Monday. Public Holiday. Date varies
Slavery Abolition Day. Public Holiday on May 27
St. Barth Film Festival / Cinema Caraïbes. This annual festival features international cinema with a particular emphasis on movies from and about the Caribbean region. Guests in include filmmakers, producers and other cinema professionals from around the world who share a strong interest in Caribbean film and culture.
St. Barth Theatre Festival. Sponsored each May by the SB Artists, an all volunteer theater troupe, the festival includes performances by local actors plus those from neighboring islands and from France.
JUNE
Fête de la Musique. There's music everywhere in St. Barth on this one special day each June to celebrate the first day of summer, with concerts in theaters, on the streets, and on the Quai Général de Gaulle in Gustavia.
Summer Camp. Yoga and fitness for everyone for a month in June / July.
JULY
Fête Nationale / Bastille Day. Public Holiday. Celebrations, music and fireworks on July 14 commemorate the storming of the Bastille and the end of the French monarchy.
Fête de la Collectivité. St. Barthélemy celebrates its transition from a municipality of Guadeloupe to a French Overseas Collectivity in 2007. July 15
Family Festival. Late July to mid-August, the island celebrates summer with a series of guest DJs and pool parties.
Students Night. The island celebrates graduation at the Collectivité.
Fêtes des Quartiers du Nord. Held on Flamands Beach, this one day celebration includes tournaments, games, entertainment and a raffle.
AUGUST
Windward Fête. The Village of Lorient celebrates with a weekend of games, a fishing tournament, regattas, music, volleyball and dancing.
St. Barth Tennis Open. Men, women and children compete in the island's biggest tennis tournament, held at the sports center in St. Jean.
Summer Sales Shopping Festival. Tremendous savings on designer clothing plus parties, fashion shows and musical events.
Election of Miss St. Barth. The winner of this annual beauty pageant represents St. Barthélemy in the next Miss National Prestige contest.
St. Barth Summer Sessions. St. Bart Rocks, a non-profit association, organizes ten days of great music in cafes and restaurants around the island.
SBJAM Musik Festival. Three days filled with concerts featuring Caribbean music.
Assumption Day and also St. Barth / Pitea Day. Religious and public holiday, commemorates 1977 Sister Cityhood of St. Barth and Pitea, Sweden. August 15
Gustavia Fête. A day of fun activities to enjoy on the dock in Gustavia.
Fête de Saint-Barthélemy. The island commemorates its patron saint with official ceremonies, processions, regattas, a reception at the Collectivity, culminating in dancing and a fireworks display at the Quai du Général-de-Gaulle in Gustavia.
St. Louis Fête. The Village of Corossol celebrates its patron saint with activities including tournaments, regattas, music and dance.
NOVEMBER
All Saints Day. Public and religious holiday. From dusk on, cemeteries are decorated with hundreds of lighted candles. November 1
All Souls Day. Public Holiday. November 2
Armistice Day, public holiday commemorating the end of World War I. November 11
St. Barth Gourmet Festival welcomes famous chefs from France for a three day demonstration of their culinary talents.
Swedish Week and PITEA Day. Celebration of the cultural bonds between St. Barth and Sweden. Held in mid-November, this event includes a 5K run, a 10K walk (the Gustavialoppet) and an arts & crafts show.
St. Barth Cata Cup. Competitions for catamarans held on St. Jean Beach.
DECEMBER
Christmas Village. Lights, displays, a holiday market featuring many "made in St.Barth" items, holiday specialty foods, and Santa Claus create a Christmas spirit on the dock in Gustavia for most of December.
Annual Christmas Parade at the dock in Gustavia.
New Year's Eve Regatta. A "just for fun" sailboat race around the island open to residents and visitors on the morning of December 31.
Réveillon de la Saint Sylvestre. New Year's Eve galas at hotels and restaurants, then welcome the new year with fireworks at midnight on the Quai Général de Gaulle in Gustavia.
Special events throughout the year honor traditional holidays, but St. Barth also celebrates with art, music and film festivals as well as boat races, fishing contests and other sporting events. The beauty, traditions and vitality of the island can also be seen in art galleries featuring the work of numerous talented local artists.
ST BARTS HOLIDAYS and SPECIAL EVENTS
Please contact the island's Tourist Office for specific dates and details. On Public Holidays, government offices, banks, and many businesses are closed.
JANUARY
New Year's Day. Public Holiday on January 1
Epiphany / La Fête des Rois. Celebration in many homes and hotels, culminating in the serving of a traditional cake called galette des rois.
St. Barth Music Festival. This annual event features jazz, chamber music, opera, and modern dance concerts in Gustavia and Lorient.
FEBRUARY
St. Barth Fun Cup. International windsurfing competition attracts the sport's top talents.
FEBRUARY / MARCH (dates vary with the Easter Holiday)
Carnival. Parties, parades and costumed revelers in the streets of Gustavia, culminating on Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras in the US).
Ash Wednesday. Culmination of Carnival, with final parade and Burning of King Carnival, Vival, on a funeral pyre. Night parade in Gustavia.
Mi-Carême, or Mid-Lent (Public Holiday). Parades, parties during day-long respite from Lent.
