A Huge New French Festival is Coming to Auckland

French culture is one of the most influential of them all. As well as making wine and cheese acceptable for breakfast, lunch and dinner, our suave European counterparts can be thanked for creations like Champagne, the concept of 'the little black dress', tongue kissing, and mayonnaise.

While smaller celebrations have come and gone, for the first time this August a sizeable festival dedicated to all of the above (and much more) will land in Auckland. The appropriately titled Le French Festival will take place on August 26, 2017 at Shed 10.

The one-day festival will be broken up into two parts. One Day in France will serve as a market with 30 stalls offering everything from food to fashion and language lessons. Have your breakfast 'à la française' with coffee and a croissant, enjoy a glass of wine from the motherland while stocking up on bottles for home, discover the world's less tiring sport — la pétanque — while downing a glass of traditional Pastis, soak up an ever-rotating collection of French short films, sit back and listen to local music, or crunch numbers at a French business conference — they really have it all covered.

After dark, One Night in France will be led by a French banquet to rule them all. Three long tables of 150 people— all donning the nation's colours of blue, red and white— will fill Shed 10 as three chefs whip-up a four-course feast, including one course entirely dedicated to cheese. Tickets and menu information will be available later this month.

Le French Festival will take place at Shed 10 on August 26, 2017. Stay tuned for more information.