There  are classical and opera performances and major concerts of film, shows and popular music held on the beach at 10pm – and entry to the beach is free!

This annual festival of classical music takes place outdoors on the main beach at Royan each July and attracts tens of thousands of spectators over a three day period. It is undoubtedly the most popular and important ‘spectacle’ of the Royan tourist season and is certainly not to be missed.

You can book tickets for the formal seating (price about 30 euros per person in 2017) from the ticket kiosk on the seafront or online. Alternatively you can simply turn up and find a spot on the beach or the promenade to watch the spectacle free of charge on what will, hopefully, be balmy, starry summer evenings!

Cognac Blues Passions is an eclectic music festival held annually in the heart of the eponymous French town.

Blues, jazz, soul, folk, pop and acoustic music take centre stage as the festival inhabits Cognac's beautiful public gardens for a week of shows.

The festival marks its 25th anniversary in the summer of 2018, celebrating a rich history of showcasing the finest musicians old and new, from legends like BB King and Ray Charles through to Massive Attack, Erykah Badu, Sting and Seal in recent years.

First staged back in 1939, the Circuit des Remparts classic car race is held on the third weekend each September. The weekend-long events sees classic cars hurtling around the ancient, twisting roads of this pretty French hill-top town.

The track hasn’t changed since that first race and is one of the very few motor races to take place within the walls of a town, making the 2018 Circuit des Remparts the 78th edition and a classic car race not to miss! The course itself is very demanding, twisting around the Angoulême ramparts and containing two right-angle bends and three hairpins.