From the Cape et Épée sword-fighting festival in Richelieu to the medieval reenactment in Dreux, twelve outings across the Centre-Loire Valley on July 18-19.
This weekend of July 18-19, the Centre-Loire Valley trades its usual Renaissance backdrop for something else entirely: duels and horses. In Richelieu, the Three Musketeers are back in action for two days of costumed swordplay. In Dreux, knights and crossbowmen camp out at the foot of the Royal Chapel. And in Lamotte-Beuvron, thousands of riders fill 400 hectares for France's largest equestrian gathering.
Our pick of the weekend is the Cape et Épée Festival in Richelieu, where nearly 70 fencers turn the whole town into a live stage, a rare event worth the detour even if you've never held a rapier. Between these three headline dates, eight more outings round out the weekend, from free jazz to an antiquarian book fair. Here is our selection of twelve events across the Centre-Loire Valley this July 18-19.
Cape et Épée Festival in Richelieu (37): duels and Musketeers in a 17th-century ideal city
Our headliner this weekend. On July 18 and 19, the Cape et Épée Festival turns downtown Richelieu into a living 17th-century stage. The town designed by Cardinal Richelieu hums to the rhythm of the Three Musketeers: nearly 70 fencers perform duels and skits, both on stage and roaming the streets. Hundreds of costumed extras parade alongside musicians, dancers, actors and street performers. The setting, an entire town built in one go in the 17th century, gives the reenactment a coherence few other events can match. A free, family-friendly event for anyone who loves large-scale costumed spectacle, best enjoyed by wandering from square to square all weekend long.
Au Fil des Siècles in Dreux (28): knights and jousting at the Royal Domain
In Dreux, the Au Fil des Siècles festival offers a historical immersion at the Royal Domain on July 18 and 19. Across three hectares in the Royal Chapel park, reenactment companies set up encampments, combat arenas and period craft workshops. Knights in armour, jousting tournaments, archery, coin-minting and medieval music carry visitors of all ages across the centuries. Unlike classic single-theme medieval fairs, the event sweeps through several eras at once on the same site, making it a dense outing for a single day. Set aside half a day to see it all, between the workshops and the live demonstrations.
Generali Open de France in Lamotte-Beuvron (41): France's largest equestrian gathering
The Generali Open de France continues through July 26 at the Parc Équestre Fédéral in Lamotte-Beuvron, in the Sologne. Organised by the French Equestrian Federation, it is the country's largest equestrian gathering. Across 400 hectares, the site hosts the French Pony championships followed by the Club championships, bringing together thousands of riders from all over France and overseas. More than twenty disciplines are represented, from dressage to show jumping. Access remains free for the public, who can wander freely between the arenas. An ideal family outing to discover the world of horses without knowing a single competition rule.
Medieval Festival of Culan (18): the hilltop castle comes alive all summer
The Medieval Festival of Culan opens its season on July 18 and runs through August 31 at the Château de Culan, a 12th-15th century fortress with rare timber hoardings. Every weekend, medieval entertainment, historical reenactments, guided tours and torchlit night visits reveal the heritage and history of Berry. The rarity of these wooden hoardings, unmatched in France on a castle of this scale, sets Culan apart from other fortresses in the region. For this opening weekend, favour the torchlit night visit, more atmospheric than the daytime tour.
Chartres International Organ Festival (28): a Sunday concert inside the UNESCO cathedral
The Chartres International Organ Festival holds its Sunday concert on July 19 inside the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Founded in 1975 by the Association des Grandes Orgues de Chartres, the event showcases the great Danion-Gonzalez organ within the exceptional acoustics of the Gothic building. The festival runs through August 20 with Sunday concerts and summer evening performances. For classical music lovers, it's hard to find a more striking setting for a Sunday afternoon than this Gothic nave. Admission remains open to all audiences.
