Elevate your French holiday by venturing out at altitude this summer; you might think that what draws visitors to the valley of Chamonix are its glistening peaks & winter skiing, but the spring & summer seasons summon 30,000 more tourists than the colder months do.

The flora and fauna of the valley burst to life, and we get an extra 5 hours a day of sunlight! With exponentially more things to do, we’ve put together some of the unmissable events in the town and its surroundings.

 

Audience watching a climbing event outside in the summer

Photo courtesy of the Chamonix Tourist Office

Athletic competitions this summer:

Reaching almost mythical status, some of these races famously began in Chamonix, where now the best athletes of the sport flock to compete at the epicentre of trail & alpine running, climbing, and swimming. Audiences toujours welcome!

Part of the Golden Trail World Series; clusters of trail running & marathon races in varying levels

A swim, run and cycle race through the pristine waters, prestigious cobbled streets, and natural park of the Bauges around medieval Annecy 

One of the most scenic trail runs in the French Alps, framed by the sculptured Massif des Fiz 

Climbing walls are erected in the central Place du Mont Blanc for unbelievable Speed and Lead climbing competitions in the annual Climbing World Cup

Solo or relay trail running races held in the lofty Grand Montets area of Argentière

  • UTMB | Chamonix | 26 August – 1 September

A week of madness! Chamonix holds the finals of the iconic Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc World Series, a trail-running course winding into France, Italy & Switzerland, attracting some of the most influential names in trail running to the streets of Chamonix. 

Organised by the team from the Chamonix Mont-Blanc Marathon, the trail runs along hiking terrain across the nature reserve and through the vast, iron-tinged Aiguilles Rouges Massif 

 

Mural painting in the centre of Chamonix town depicting the first moutain guides on a balcony
Photo by Corentin Leray

Mountaineering events around the valley: 

A town steeped in mountaineering history, immortalised in The Guides of Chamonix Frescoes displayed throughout the centre-ville, hosts these celebratory events which seek to educate and inspire the mountain lovers of Chamonix. 

Spend the weekend hiking up to a refuge; a mountaineering event to help you learn or hone your wild mountain skills – for beginners and advanced climbers alike 

World Olympic Day; Celebrating 100 years since the first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix, you can watch the Olympic Flame travel through Chamonix and end its journey at the celebratory stage in Place du Mont-Blanc

Alpine clinics and courses for all levels, run by athletes and IFMGA guides on topics from Mountain Photography to Biodiversity, Geology, Crevasse Rescue and a women-only Trail & Spa Day. Sign up quick! 

Concerts, traditional festivals and craft sessions run by the historic Compagnie des Guides of Chamonix, in aid of the Caisse de Secours team, the brave guides who come to the rescue if you get yourself in a pickle on the mountain. 

 

Black and white shot of musicians on a piano with a backdrop of the mountains

Photo by Christophe Boillon

Get some Culture & Music:

From modern music to classical quartets, sculptures and fireworks, when the sun shines on the valley, it becomes packed with concerts, exhibitions, and boogie nights. You’ll find something you enjoy, whatever your tastes! 

Super-gigs & music festival featuring open air concerts, fine dining, and some big-deal names in French & International music, take to the forest-framed stage in the theatrical Bois du Bouchet 

A free-to-all summer music festival, celebrated across the country during the symbolic Summer Solstice; an initiative launched by the Ministère de la Culture itself! 

Get cultured-out with professional film, literary and cinematic projections centering on the themes of mountains, adventure, & culture, with conferences and showings around Chamonix

Evening fireworks and more in celebration of the French National Day, recollecting the infamous storming of Bastille in 1789

‘Shadow & Light’ inspires this collective of Baroque-style concerts and performances, around the Pays du Mont-Blanc 

Get ready for some serious Sax! A free Jazz festival set among the natural amphitheatre of the pistes, with concerts on all day and jams going into the night, inviting musicians from around the globe 

Artistic programs, after party shows, and DJ sets at the hotel Folie Douce most evenings – featuring lots of feather boas.  

Respect for nature is the aim of this collaboration; with nighttime forest immersion, artistic shows and naturalistic experiences through mountain soil for this nocturnal, sensorial journey 

Screenings, documentaries, and workshops with renowned photographers exhibiting reflections of what we all come to Chamonix for; mountain, nature, and culture 

Held at the Église Saint-Pierre, a traditional organ performance for lovers of the classics 

 

Photo of a family of 4 sliding down a big slide at a holiday park in the summer

Photo by Pierre Raphoz

 

Chamonix may be the apex of eccentric sports, and there are always ways to get involved – but if you are after something a little more tame, have a look at our other blogs for things to do on your summer trip to Chamonix, with both feet on the ground! 

Hiking with kids | Family activities| Wheelchair friendly | Chamonix walks 

 

And that’s not all! Follow our socials to keep up to date with the constant goings-on in our beautiful, busy valley. 

 

Featured image at top of page by Fabian Godet