From Le Tour to Lille3000: Why 2025 is the year to visit the North of France
This year is the perfect time to visit Le Quesnoy and Te Arawhata with exciting events and festivals planned in nearby Lille.
Te Arawhata is hosting a wide range of events throughout 2025, including special commemoration events to mark Anzac Day in April. And while visitors are in Le Quesnoy, there is plenty to see and do in the incredible Lille Métropolitaine Area – a bustling city full of fun and festivities all year round.
Tour de France
Just 45 minutes from Le Quesnoy, the cultural hub of Lille will be busier than ever this year as it hosts the Grand Départ of the world’s most famous cycling race, the Tour de France, on July 5.
The world’s elite pro riders will race around the beautiful Hauts-de-France region during three stages of the Tour, including the third stage on July 7 starting in Valenciennes, just 20km from Le Quesnoy.
Art and film
For art lovers, it pays to visit soon, with Lille Art Up running from March 13 – 16. The event is one of the largest contemporary art festivals in France and is expected to attract local and international visitors.
Meanwhile, film buffs should consider sticking around for Series Mania, an annual international festival dedicated to TV series. From March 21 to 28, TV actors, producers and directors will flock to the city for the festival.
Lille3000
Lille3000 (“Lille-Trois-Mille”) is back for a 7th instalment of the famous arts and culture extravaganza. Following its initial edition in 2004 to coincide with Lille’s award of European Capital of Culture, this year’s “Fiesta”-themed festival of song, dance, sound and colour will open with a spectacular parade through the town on 26 April 2025 and run through to 9 November.
Europe’s largest flea market
Perhaps one of the best-known events in Lille is the unmissable Braderie, Europe’s biggest flea market, attracting upwards of three million visitors per year. The tradition dates to the Middle Ages and continues to this day with bargains, antiques and musicians set up across the city in September.
Food and drink
October sees Lille come to life in celebration of delicious, authentic dishes with the Street Food Festival offering visitors a chance to try dishes from local restaurateurs, chefs, and brewers.
Steeped in history
With an immersive visitor experience created by Wētā Workshop, Te Arawhata tells the story of the liberation of Le Quesnoy by Kiwi soldiers on November 4, 1918, during World War One.
While no civilian lives were lost during the liberation of Le Quesnoy, many New Zealand soldiers died and are buried on the Western Front. Te Arawhata is a place for visitors to reflect on New Zealand’s shared history with France and the special bond between the people of Le Quesnoy and New Zealand that still endures today.