Participating in Toulouse festivals can make your trip to the south of France much more memorable. Discover the culture of Toulouse and discover when the world comes to France during any of these annual festivals:

Festival Made in Asia

Come celebrate Asian culture--in France. For nearly a month in January and February, Toulouse is host to a festival featuring more than 80 events featuring Asian dance, food, crafts, performances, exhibitions, readings, lectures, movies and cultural workshops. Representatives of six Asian nations participate in the festival. The highlight is the mock Mongolian village erected in the Place du Capitole, which offers a taste of the nomadic lifestyle of the Mongols. There's also a Chinese New Year-style parade.

Le Printemps du Rire (The Spring Season of Laughter)

An annual comedy festival held in Toulouse during the month of March for nearly two weeks, Le Printemps du Rire is widely considered Europe's greatest comedy festival. Throughout the city of Toulouse, visitors to the festival can watch stand-up comedians, comedy plays and musical comedy acts--about 50 different shows replayed for a total of 120 opportunities to laugh when in France. Both well-known European and international comedians as well as amateur comedians make appearances. Performances are in French. Most tickets for shows range from €11 to €17 each.

Toulouse Les Orgues International Festival

For ten days in October, Toulouse is home to the Toulouse Les Orgues International Festival, a celebration of organ music. Concerts repeat twice daily and feature both classical music and new contemporary arrangements. You can simply attend a concert or you can attend classes and conferences to learn about organ music and music arrangement from organ players from around the world. There are musical activities for children, too. Besides the organ music, concerts feature actors, storytellers, dancers and music directors. If you can't make it to the festival during the fall, you can attend an organ concert held biweekly for much of the year at the Musee des Augustins in Toulouse. Prices for participation in the festival range from €5 to €45, depending on your age and the type of event.

Cinespana

Because of its proximity to Spain, Toulouse is home to a mix of Latin and French cultures. The annual 10-day Cinespana Festival in October brings the best of classic and contemporary Spanish cinema to France with French and English subtitles. Awards are given to the best films, actors, directors and behind-the-scenes technicians. Spanish music performances and culture discussions spring up around the venues showing the movies to make the whole experience an immersion in Spanish culture. Tickets for single films cost €4 to €6 and you can purchase multi-film ticket booklets for €40 to €60.