Ten New Aquitaine picks for the Ascension long weekend: biennial storytelling at Pougne-Hérisson, Bergerac jazz, kites on the Gironde estuary and photography in the Landes.
The largest region in mainland France, New Aquitaine refuses any single identity: vineyards in the Bergeracois, listed villages along the Atlantic coast, pine forests in the Landes and medieval cities in Gâtine. The Ascension long weekend lays this contrast bare — ten festivals across 84,000 km², with almost nothing in common except quality. Our pick this week: Le Nombril du Monde in Pougne-Hérisson, a Deux-Sèvres village that self-proclaims itself the symbolic centre of the world and becomes, every other year, France's actual storytelling capital.
Le Nombril du Monde, storytelling rooted in Pougne-Hérisson (Deux-Sèvres)
Since 1992, Le Nombril du Monde has turned a 200-strong hamlet into a forum for storytellers, musicians, visual artists and poets. The 2026 season opens on May 2 and unfolds until September in the Jardin des Histoires — a hybrid between scenographic walk and storytelling garden. Across the Ascension weekend, several free events let visitors discover the whimsical universe imagined by Yannick Jaulin: guided story tours of the garden, open-air storytelling nights and meetings with resident artists. Intimate format, family-friendly atmosphere. The event to recommend to anyone who thinks rural France is dull.
Festival du Vent in Talmont-sur-Gironde, the estuary in kites (Charente-Maritime)
From May 14 to 17, the Festival du Vent takes over Talmont-sur-Gironde, one of the official Most Beautiful Villages of France. Four days of kite demonstrations from around the world, walks through narrow streets dotted with wind-animated artworks, kids' workshops, a visit to the small kite museum and concerts on the Gironde estuary. Free format, family-calibrated, in an exceptional heritage setting: the Romanesque Sainte-Radegonde church looms above the cliffs while sails dance over the rooftops. Hard to imagine a more postcard-perfect picture — and that's exactly what makes it memorable.
Festival Jazz Pourpre in Bergerac (Dordogne)
Founded in 2004, the Festival Jazz Pourpre opens ten days of programming across the Bergeracois from May 15 to 24. The identity of this festival run by the Jazz Pourpre association: a broad aesthetic mix (traditional jazz, modern, Latin, blues, soul, funk) and a genuine commitment to reaching audiences who don't normally frequent jazz clubs. The final weekend, on Bergerac's Place Gambetta, sums up the spirit: two parallel stages, an open-air guinguette, a gourmet market and a partner village. Pair with a tasting day along the Bergerac wine route, just minutes from the city centre.
Tèrra, immersive trail between prehistoric frieze and medieval fortress in Angles-sur-l'Anglin (Vienne)
Tèrra is a rare proposal: an ephemeral scenographic experience that connects two heritage sites in southern Vienne. On one side, the Roc-aux-Sorciers interpretation centre, dubbed the « Lascaux of sculpture » for its 15,000-year-old prehistoric frieze; on the other, the medieval fortress overlooking the village of Angles-sur-l'Anglin — another Most Beautiful Village of France. In between, a night-time sound-and-light trail that telescopes eras. The event runs from April to late May, perfect to combine with a walk along the banks of the Anglin. Booking advised — evening slots fill up fast.
Une dune à la page, literary festival on Contis beach (Landes)
On the Landes coast, Une dune à la page takes over the seaside village of Contis every Ascension weekend, nestled between dunes and pine forest. May 14-17: meetings with around twenty authors, panel discussions, signings, writing workshops and a particularly strong youth strand (kamishibai, illustration, musical readings). Organisers keep almost the whole programme free, and the setting is the antidote to the literary glitterati: marquees ten minutes from the beach, sandals, you leave with a pile of books and three new authors to follow.
Festival Ah?, ten days of street arts in Parthenay (Deux-Sèvres)
Founded in 2003, Festival Ah? runs until May 18, animating the medieval city of Parthenay and surrounding villages of the Gâtine. Circus, street theatre, adult puppetry, music, brass bands and roving performances: programming sits among the most demanding on the national street-arts circuit, with a real commitment to touring in rural areas. Across the Ascension weekend, free shows pop up in central Parthenay, around the ramparts and the porte Saint-Jacques. Also a chance to discover a beautifully preserved medieval city, too often skipped by mainstream itineraries.
Food Trucks Festival 86 in Buxerolles, nomadic gastronomy at Poitiers's doorstep (Vienne)
From May 13 to 17, Food Trucks Festival 86 claims the title of France's biggest food truck gathering and third largest in the world, behind New York and Brussels. Over a hundred kitchen-on-wheels deploy at the Parc des Bizais in Buxerolles, just north of Poitiers: world cuisine, street food, desserts, craft beers. Free entry, forty concerts across two stages, kids' activities and a Ferris wheel — a hybrid format between food festival and modern funfair that pulls visitors from well beyond the region. Ideal for a family outing or an improvised dinner under the trees.
Saint-Sever Photo Cité, photo festival at the Couvent des Jacobins (Landes)
From May 12 to 17, Saint-Sever Photo Cité takes over the Couvent des Jacobins and several locations across this former abbey town of the Cap de Gascogne. This year: exhibitions by French and international photographers, talks and signings, cyanotype workshops, a vintage photo-and-cinema fair, and the truly distinctive « Les Chambres à la Rue » — hotel rooms turned into pop-up galleries, each entrusted to a different photographer. One of the most inventive photo festivals in south-west France, run by the Amis du Cap de Gascogne association with a sharp sense of place.
Strawberry and Flower Festival in Vergt (Dordogne)
On May 17, Vergt — self-proclaimed capital of the Périgord strawberry — has been celebrating its emblematic fruit since 1992. The Fête de la Fraise et des Fleurs features a farmers' market, a flower market, tastings, folkloric performances and Sunday's centrepiece: a public-baked 200-kilo giant strawberry tart, shared free with visitors. The Vergt strawberry has held a Protected Geographical Indication since 2004 — a real chance to taste it on home turf, 15 minutes from Périgueux. Free format, village atmosphere, peripheral parking advised.
Festival Musiques au Pays de Pierre Loti in Rochefort (Charente-Maritime)
The Festival Musiques au Pays de Pierre Loti wraps its 2026 edition from May 9 to 16 in Rochefort and the Marennes-Oléron area. A singular event, born more than twenty years ago, that crosses classical music with literature drawn from the writings and travels of the Rochefort-born author. Concerts, musical readings, talks and guided walks through the places that marked Pierre Loti (his house, currently under restoration, the Corderie Royale, the Rochefort quays). Demanding but accessible programming — ideal for a cultural day at the tail end of the long weekend, before heading to the island of Oléron.
Also worth a look this weekend in New Aquitaine
- The Veyracomusies in Veyrac (Haute-Vienne), a popular French chanson and world music festival, celebrate their 38th edition from May 13 to 16, twenty minutes from Limoges.
- Muralis in Dax (Landes) deploys its monumental frescoes from April to December — a free walking trail through the city centre.
For more regional weekend picks, head to our national agenda. Enjoy the Ascension long weekend.