Nocturnes Théâtrales at Clos Lucé in Amboise (37): closing weekend at Leonardo da Vinci's home
The Nocturnes Théâtrales at Clos Lucé wrap up their run on July 18, at Leonardo da Vinci's final home in Amboise. For over twenty years, this event has invited professional companies to take over the château's Renaissance gardens for open-air night performances. The setting, a château where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last three years, lends the shows a rare sense of place. This is the last chance of the season to catch a performance in this backdrop: head to Amboise before the weekend ends to catch the closing shows.
Foire de Lamotte-Beuvron (41): flea market, dance hall and pétanque for Saint Anne's Day
The Foire de Lamotte-Beuvron takes place on July 18 and 19 by the Bassin du Canal, tied to the Fête de la Sainte-Anne. Run by the local festivities committee, it brings together flea-market traders, travelling vendors and funfair stalls in a traditional fairground atmosphere. The weekend includes a giant flea market with over 150 exhibitors, a Friday-night dance hall, a Saturday pétanque tournament and various community events. It's the weekend's go-to spot for bargain hunters in the Sologne, just a few kilometres from the Parc Équestre Fédéral hosting the Generali Open de France: two very different atmospheres to combine in a single day.
Jazz en Val de Cher in Saint-Aignan (41): ten days of jazz between two riverbanks
Founded in 2001, Jazz en Val de Cher kicks off on July 18 for ten days between Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher and Mareuil-sur-Cher, in southern Loir-et-Cher. Run by the Compagnie Jazz, the festival builds its programme around three pillars: concerts, music workshops and community events. With twenty-five editions behind it, the event has built a loyal following rare for a festival of its size. The combination of stage and teaching, workshops open to the public alongside the concerts, remains uncommon on the regional jazz scene. Worth following over the full ten days rather than a single evening.
Ô les Beaux Jours Festival in La Riche (37): closing weekend at Château du Plessis
The Ô les Beaux Jours Festival closes its run on July 19 at Château du Plessis and its grounds, in La Riche, on the edge of Tours. Run by the Le Plessis community hub, the event has spent three weeks offering an eclectic open-air programme of concerts, theatre, dance, open-air cinema, creative workshops and flamenco. For this closing weekend, the venue's grassroots, community-hub atmosphere, looser and more improvised than a standard festival, makes for a relaxed family outing before the curtain falls.
Antiquarian Book Fair of Saint-Gaultier (36): rare books and collectables on a Sunday
The Antiquarian Book Fair of Saint-Gaultier takes place on Sunday July 19 at the village hall in Saint-Gaultier, in the Indre. The fair brings together antiquarian booksellers offering rare books, posters, stamps, postcards, vinyl records and audio cassettes. Visitors can also meet local authors. In a region where Sunday outings usually mean food markets, this specialist fair carves out its own niche for paper and collectable lovers. A short outing, easy to combine with a drive through southern Indre.
Jazz'neuil in Chasseneuil (36): free jazz and fireworks for one night only
Jazz'neuil brings music to Chasseneuil, in southern Indre, on Saturday July 18. Run by the town council, this free jazz festival offers an evening of open-air concerts blending jazz, latin jazz and swing, followed by a fireworks display paid for by the municipality. With food and drink on site, the event bets on closeness and simplicity rather than big names. It's our pick of the weekend for anyone after an authentic village evening, no booking or ticket required, sandwiched between two bigger dates like Culan and Richelieu.
Festival Autrement Classique in Briare (45): classical music travels along the Pont-Canal
Founded in 2017, the Festival Autrement Classique opens its edition on July 18 in Briare-le-Canal, under the artistic direction of Patrick Langot and Jean Manifacier. This touring festival occupies remarkable heritage sites of the Giennois area through July 23: the famous Pont-Canal de Briare, churches, presbytery gardens, locks and the banks of the Loire. Its originality lies in the journey itself, each concert changes setting, rather than a single fixed stage. An unusual way to discover the Loiret's river heritage through classical music, far from concert halls.
Between costumed duels, competition horses and dance-hall nights, the Centre-Loire Valley has no shortage of options this weekend. For more ideas across France, head to our full weekend agenda.