MARCH
St. Barth Bucket Regatta. This annual event began in 1995 and attracts spectacular sailing vessels from around the world for three days of races and celebrations.
APRIL
Kids Trophy. Children from around the Caribbean gather for a major tennis tournament in St. Jean.
Les Voiles de St. Barth. An ultra-competitive annual sailing event that attracts top level competitors. 10th Anniversary event in 2019.
Book Festival. Author visits to schools, public readings, and used book sales.
St. Barth Sails. 6 day regatta for classic to maxi yachts.
MAY
Labor Day. Public Holiday on May 1
West Indies Regatta. A three day event over the Labor Day weekend that celebrates and encourages traditional wooden boat building in the Caribbean.
Tour de St. Barth. Organized by the Nautical Centre of St. Barthélemy, this annual competition includes windsurfing, sport catamarans and laser sailboats on a tour around the island.
Victory in Europe Day. Public Holiday on May 8
Ascension Thursday. Public Holiday. Date varies
Pentecost Monday. Public Holiday. Date varies
Slavery Abolition Day. Public Holiday on May 27
St. Barth Film Festival / Cinema Caraïbes. This annual festival features international cinema with a particular emphasis on movies from and about the Caribbean region. Guests in include filmmakers, producers and other cinema professionals from around the world who share a strong interest in Caribbean film and culture.
St. Barth Theatre Festival. Sponsored each May by the SB Artists, an all volunteer theater troupe, the festival includes performances by local actors plus those from neighboring islands and from France.
JUNE
Fête de la Musique. There's music everywhere in St. Barth on this one special day each June to celebrate the first day of summer, with concerts in theaters, on the streets, and on the Quai Général de Gaulle in Gustavia.
Summer Camp. Yoga and fitness for everyone for a month in June / July.
JULY
Fête Nationale / Bastille Day. Public Holiday. Celebrations, music and fireworks on July 14 commemorate the storming of the Bastille and the end of the French monarchy.
Fête de la Collectivité. St. Barthélemy celebrates its transition from a municipality of Guadeloupe to a French Overseas Collectivity in 2007. July 15
Family Festival. Late July to mid-August, the island celebrates summer with a series of guest DJs and pool parties.
Students Night. The island celebrates graduation at the Collectivité.
Fêtes des Quartiers du Nord. Held on Flamands Beach, this one day celebration includes tournaments, games, entertainment and a raffle.
AUGUST
Windward Fête. The Village of Lorient celebrates with a weekend of games, a fishing tournament, regattas, music, volleyball and dancing.
St. Barth Tennis Open. Men, women and children compete in the island's biggest tennis tournament, held at the sports center in St. Jean.
Summer Sales Shopping Festival. Tremendous savings on designer clothing plus parties, fashion shows and musical events.
Election of Miss St. Barth. The winner of this annual beauty pageant represents St. Barthélemy in the next Miss National Prestige contest.
St. Barth Summer Sessions. St. Bart Rocks, a non-profit association, organizes ten days of great music in cafes and restaurants around the island.
SBJAM Musik Festival. Three days filled with concerts featuring Caribbean music.
Assumption Day and also St. Barth / Pitea Day. Religious and public holiday, commemorates 1977 Sister Cityhood of St. Barth and Pitea, Sweden. August 15
Gustavia Fête. A day of fun activities to enjoy on the dock in Gustavia.
Fête de Saint-Barthélemy. The island commemorates its patron saint with official ceremonies, processions, regattas, a reception at the Collectivity, culminating in dancing and a fireworks display at the Quai du Général-de-Gaulle in Gustavia.
St. Louis Fête. The Village of Corossol celebrates its patron saint with activities including tournaments, regattas, music and dance.
NOVEMBER
All Saints Day. Public and religious holiday. From dusk on, cemeteries are decorated with hundreds of lighted candles. November 1
All Souls Day. Public Holiday. November 2
Armistice Day, public holiday commemorating the end of World War I. November 11
St. Barth Gourmet Festival welcomes famous chefs from France for a three day demonstration of their culinary talents.
Swedish Week and PITEA Day. Celebration of the cultural bonds between St. Barth and Sweden. Held in mid-November, this event includes a 5K run, a 10K walk (the Gustavialoppet) and an arts & crafts show.
St. Barth Cata Cup. Competitions for catamarans held on St. Jean Beach.
DECEMBER
Christmas Village. Lights, displays, a holiday market featuring many "made in St.Barth" items, holiday specialty foods, and Santa Claus create a Christmas spirit on the dock in Gustavia for most of December.
Annual Christmas Parade at the dock in Gustavia.
New Year's Eve Regatta. A "just for fun" sailboat race around the island open to residents and visitors on the morning of December 31.
Réveillon de la Saint Sylvestre. New Year's Eve galas at hotels and restaurants, then welcome the new year with fireworks at midnight on the Quai Général de Gaulle in Gustavia.
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French Caribbean International has been the premier guide to the French West Indies since 1994. We provide a wealth of helpful travel information for visitors to the Caribbean islands of St. Barthélemy (St. Barts, St. Barth, St. Barths), St. Martin / St. Maarten, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Les Saintes and Marie-Galante.