A night at the museums 18 May

It's European museums night on 18 May so get out there and visit that museum or art gallery you've always intended to see but never quite got around to. Today they're open late and the'yre free. What's more some of them have extra live performances around the theme of the flowers of May.

At the Musée Grobet Labadié (140 Boulevard Longchamp) there is a perfomance by a flautist, Agnes Royon le Mee, and a singer/actor, Danielle Stephan, called Chante Fleurs et Chante Flûtes.

At the Préau de Accoules (29 Montée des Accoules) there's a musical, Coco Neil et les Gars Gazon, by Isabelle Matthieu and Alain Bordes.

At the Musée Cantini (19 Rue Grignan) there's an audio installation by Phil Specrum, Christian Berthelot, Dominique Dauchart and Amandine Buixeda.

Dancing with Diggers 10 and 11 May

Go along to the Plages du Prado North at 3pm or 9:30pm on Friday or Saturday to see Traction, a ballet with people and JCBs. It's a production by British performance company Motionhouse, it's part of the Folle Histoire des Arts de la rue, a series of street performances taking place all over the area and it's free. What more could you ask.

Street art and music at the Friche 25 April to 9 June

Don't be fooled by the title "This is [not] music", there is in fact music involved in this 47 day extravaganza of art, urban sports (including extreme sport demonstrations), concerts and films focusing on street culture. You can catch up with the Undertones (27 April) or Pete Docherty (3 May) at the Cabaret Aléatoire, watch skateboarding exhibitions and competitions, films and live performances, all at the Friche de la Belle de Mai.

The Undertones 27 April Cabaret Aléatoire

You'll find details of the programme and ticket prices (in French) on the This is [not] music website.

More contemporary circus - Orit Nevo 22-24 February

If you're a fan of contemporary circus, if you're curious, if you saw Knitting Peace, or if you regret not having seen it, here is another event that you should not miss. It's called Somewhere and Nowhere and it's about immigration. This production is a collaboration between Marseille based Archaos and Orit Nevo, an Israeli circus performer. It's a combination of theatre, circus and dance. Highly recommended.

It's at CREAC at 8:30pm on 22nd and 23rd and 4pm on 24th and it costs 16€. You can book via the MP2013 website or take a chance and pay when you get there. If you're using public transport, there's a bus leaving outside CREAC ten minutes after the performance to take you back to Bougainville metro.

More Modern Circus - take a circus tour 1 and 2 February

After seeing that marvellous performance about knitting peace you will no doubt be looking for some more circus. The theatre Le Merlan is offering a circus tour in central Marseille with three different forms of circus performance in three unexpected places.

The tour costs 25€ (for the three performances and soup or tea) and the itinerary goes like this:

• 5:30 - 6:00pm Saint Charles campus, a welcoming vin chaud
• 6:00 - 7:00pm The company l'Immediat will entertain and challenge you with "Jubilation"
• 7:00 - 8:00pm Guided walk (30 mins), with a stop off for soup or tea, to the next destination
• 8:00 - 8:30pm Opus Corpus by trapeze artist Chloé Moglia at the Protestant Temple in rue Grignan
• 8:30 - 9:30pm Guided walk (5mins) with a pause to enjoy food provided by La Boite a Sardine
• 9:30 - 10:30pm De l'autre côté by Cirquons Flex at Société Marseillais de Crédit, Estrangin

If you dont want to do the whole tour you can go to see the performances separately (prices between 5 and 20€).

GO! - Capital of Culture Opening Weekend 12/13 January

The moment you've been waiting for! If you can't make it to Aix for the Air Force Flying display, go into Marseille and take a look at work in progress on the new buildings. On 12 January you can go into the old Station Sanitaire and see what is planned for the new Regards de Provence gallery as well as admiring the work of Georges Rousse, Dominik Barbier and Anne Van Steen. There are also exhibitions in J1 in the docks area. You can download a programme from the site. On 13 January you can visit the MUCEM building, due to open in June.

