From Mulhouse's giant funfair to the last days of a rebuilt 19th-century village near Verdun, here are our twelve picks in the Grand Est this weekend of July 25-26, 2026.
This weekend of July 25-26, the Grand Est trades summer calm for funfair rides, blazing lights and a last few open-air guinguettes. In Mulhouse, one of France's biggest funfairs sets up two hundred rides for three weeks. In Verdun, an outsized light-and-sound show replays a century-old siege every night.
Our pick of the week goes to the Meuse. In Azannes-et-Soumazannes, four hundred volunteers close out, this Sunday, the season of a rebuilt Lorraine village, where eighty forgotten trades come back to life one last time. Between big popular fêtes and small rural heritage, here are twelve outings across the Grand Est's ten départements.
Mulhouse Fair Kermesse (68): two hundred rides for three weeks
From Saturday July 25 through August 16, the Parc des Expositions in Mulhouse hosts the Mulhouse Fair Kermesse. Running since the 1880s, it ranks among France's five biggest funfairs and the largest in Alsace.
Close to two hundred rides and food stalls line up over three weeks of festivities, from towering roller coasters to carousels for younger visitors. A family-friendly, popular opener built for summer crowds. Best visited in the evening, once the rides light up the whole fairground.
Des Flammes à la Lumière in Verdun (55): Europe's biggest WWI light show
Every evening through August 1, the Carrières d'Haudainville in Verdun stage Des Flammes à la Lumière, launched in 1996 and billed as Europe's biggest light-and-sound show devoted to the First World War.
Three hundred volunteer actors, nine hundred costumes and thirteen hundred projectors build a sixty-scene fresco, tracing French and German soldiers and civilians from the Belle Époque through the Armistice to reconciliation. A dense evening, built to cover a century of local history in one show.
Fêtes de Sainte-Anne in Rethel (08): ten days of funfair and dance halls
From Saturday July 25, the Promenade des Isles in Rethel turns into an open-air amusement park for the Fêtes de Sainte-Anne, billed as the town's biggest festive event.
For ten days through August 2, thrill rides, concerts, dance halls, decorated parade floats and fireworks fill the Ardennes calendar. A broad, packed lineup built for families and night owls alike. A strong way to kick off summer in the Ardennes.
Troyes en Scènes (10): the whole town turns into a stage
Through August 2, downtown Troyes keeps running Troyes en Scènes, the city's summer cultural rendezvous launched in late June. Streets, squares, churches and heritage buildings host more than sixty free shows.
Five hundred artists take turns across a multidisciplinary lineup blending live music, theatre and street arts. This weekend falls squarely mid-festival, a good moment to catch several shows in one evening among the half-timbered lanes of the old town. An easy way to see Troyes from a different angle.
Guinguettes at the Château de Lunéville (54): a ball at Lorraine's "little Versailles"
Saturday July 25, the Grande Terrasse of the Château de Lunéville hosts La Guinguette d'Élisabeth, a season of summer evenings at this castle nicknamed Lorraine's "little Versailles".
World and current music, family shows, DJ sets, a bar and food stalls make up an evening built for all ages, on a listed terrace few regional guinguettes can match. A simple, popular event that leans entirely on its setting.
Mittelbergheim Wine Fête (67): tastings in one of France's prettiest villages
Saturday July 25 and Sunday July 26, the Rue Principale in Mittelbergheim hosts its Wine Fête, in a village ranked among the Plus Beaux Villages de France.
Winegrowers set up tables and benches to pour Sylvaner, Riesling and the Zotzenberg Grand Cru. Tarte flambée, grilled sausages and local pastries round out the fête. A short, food-driven outing for anyone pairing wine heritage with village life, without leaving Alsace's wine country.
Bergheim Gewurztraminer Festival (68): a ball and tastings in a walled town
Saturday July 25 and Sunday July 26, the walled medieval town of Bergheim celebrates the Gewurztraminer grape, a variety tied to the region for generations, on the Place du Docteur Pierre Walter.
A guinguette-style ball on Saturday night, local wine tastings on Sunday, and a parade of floats and Alsatian folk groups fill the streets. An outing for fans of aromatic white wine and village traditions still very much alive.
Bitche Summer Fête (57): two free days in a fortified town
Saturday July 25 and Sunday July 26, the Place de la Légion d'Honneur and the Stadtweiher park in Bitche host the Bitche Summer Fête, a big free event for the whole Pays de Bitche.
Concerts, street performances, themed activities, parades and a closing fireworks display fill these two days in the small fortified town. A cheerful, generation-spanning fête, set against heritage fortifications from the region's military past.
Le Pied Orange Festival (88): rock and electro in the Vosges
From Friday July 24 through Sunday July 26, the historic Chez Narcisse site in Le Val-d'Ajol hosts the Pied Orange Festival, run since 2018 by the Rock Live association.
Three stages, two of them free to access, draw close to six thousand visitors for world music, alternative rock and electro. Three days of programming in a natural Vosges setting, for anyone after a mid-sized festival, away from the region's bigger funfair crowds this weekend.
Les Vieux Métiers d'Azannes (55): a last weekend in a 19th-century village
Sunday July 26, the Domaine des Roises in Azannes-et-Soumazannes closes its 2026 edition of Les Vieux Métiers d'Azannes, twenty minutes from Verdun.
Founded in 1985 by the GEVO association, the event brings a 19th-century Lorraine village back to life: blacksmith, clog maker, lace maker, baker, oil presser, tile maker, washerwoman. More than four hundred volunteers run over eighty traditional trades across seventeen hectares of plain and forest. A final day for anyone who hasn't yet seen this village come alive.
Argonne Chamber Music Festival in Sainte-Ménehould (51): concerts in historic churches
This weekend, the Argonne Chamber Music Festival continues its tour of historic churches between the Marne and the Meuse, with a concert at the Église du Château in Sainte-Ménehould. The festival brings together twelve young musicians from four continents.
Soloists from world-renowned orchestras and winners of prestigious competitions, they perform eight concerts through August 2. A demanding pick for anyone who prefers chamber music to big open-air stages, inside heritage buildings usually closed to the public the rest of the year.
Underground Mountain Festival in Haguenau (67): electro and ecology in the forest
From Friday July 24 through Sunday July 26, the shores of the Étang du Nonnenhof in Haguenau host the Underground Mountain Festival, born in 2019 at the edge of the Haguenau forest.
DJ sets, live concerts, brunches and DIY workshops run through this preserved natural setting, certified level 3 for eco-responsibility. A small-scale electronic music festival for a crowd after both a good party and environmental consistency in the venue.
From Mulhouse's fairground to the old trades of Azannes, by way of the wine villages of Mittelbergheim and Bergheim, this July 25-26 weekend shows off the Grand Est's range: big popular fêtes, living heritage and niche stages share the region's ten départements.
To explore other regions this weekend, head to our full weekend agenda. Enjoy the weekend of July 25-26 in the Grand Est!
