Holidays aside, some big festivals add spice to the region, the largest of all being Carnival , which runs yearly from January to Ash Wednesday in both Guadeloupe and Martinique, with dancing and music performances culminating in the election of the year's beauty queen. The Christmas season dovetails with the bi-annual Jazz Fest in Martinique, a weeklong music festival in Fort-de-France at the beginning of December showcasing acts from France and former French colonies. The only other notable event is a spiritual one, La Toussaint (All Souls Day), when red votive candles are lit throughout the cemeteries.

The major annual event in St Barts is its own celebration on August 24, complete with watersports and music. Earlier in the year, the Cinéma Caraïbes film festival in late April showcases Caribbean films over five days, and a two-week international music festival takes place in January, which includes ballet and other dance performances.