J1 La joliette

If you're after sound and light go to the upper car park of the Grand Littoral at 5:30pm on 12th to see the start of the light parade the march of the machines, mechanical diggers and agricultural machinery as you have never seen them.

Get Set - Capital of Culture opening weekend 12/13 January

On Sunday 13 January there are treasure hunts all over the place, 112 routes in 20 Communes. Find our how much you know and learn lots more about the Marseille Povence area by taking part on one (or more) of the hunts. They are free. They take place between 10am and 3pm and there are prizes too! You can register for them on the MP2013 site.

If you use the interactive map you will find some hunts in English and some accessible for people with reduced mobility and some for people with children in pushchairs.

On your marks - Capital of Culture opening weekend 12/13 January

It's time to plan where you want to be for the grand opening of the Capital of Culture year. There are major events in Marseille, Aix and Arles and smaller ones in Aubagne and Gardanne. The Grande Clameur (the Big Noise) is at 7pm on Saturday in Marseille. There will be people performing music, dance and generally making a noise all over the city.  There's a Google Map of all the events.

Try a concert of bicycle bells by the bandstand at the top of the Canebière, organised by Vélos en Ville (No. 22 on map), or a concert in sign language on the Vieux Port, organised by the Collectif Langues des Signes et Culture Sourde Marseille Provence 2013 (No. 26 on map) .

The Clameur lasts five minutes. After that there are events until the early hours, in the streets and at various venues. Get out there and celebrate.

Descent of the Shepherds 24 December

Allauch, always good for Christmas atmosphere, has a live performance of the revelation of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. It's entertaining even if you dont speak Provençal. It starts at 10:15 pm in the hills above the city and ends with the shepherds herding their sheep down the street to a living creche in the church for midnight mass that starts at 11pm. Just the ticket.

If you have young children aged 6-12 years, there are activities in the village on 24 December between 2 and 5pm.

World Petanque Championship Marseille 4-7 October

Find out everything you need to know about Pétanque and watch the world's best players in competition. It's at the Palais des Sports, Parc Chanot and it's very important. It is the world championship with 48 nations taking part. Among the participants there are Scots, English, Irish, American and New Zealanders.

Image courtesy of FIPJP website

It's better to book ahead as many of the best seats have sold out. You can do so by visiting the website. Prices are from 6.50€ to 27.50€ per day or 60.50€ for a weekend pass.

Open Air Party, Palais Longchamp 30 September

The Association Aires Libres has got together with Marsatac to give you a day out for the family in the gardens of the Palais Longchamp. There will be children's theatre, music (for children and adults), art workshops, modelling, music mixing for beginners and activities too numerous to mention. From 10am to 7pm. Entry is free and a good time is guaranteed.

Kite Festival 14-16 September

Around 200 kite artists from 14 countries will be taking part in festivites to celebrate the wind. This is the annual Fête du Vent. It takes place on the Plages du Prado over three days. There will be stands, demonstrations, windmills, musical instruments that use the wind, lots of flying kites and activities for the children (big and small). China will take centre stage to celebrate the 25 the anniversary of the twinning of Marseille with Shanghai.

Entry is free. The children's activities will take place on Saturday 2-6pm and Sunday 10-6pm.

Circus with a difference 26 - 30 September

After the success of their previous performance "Psy", the company Les 7 Doigts de la Main is returning to the Merlan theatre with a new performance "Traces".  They are a Quebec based company of performers who combine circus and theatre in a way that is thrilling and amazing. "Traces" is a mix of urban culture and acrobatics described as poetic and explosive, humorous and thoughtful.

Performances are at 8:30pm Wednesday to Saturday and 3pm on Sunday.

We're giving you early warning of this event because it is likely to be popular. You can book via the theatre's website, where you can also reserve a seat on the special bus from central Marseille, or register for car sharing.

