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.

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

World Water Forum Part 2 - Carnival 17 March

This year Marseille's traditional carnival will be all about water to mark the end of the World Water Forum.

The main event will be a procession from the Rond Pont du Prado to the Parc Borély on 17 March from 2:30 to 3:45, with a finale in the Park from 4pm. All the big names will be there including Posiedon, Venus, Noah, Archimedes and Ulysses. Not to be missed.

image from carnaval2012.info

There are also processions all over the city on different dates, for details (in French) see the City's website.