On your bikes - Sunday 2 June

It's the fête du vélo this weekend so everyone get on your bikes and celebrate.

On Sunday there's a bike parade that starts at the Vieux Port at 10am with musical accompaniment provided by the big band Swing Swing Souabe. There are rallying points all over the city and if you arrive by train at the Gare Saint Charles you'll be offered breakfast at 8:30am at the Square Narvik. There is entertainment all along the route. This is your chance to cycle along the Corniche without having to dodge the motobikes and cars. 

Details are on the Fête du vélo website

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.

Babel Med World Music Concerts 21 to 23 March

Babel Med brings together music professionals, performers and the general public over three days and three nights at the Dock des Suds.  There will be four stages, 36 concerts and 190 artists from around the world.

Among the 11 performances on Thursday you can see the Tajik-Israeli Alaev Family, Spanish percussion orchestra Coetus, and Du Bartas with their traditional music from the Languedoc.

On Friday there are 13 acts including Afro-European Jazz from Ablaye Cissoko and Volker Goetze, Congolese Rumba with Black Bazar and a "brilliant musical stroll along the shores of the Bosphorus" with the Turkish Taksim Trio. 

On Saturday, 12 acts including Hoba Hoba Spirit "Moroccan Rage, rock from Casa", Rosapaeda from Southern Italy and Tiloun from La Réunion.

Tickets cost 15€ per night or you can get a 3 night pass (exclusively from FNAC) for 35€, which we think is a bargain price for so much quality and variety. For practical information in English about tickets and how to get there visit the Dock des Suds website.

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.

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.

New Year Concert 6 January 2013

Looking for some entertainment before the big Capital of Culture opening weekend? This concert will offer a varied mixture of popular and classical music to start the new year. It's at the Basilica Sacré Coeur on the Prado (No 81, near metro Perier). It starts at 4pm and it costs 10€ (free for under 13s).

The performance includes extracts from Haydn's Creation, Tchaikovski's Nutcracker suite, Bach's Magnificat, The Merry Widow and West Side Story. The singers are Murielle Tomao and Jean Christophe Born, with Christophe Guida playing the organ.

Festa Occitana at La Meson 10 and 11 November

Two concerts at La Meson this weekend.
On Saturday 10th it's d'Aqui Dub, their website says:

"Founded in 2001, D'aqui dub has had a long life, chaotic, voyaging. It drains and reincarnates, explores, experiences… even reinvents catalepsy… And is re-founded once again to propose No Specific Time."

It's a sort of Balkan meets Occitan sound and that man Arnaud Froment has a fine gravelly voice.

On Sunday Un Homme a Traversé le Monde
In contrast to Saturday, this is a performance by Renat Sette of his composition based on the poetry of Serge Bec. He is accompanied by Diego Lubrano on guitar, Patrick Ferné on double bass and Aurélie Lombard on accordion.

Both concerts start at 8pm and cost 10€ (plus 3€ seasonal membership if you haven't joined already)

Concert of Egyptian Music 26 October

The Archives and Library Gaston Defferre (18-20 rue Mirès) has exhibitions and events all about Egypt running from October to December. On 26 October there is a concert of classical and improvised Egyptian music, described as deep and meditative, with Oud and Flute. The perfomance is by Hazem Shaheen (Oud) and Naïssam Jalal (Flute).

It starts at 7pm and entry is free. If you miss it, the exhibition of photographs: Egypt, clear and obscure, continues until 22 December.

Photo from www.rencontresaverroes.net

Jazz at Cri du Port 4 October - HKBM Orchestra

It's the start of the festival Jazz sur la Ville, with 30 events in 20 venues across Marseille between 4 and 26 October.

The Cri du Port starts the proceedings with a performance by the HKBM Orchestra, big band jazz. It starts at 8:30pm and costs12€

If you arive at 7pm you can particpiate in the opening of the exhibition of paintings by Brazilian Painter Fabio Cerqueira alias Binho. The exhibition lasts until 4 November.

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.

Marsatac 27-29 September

Three stages and non stop music from 8:45pm until 6am at the Dock des Suds. On the programme, hip-hop, electro, folk and pop with, amongst others, Spoek Mathambo, Mix Up Maroc, Mina May and Stuck in the Sound.

If you book via the Marsatac website, tickets are 26-28€ for one night, 50€ for two nights and 68€ for all three. If you just turn up it will cost 33€ a night. Enjoy!

Kabbalah at La Meson 28 September

To open their new season La Meson has invited Kabbalah to do their stuff. It's a fusion of Yiddish, English and Russian lyrics backed by strings, horns, percussion, vintage machines and music boxes, somewhere between slam rock and yid hop - marvellous! They're back from their tour of the globe and ready to entertain you once again at their spiritual home.

