Calendar
What to do in Brittany in November 2026
The start of the Route du Rhum, the Utopiales, the Yaouank fest-noz, the Festival des 3 Continents, oysters and autumn walks: what to do in Brittany in November 2026.
6 min read
November is the quietest month of the year in Brittany. Prices drop, the paths empty and the cities come alive with autumn festivals. In 2026, the month also opens with the start of the Route du Rhum.
The November 2026 calendar
| Dates | Event | Place |
|---|---|---|
| Until 1 November | Les Utopiales, science fiction festival | Nantes |
| Sunday 1 November | Start of the Route du Rhum | Saint-Malo |
| 1 to 21 November | Yaouank, fest-noz festival | Rennes |
| 20 and 21 November | The big Yaouank nights | Rennes, Le Liberté |
| 20 to 28 November | Festival des 3 Continents, cinema | Nantes |
| Late November | The first Christmas markets open | All over Brittany |
The Route du Rhum, on 1 November
The start is given at 1:02pm off the Pointe du Grouin. Our Route du Rhum guide tells you where to see the boats and how to get around that day.
Yaouank, the biggest fest-noz of the year
For three weeks, Rennes lives to the rhythm of Breton music, with concerts and fest-noz all over the metropolitan area. The two big nights on 20 and 21 November bring together thousands of dancers: no need to know the steps, you learn as you join the circle.
The pleasures of autumn
It is the height of the oyster season, in Cancale, in the Gulf of Morbihan or on the Belon river, and of scallops in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc. The forests of Brocéliande and Huelgoat take on their autumn colours.
Autumn walks
Natural siteForêt de BrocéliandePaimpont · 1 day minimum, ideally 2 or 3 daysNearly 12,000 hectares around Paimpont, with forests, heathland, lakes and purple schist: the Val sans Retour, the Fontaine de Barenton, Merlin’s Tomb. A mostly private forest, with waymarked trails.
Natural siteHuelgoat ForestHuelgoat · 1 hour to half a dayA 1,170-hectare state forest in the heart of Finistère: jumbles of granite boulders, the Rivière d’Argent, the Roche Tremblante, the Grotte du Diable and the Camp d’Artus. Free access from the village.
Natural siteLac de TrémelinIffendic · 2 hours for the lake loop, a full day with childrenA lake of about 50 hectares in an estate of forest and heathland 30 minutes from Rennes: an accessible 5 km loop, a Blue Flag beach lifeguarded in summer, tree-top adventure and kayaking. Free entry.
VillageCancaleCancale · 2 hours minimum, ideally half a day. A full day with the Pointe du GrouinFacing the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, Cancale brings together the Port de la Houle, an oyster market open all year round, fishermen’s houses, oyster beds and a coastal path to the Pointe du Grouin.
Rainy days
In Rennes, the “Fourmis” exhibition at Les Champs Libres runs until 7 March 2027. Océanopolis in Brest, the Machines de l’île in Nantes and the Grand Aquarium in Saint-Malo stay open. Our “when it rains” articles have ideas city by city.
Under cover
MuseumMusée de BretagneRennes · 2 to 3 hours for the permanent exhibition, longer with the Dreyfus routeAt the Champs Libres in Rennes, a large free museum tracing the history of Brittany from prehistory to today, with nearly a million objects and documents held together with the Écomusée de la Bintinais.
ActivityOcéanopolisBrest · 3 h 30 to half a dayIn Brest, Océanopolis turns half a day into an underwater journey: the new Tropical Pavilion, Breton ecosystems, otters, science experiments and the Cité des Océanautes.
ActivityLes Machines de l’îleNantes · 2 to 3 hoursOn the Île de Nantes, Les Machines de l’île: the Machine Gallery, the Marine Worlds Carousel and the Great Elephant, under maintenance until the end of February 2027.
ActivityGrand Aquarium de Saint-MaloSaint-Malo · About 1 h 30The Grand Aquarium de Saint-Malo: 10 worlds, some 600 species and the Nautibus Expedition, for a self-guided visit of about 1 h 30.
Going further
The Brittany calendar
- Halloween 2026 in Brittany: what to do
- Route du Rhum 2026 in Saint-Malo: the guide
- What to do in Brittany in December 2026
- What to do in Brittany in January 2027
- Spring tides 2027 in Brittany: the dates
- Festivals in Brittany 2027: the calendar
- What to do in Brittany during the February 2027 holidays
- May bank holidays 2027 in Brittany: what to do
- Spring and Easter holidays 2027 in Brittany