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The Carpentras Christmas festival, known as the Noëls insolites, drew 132,600 visitors in 2024, according to town figures reported by the local press. Attendance had reached 159,800 in 2023. Above all, the town measured where visitors came from and which streets benefited. It is therefore a useful case study for local councils that want to assess their own festive events.
Carpentras is a market town in the Vaucluse department of Provence, at the foot of Mont Ventoux. Every winter, it stages the Noëls insolites (literally « unusual Christmases »), a festival of street arts and shows. The 2024 results were published in February 2025 by the local paper L’Écho du mardi, based on data from the town hall. So far, we have not found an official report on the 2025 edition.
How many visitors came to the Carpentras Christmas festival?
The figures show steady growth over several years, followed by a dip in 2024.
- 2021: 114,000 visitors;
- 2022: 130,300 visitors;
- 2023: 159,800 visitors;
- 2024: 132,600 visitors.
The 2024 fall is therefore relative. Attendance remained above the 2022 level. Moreover, for a medium-sized town, this is a large audience over a month of festivities.
Where did visitors come from?
The town also measured where its audience came from. This is the most useful part of the report, because few events publish such data. Avignon was the largest source of outside visitors, with 35,700 people in 2024. By comparison, the figure was 29,200 in 2023 and 20,100 in 2022.
Orange accounted for 7,400 visitors in 2024, compared with 8,800 the year before. L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue brought around 13,400 visitors, according to the article. In other words, the event reaches well beyond the town itself.
Lessons for local councils
Knowing where visitors come from helps target advertising and transport. For example, a town can step up promotion in the neighbouring towns that send the most visitors. Similarly, it can arrange shuttle buses with its intercommunal authority, the grouping of neighbouring councils found across France. For another case study, see our report on the Valence Christmas village figures.
For councils elsewhere in France or abroad, the method matters as much as the result. Measuring visitor numbers, then comparing street footfall with an ordinary period, gives a clear picture of an event’s reach. Such data also helps when a town negotiates sponsorship or applies for regional funding. In addition, sharing the figures publicly, as Carpentras did, allows residents and traders to judge the value of the festival for themselves.
What effect did the festival have on town-centre trade?
The town compared footfall in its streets during the event and outside it. The increases are clear:
- Place Maurice-Charretier: +117%;
- Rue de la République: +59%;
- Place Charles-de-Gaulle: +50%;
- Rue d’Inguimbert: +30%.
These footfall measurements are valuable for shopkeepers, as they show which streets gain from the festival. However, the article gives neither the event’s budget nor shop takings. Those figures would need to be confirmed with the town hall.
Ice rink and shows: how busy were they?
The ice rink recorded 6,824 admissions in 2024, up from 5,597 the year before. Children under 1.30m skated for free. Indoor shows also did well. Several performances sold out, while the others were between 65.5% and 99.5% full.
The Carpentras Christmas festival in 2026
The 2026 programme is not yet detailed on the town and tourist office websites we consulted, although their event listings already include a dedicated category. Visitors should therefore follow the festival’s official website, noelsinsolites.fr, and the town’s events page.
The Ventoux-Provence intercommunal tourist office welcomes visitors at 374 Avenue Jean-Jaurès in Carpentras. To extend a festive trip in the Vaucluse, see our guide to Christmas in Avignon 2026.
Carpentras Christmas festival: key takeaways
- The 2024 edition drew 132,600 visitors, compared with 159,800 in 2023.
- Avignon was the largest source of outside visitors, with 35,700 people in 2024.
- Footfall more than doubled in some streets during the event.
- The ice rink recorded 6,824 admissions.
- The budget and economic impact are not published in the report consulted.
Sources: L’Écho du mardi, “Carpentras: le bon bilan des Noëls insolites”, 18 February 2025, based on figures from the town of Carpentras; Carpentras events page; Ventoux-Provence tourist office. Featured photo: Mateusz Suski / Unsplash.