Album: Boxes, Bagels and Elephants

Doors open at 7:30. Entry is free to members. Membership is 3€ and includes a drink. It's advisable to book by ringing  04 91 50 11 61.

Barrio Chino at the Dock des Suds 21 September

For 20 years Barrio Chino have been creating their version of world music, mixing Catalonian Rumba with Cuban, Algerian, European and American styles. To celebrate their 20th year they are touring France and the world, starting at the Dock des Suds in Marseille. Catch them while you can, it may be some time before they're here again.

It starts at 7:30pm and it costs 11€.

Music by the sea 7 - 9 September

The company La Rumeur has collected together musicians and seafood sellers to entertain you at the Plages de Corbières, L'Estaque. On the programme:

• Friday 7 September at 8:30pm « Lyrico déjanté » Cathy Heiting & Jonathan Soucasse La fanfare « Gershwin & Fire » from the Company La Rumeur.
• Saturday 8 September at 8:30pm « Fantaisiste » Pierre-Yves Plat [classical & jazz ] | Fanfare Fiera Brass [1930s New Orleans jazz].
• Sunday 9 September from 4pm - « en famille » with practical art workshops. 

For more information: 04 91 84 31 68 - 06 68 51 44 55  - www.larumeur.eu -  compagnielarumeur@gmail.com

Rise Up Party, Le Poste à Galene, 7 September

No Boxes, No Boundaries is an association created by students with the goal of bringing new and eclectic forms of art and culture to a wide audience. It was launched in Paris but is now organizing an event - Rise Up Party - in Marseille, a city that they have fallen in love with.

There is an exhibition of photographs of New York by Tom Escarmelle and four DJs playing Hip-Hop and Dubstep. 10 €, Le Poste à Galene, 103 Rue Ferrari on 7 September.

Borderline Festival Saturday 1 September

Borderline is collective that produces events at venues with a difference, on London buses (in Marseille), on boats, on roofs and, on 1 September, at the Chateau de la Buzine (Marcel Pagnol's "chateau de ma mère"). From 5pm to midnight the music, food, drink, boules etc takes place outside the chateau and from midnight to 4am the music continues inside. That way they won't disturb the neighbours and wildlife. It features Dr Day, Zuzoom and DJ Moar (outside) and Venice Beach and Villanova (inside).

It costs 26.40€ for the whole thing, or 20.60€ for the outside event and 15€ for the indoor event. Tickets available on line from Digitick

Yusa and Lizzy Parks perform by the sea 14 August

The open air amphitheatre by the sea, Théâtre Silvain (Bus 83 to Fausse Monnaie), finishes its summer season on 14 August with a concert by Yusa and Lizzy Parks. Yusa is a Cuban singer/song writer, often compared to Tracy Chapman for her style of bitter sweet compositions. She won the BBC World Music awards for best newcomer and best Latin American performer. She plays guitar, keyboard and percussion mastering funk, rap, jazz and soul styles.

Lizzy Parks is the new discovery of the British label Tru Thoughts. She has a voice that will "transport you to unexplored places".

Yusa

The venue is open 6pm to 11pm. Tickets cost 10€ (free for under 18s) and you can buy them in advance from digitick. You can take a picnic and/or try the tapas and cocktails that are on offer.

Rare Concert at Notre Dame de la Garde 11 August

Concerts in Notre Dame de la Garde don't happen very often so make the most of it.

At 8pm on Saturday 11 August the Swiss bi-lingual boys' choir La Maîtrise des Petits Chanteurs de Fribourg will be perfoming pieces by J S Bach, Gounod and Scarlatti. Entry is free.

Maîtrise de Fribourg

Opera by the sea, Madam Butterfly, 11 and 13 August

Go along to the Théâtre Silvain, an open air amphitheatre facing the sea, this weekend and watch a performance of Madam Butterfly. It's not the full blown opera, it's a perfomance with singers and piano. the singing will be the orginal Italian with a narration in French. It starts at 9pm but the gates open at 7:30 so you can take a picnic. There are two performances on 11 and 13 August.

You can get tickets (8€ and 10€) from Espace Culture. To get to the venue, take the 83 bus to Fausse Monnaie, or there's a ferry boat from the Vieux Port that costs 8€. To book the ferry send a mail to accueil@croisières-marseille-calanques.com,

Massilia Rock Festival Escale Borely 3-5 August

The sixth edition of Massilia Rock takes place this weekend at the Escale Borely. A free musicfest by the sea, with music workshops, a rock fashion parade with big red British double decker buses and of course music, local and European. You can see/hear Mary has Gun (from Aix), Wayaz (soul/rock from Marseille), Partik Monkeys (from Glasgow), Black Candy Store from Sweden and lots more. There is also a competition/showcase for new musicians.