You'll find more details of the performance on Les 7 Doigts de la Main Website

German Beer Festival in Allauch, 25 August

A little bit of Bavaria in Provence, the 23rd Allauch Beer Festival is a celebration of the village's twin town Vaterstetten in Bavaria. So you can dress in Lederhosen (if you must), drink beer and eat sauerkraut. It's a bit pricey at 34€ a head but good German beer is hard to find in these parts. It's at the Gymnase Jacques Gaillard (Pie d'Autry) at 8pm. Take a taxi!

You need to reserve, to do so ring: 04.91.07.23.23 or contact the Allauch Tourist office, e-mail ot.allauch@visitprovence.com, tel: 04.91.10.49.20.

Tango in the open air, 20 July

You can watch the dancing, you can listen to the music or you can dance. Courtesy of La Rue du Tango, if you go along to the square in front of Gare Saint Charles at 8pm on Friday you can enjoy an evening of tango with Tangaéro and DJ Benoit le Noir. It's free and if you go to the Rue du Tango website you can take part in the photography competition, with prizes for the best pictures.

Mimi Festival Îles de Frioul 6-8 July

Take a trip (or two) to the Îles de Frioul this weekend to listen to the music and soak up the atmosphere of the islands. There are concerts galore, guided walks and a cookery workshop to help you prepare your concert picnic. It's all organised by AMI (Aide aux Musiques Innovatirces) and artists performing include Blurt from the UK, Orchestra of Spheres from New Zealand and, a world premiere outside Vanatu (Nouvelle Calédonie) for the Peirua String Band. Details in French and English on the AMI/MIMI website.

You can buy a three day ticket in advance for 49€ (concert and ferry crossing) through digtick, you can buy day tickets in advance for 19.99 from digitick Carrefour and FNAC, or you can buy tickets on the day for 25€ at the Vieux Port. If you have mobility problems ring the advance booking office for advice +33(0)4 95 04 95 50.  

Wild camping is prohibited on the islands.

Rock Island Festival 28 June to 1 July

The first Rock Island open air festival of electro-pop and DJ mixes. Four nights of live music and DJs in the Fort d'Entrecastaux, walking distance from the Vieux Port. It features Tomorrow's World, Poney Poney Run Run, Digitalism Live, Housse de Racket and much much more - lose yourself in the music.

Tickets must be bought in advance from digitick from 29€ for one night to 99€ for a four night pass.

Fort Entrecasteaux

Feast of Saint John 23 & 24 June Allauch

A bit of Provençal tradition. The patron saint of the region is celebrated in different villages during the spring and summer. In Allauch on Saturday evening it's the procession and lighting of the fire of Saint Jean and on Sunday it's the great parade with working horses and decorated wagons. The local restaurants will be serving Aïoli (you probably need to book). A festive atmosphere in a village on the outskirts of Marseille. The programme is on the village website.

Festival Time Le Panier 15 & 16 June

It's in the open air. It's free and the sun is shining. Cant think of a reason not to go to Le Panier and see what's going on. They have art, music, boules competitions and processions. On Friday at 9:45 it the Panier's time to celebrate lighting the fire of Saint John (le feu de Saint Jean) accompanied by Irish/Celtic band Phoçair. On Saturday there's a Sardinade at lunchtime and Susheela Raman (Tamil/UK) and Tchanelas (festive Rumba) in the evening. Go along and enjoy. Details are on the Fete du Panier website

On Your Bikes in Marseille 1-3 June

Make way for this year's cycling festival (Fête de vélo).

Fête du Vélo Parade Castellane

• 1 June: Alleycat, an urban cycle race involving collecting and delivering certain items to different part of the city. It is open to all cyclists and there are prizes. It will set off from behind the cathedral Major (rue Marchetti) at 5pm.
• 2 June: at 2pm: Bike Polo, where avenue Corderie/Corse crosses rue d'Endoume
• 3 June: at 10 am the Grand Bike Parade starts from the Park of the 26th Century; between 12 and 6pm there will be food, music, activities and cycle rides along the Corniche; at 3pm a bike ride will depart from the Corniche to try out part of the new GR2013 (the walking/cycling route created for Marseille Provence's Capital of Culure year).

For more details of all of this visit the Fête du Vélo website.