May Public Holidays in France and Belgium: What Every Producer Needs to Know
Spring in France and Belgium looks beautiful on a moodboard. On a production schedule, not so much.
May is one of the most holiday-dense months of the year in both countries, with four public holidays falling in quick succession. For producers working across French and Belgian territory, that compression has real consequences : on payroll, on scheduling, on crew availability, and on the dozens of suppliers and services your production depends on every day.
Here's what you need to know to plan properly.
The May Holiday Calendar at a Glance
Four public holidays fall within roughly four weeks:
1 May = Fête du Travail (Labour Day) - France and Belgium
8 May = Victory in Europe Day - France only
14 May = Ascension - France and Belgium
25 May = Pentecôte / Whit Monday - France and Belgium
That's a significant amount of calendar pressure concentrated into a single month, and it shapes everything that follows.
Payroll: Budget for the Holiday Effect
France
Among French public holidays, 1 May occupies a unique legal position. It is the only holiday with a specific statutory rule requiring that employees who work that day be paid at double their normal rate for the hours worked.
For all other public holidays, compensation rules depend on the applicable collective agreement (convention collective), company practice, and the specific production setup. In film and audiovisual production, public holiday work is typically governed by the relevant industry agreement, which may provide for additional pay, compensatory rest, or both.
Belgium
In Belgium, public holiday work falls under a combination of statutory rules and sectoral or company-level arrangements. Additional compensation may apply, and the exact entitlement depends on the contract, the sector, and the production framework in place.
The bottom line: if your crew works on a holiday, budget accordingly. A day that rescues the schedule can still carry a meaningful payroll impact, and that cost belongs in the budget from the outset.
Scheduling: The Accordion Effect
Public holidays compress the production week in ways that ripple outward through your entire ecosystem.
Rental houses may close or operate with reduced staff. Municipal services and permit offices may be unavailable. Catering, transport, and post-production partners may all be working on reduced schedules.
Plan for the accordion effect: one lost day rarely costs only one day. It shifts call times, stretches the weeks on either side of the holiday, and can push work into weekends - which bring their own overtime and premium pay considerations.
Crew Availability and Collective Agreements
Not every department reacts to public holidays in the same way. Different roles may be covered by different collective agreements, and public holiday provisions vary depending on role, contract type, and country.
There's also a cultural dimension that doesn't appear in any legal text. Some crew members simply will not want to work on certain holidays, particularly 1 May, which carries strong symbolic weight in France as a workers' rights commemoration. Asking a crew to work that day is possible, but expect the conversation to be different from asking them to work an ordinary Friday.
Brief your department heads early.
A Producer's Checklist for the May Period
Before locking your schedule for any production crossing the May period:
Identify all applicable public holidays at the start of prep
Check the relevant collective agreement (= convention collective) for pay and rest provisions
Build contingency days into the schedule, not just at the end
Confirm availability with rental suppliers, permit offices, and key vendors in advance
Brief department heads early so no one is caught off guard
Budget realistically for holiday premiums and potential overtime knock-on effects
The Takeaway
May in France and Belgium rewards producers who plan ahead.
Know your public holidays, budget for them properly, and plan around them rather than through them.
Need help navigating production logistics in France and Belgium? That's what we do.
Get in touch : virgile@fabfixers.com