FESTIVALS & EVENTS
New Caledonia holidays and festivals take place throughout the year. Besides the larger regional and national events, most villages will have special celebrations often related to food, harvest, sports or religion.
MARCH
Sacred Festival of the Yam
The festival marks the beginning of the yam harvest, which is the most important event in the Kanak calendar. When the yams are declared ready by the elders, they are pulled up and presented to the older clansmen and the chief, signalling the beginning of the harvest. The yams are blessed the following day by the priest, then distributed among the villagers. Yams are present in all important events such as births, deaths and marriages.
There are several yam festivals that take place across the country between February and April, when each village celebrates the harvest.
APRIL
New Caledonia Triathlon, Nouméa
New Caledonia Triathlon features 300 athletes from around the world. There are four categories: elite, adults, teams, and children. There is also entertainment on the side with music, dance shows and pasta parties.
Avocado Festival, Maré
The Avocado Festival has become one of the most important cultural events in New Caledonia for two reasons; it places high value on the work of the agricultural community; and secondly it offers the possibility of a home stay experience within the tribe. Numerous leisure activities such as tastings, music and traditional dances are held to celebrate the avocado.
Giant Omelette Festival, Dumbéa
Held the second weekend following Easter, this festival features the making of a giant omelette to commemorate Napoleon’s army being fed omelette by Southern French villagers, as a show of charity during wartime. Around a dozen chefs make a huge 3.5 metre diameter omelette using some 7,000 eggs, which is then shared by everyone.
JUNE
New Caledonia Ultra Trail, Nouméa
Established in 1985, the New Caledonia Triathlon features 300 athletes from around the world which gather in Nouméa each year. The ultra trail follows the breathtaking coastline of the island.
Cheese Festival, Nouméa
The “French Cheese Festival” is a buffet with over 130 cheese specialties presented by a “Maître fromagier” or cheese master. For over 20 years, award-winning French cheese masters have visited Nouméa and shared their knowledge about a wide variety of cheeses and wines.
Great Lagoon Regatta
The New Caledonia Great Lagoon Regatta is an international boating event open to all types and sizes of boats. The regatta is a celebration of Melanesian culture and traditions and features traditional food, music and dancing.
JULY
Bastille Day
Held on July 14th each year, Bastille Day is a national holiday in France and New Caledonia, marked by a military parade, fireworks, music and dancing.
Trans Caledonian Mountain Adventure Race
The Trans Caledonian Mountain Adventure Race is a two-day endurance running event that traverses New Caledonia’s south mountain chain. It is a unique experience for active travellers seeking a challenge abroad.
AUGUST
Bourail Fair, Bourail
The Bourail Fair is a three day agricultural and craft fair held each year in Bourail, a small town on the West Coast of New Caledonia, it is very popular with locals. Each stand at the fair showcases the best local products from stock-car racing, motocross, tasting of local specialties, sheep dogs, wood chopping, horse riding and the very popular rodeo.
New Caledonia International Marathon, Nouméa
The New Caledonia International Marathon was established in 1983 in collaboration with the Japanese city of Tachikawa. Every year it sees the return of a growing group of loyal participants and attracts high-level international competitors who travel from Europe, Africa, Pacific Islands and Japan.
Mégarando Biking Event, Deva
Megarando Biking is a weekend-long trail riding event in the superb Deva Domain, a must for cross country biking fans. Different trails are on offer for kids, adults, keen amateurs and ultra-serious bikers alike. The Mégarando weekend is hugely popular amongst locals and visitors.
Nouméa Carnival, Nouméa
Nouméa Carnival is one of the islands largest events, it is attended by over 15,000 people and features concerts, music, costumes, dancing and food. The grand parade takes place in the early evening, it starts at Birhakeim Squareand finishes at Jules Ferry Quay where the day ends with a fireworks display.
SEPTEMBER
South Pacific Golf Championship, Bourail
Arguably the biggest golf event in New Caledonia, the South Pacific Golf Championship is one of the 13 tournaments held in the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is played on two golf courses, the Tina Golf Course (Nouméa) and the Exclusiv Golf (Deva).
Francofolies, Nouméa
This three-day festival is associated with the famous Francofolies Festival in La Rochelle (France) although it is strongly oriented towards the Pacific Region with local and regional artists.
Blackwoodstock Festival
The Blackwoodstock Rock Arts and Music Festival offers music-lovers three days of open air concerts in the fabulous setting of Fort Téremba, on New Caledonia’s west coast. Festivalists can camp onsite for an immersive experience or opt for comfort with accommodation in nearby La Foa.
Underground Gourmet
Underground Gourmet features local chefs and local products with the aim to showcase traditional kanak cooking and culture. The event takes place at Le Meridien Nouméa, Le Meridien Isle of Pines and Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Spa & Golf Resort.
OCTOBER
Vanilla Festival, Lifou
Lifou is well known for its vanilla plantations. Throughout the Vanilla Festival visitors can experience choral singing, Kaneka concerts, traditional dancing, vanilla plantation visits and guided hikes on this beautiful island.
NOVEMBER
PWA Windsurfing World Cup Events
The New Caledonian lagoon is an incredible playground for flat-water activities. With around 120 days of wind per year, you’re set up with ideal perfect conditions for windsurfing, kitesurfing, surfing and stand-up paddleboarding.
In Nouméa, Anse Vata is the mythical gathering spot for all windsurfers. Not a day passes without the shorelines being overtaken by a frenetic ballet of windsurf sails that speed between here and nearby Ilot Canard.
This is why international kitesurfing and windsurfing events choose to have their World Cups here. The 2020 event dates are still to be announced, but these usually happen in late October and early November.