From 13 to 15 November 2026, Beaune revolves around wine – but you do not need a bidding paddle to visit. The Hospices wine auction is reserved for professionals; alongside it, the Festivinales brings a market, tastings and music to the town centre. The wine weekend can therefore also be planned as an encounter with Burgundian craftsmanship and the town’s history.
A festival square in the heart of Beaune
Beaune’s tourist information office places the festival on Place Carnot. For the three days, 35 arts, crafts and food stalls have been announced there, alongside wine tastings, local produce and demonstrations of stonemasonry, glass art, woodcraft and painting. Concerts and musical entertainment are also planned in other parts of the town centre. According to the event listing, the square is open from 12.30pm to 9.30pm on Friday 13 November, from 10am to 9pm on Saturday and from 10am to 7pm on Sunday.
The programme offers an accessible introduction to the region: visitors can sample produce, watch craftspeople working with different materials and ask questions about provenance and production. For specific tastings and any bookings that may be required, it is worth checking the organisers’ latest information; not every tasting is automatically included in the festival programme.
The auction remains a separate event
The weekend’s headline event is the Vente des Vins of the Hospices Civils de Beaune. It forms the centrepiece of the festivities, but takes place as an auction for professionals. The public Festivinales is distinct from it: it offers its own visitor programme and is not a ticket to the auction room.
The connection between wine and the town’s history goes back a long way. In 1443, Nicolas Rolin and Guigone de Salins founded the Hôtel-Dieu as a hospital and charitable institution. Over the centuries, donations also built up the Hospices’ vineyard holdings. Visitors who venture beyond the festival square will thus find another way into Beaune: the Hôtel-Dieu tells a story of care and charitable endowments, while the wine auction continues to demonstrate the importance of the vineyards to the institution. The Hôtel-Dieu’s opening hours during the festivities should be checked separately.
Car-free via Dijon
Beaune is accessible by train, with direct TER services from Dijon. This connection is an obvious option for a car-free visit, but timetables for the weekend of 13 to 15 November may differ from regular weekday services. Check outward and return departures for your specific travel date. The organisers expect many visitors from France and abroad; anyone wishing to stay overnight should anticipate high demand and look for accommodation well in advance.
Beaune is particularly rewarding this weekend for travellers who want to discover wine not only in the glass, but also through its origins, craftsmanship and history. The Festivinales promises a public setting for this in the town centre – with the clear proviso that the auction itself remains an event for professionals.
Original reviewed by the editors · 11 November 2026
