The South for France Comes to London for the Joie de Vivre Festival

Britain or France for your summer vacation? Hmmm … it’s a tough choice. Or maybe you’ve already booked your London flights for this time round and you’re considering making France yoru next big destination?With the Sud de France Joie de Vivre Festival set to return to London this summer, there’s a chance for to get a taste of both.

Set in the leafy Bernie Spain Gardens next to Oxo Tower Wharf, the first large-scale “Joie de Vivre” Sud de France Festival will feature an authentic food market along with music curated by acclaimed DJ, Gilles Peterson. The Sud de France Festival has been going on for a few summers now, but this year’s event promises to be even bigger and better. Recreating the atmosphere for a perfect day in the South of France, the event will bring the food, wine and joie de vivre of France’s sun kissed region of Languedoc-Roussillon to the banks of London’s River Thames.

The open air festival will take place on Saturday the 31st of August and will be free to attend. Highlights will include:

• Market traders selling a variety of regional foods and produce
• Pop‐up restaurants offering authentic, regional artisanal dishes
• A pétanque pitch and competition
• An actual sandy beach where visitors can participate in a sand castle competition to build the iconic sites of Languedoc‐Roussillon, like the medieval city of Carcassonne
• Chefs, food producers, winemakers, and travel experts hosting talks and taste experiences
• A tourist office with information on the best places in the region to visit
• A book signing by best‐selling author Kate Mosse – author of the Languedoc trilogy of books (Labrynth, Sepulchre and Citadel)
• And An evening set by DJ Gilles Peterson featuring the sounds of his annual Worldwide Festival from the beach of Sète.

Bernie Spain Gardens are located on London’s South Bank. The nearest London Underground station is at Southwark but Waterloo Station is nearly as close and within walking distance as well.

Find out more about the Sud de France Joie de Vivre Festival at festival-suddefrance.com/Londres.

And if you attend, make sure to share your experiences on the CheapOair Facebook page!

Photo credit: Chris Osburn