Tunisia has a good festival calendar spread across the year, with the biggest events concentrated in summer when European tourists are around and the ancient amphitheatres come into their own.
Festival of Carthage (July-August) is the biggest cultural event in the country. International and Arab musicians, theatre companies and dance troupes perform in the ancient Roman amphitheatre near Tunis. The setting is spectacular and the programming genuinely eclectic.
International Jazz Festival of Tabarka (July) draws acts from across Africa and Europe to the northern coastal town of Tabarka. The festival has run since 1973 and retains a good reputation.
International Festival of Hammamet (July-August) brings music, theatre and dance to an open-air amphitheatre right on the sea in Hammamet. More accessible than Carthage for visitors staying on the coast.
La Ghriba Festival (May or early June, 33 days after the start of Passover) is a Jewish pilgrimage to the ancient El Ghriba synagogue on Jerba, drawing thousands of Jewish visitors from Tunisia's diaspora in France, Israel and elsewhere. It is one of the most striking events in the Tunisian calendar and open to non-Jewish visitors.
International Festival of the Sahara (December) takes place in Douz on the edge of the desert. Camel races, Saluki dog races, horse-riding displays, traditional music and poetry. A good reason to visit the south in winter.
Tozeur International Oasis Festival (December) celebrates desert culture with music, storytelling, camel and horse races. Combines well with the Sahara Festival if you're travelling the south in December.