From Bayonne's giant parade to board games in Parthenay and a Native American powwow near Saintes, our picks for July 18-19 in New Aquitaine.
The weekend of July 18-19 is packed in New Aquitaine. That's an unusual density for mid-July. Twelve outings are on offer, from the Basque Country to the Limousin.
In Bayonne, France's biggest popular festival wraps up five days of red-and-white revelry. In Parthenay, Europe's largest board-game festival also closes on Sunday.
Fancy something more unexpected? Our pick of the week goes to Dampierre-sur-Boutonne. A powwow there gathers Native Americans from Canada and Ecuador inside a Charente-Maritime château. It's about as far from a rock stage as it gets.
Fêtes de Bayonne (64): the big red-and-white finale on Sunday
From Wednesday July 15 to Sunday July 19, the Fêtes de Bayonne fill the Place de la Liberté and the whole town. More than a million revellers turn out, by organisers' count. It's France's biggest popular festival.
For five days and nights, the Basque capital dresses in red and white. Parades of giant figures, young-cow runs, bullfights, concerts and brass bands fill the streets.
Sunday the 19th marks the closing of the edition, the busiest moment of the week. An event of sheer scale, to experience in the thick of the crowd or from a nearby terrace. Perfect for anyone who loves collective intensity.
FLIP in Parthenay (79): Europe's biggest games festival closes its gates
Since July 8, the medieval town of Parthenay has turned into a giant open-air game board for FLIP – Festival Ludique International de Parthenay. Running since 1986, it draws more than 170,000 visitors over twelve days, for board games, video games, escape games, role-playing and strategy games.
The July 18-19 weekend is the last before Sunday evening's close. It concentrates most of the crowds in the streets and squares of the town centre.
Families, competitors and the curious mix freely, whatever their age. A one-of-a-kind gathering for game lovers in Europe, paired with a stroll through a well-preserved medieval town in the Deux-Sèvres.
Festival des Jeux du Théâtre de Sarlat (24): Périgord's oldest theatre festival opens Saturday
On Saturday July 18, on Place de la Liberté, the Festival des Jeux du Théâtre de Sarlat opens. It's France's second-oldest performing-arts festival, after Avignon's.
Founded in 1952, it stages classic and contemporary plays outdoors every summer until August 3. The setting: heritage sites across this medieval Périgord Noir town, drawing close to 7,000 spectators.
Opening night sets the tone for a programme mixing established troupes and young talent. The atmosphere is quite different from the big summer machines. A historic, demanding event for lovers of open-air live performance.
Lovely Brive Festival (19): the last two nights on the banks of the Corrèze
Through Sunday July 19, the Lovely Brive Festival fills the Parc des Trois Provinces in Brive-la-Gaillarde. Running since 2005, this pop, rock and electro event brings together French and international artists on the banks of the Corrèze river.
Every year it draws thousands of festival-goers from the South-West. The July 18-19 weekend covers the final two nights of the programme.
Headliners and new discoveries follow one another on the same open-air stage, in an unabashedly festive mood. It's one of the big musical dates of the Corrèze summer. Ideal for anyone after a human-scale festival with a heavyweight line-up.
Festival de Saintes — Abbaye aux Dames (17): a last night at the thousand-year-old abbey
Through Saturday July 18, the Festival de Saintes closes its programme at the Abbaye aux Dames. Founded in 1972, it is the major musical event of the Charente-Maritime summer.
More than 400 artists of all generations take part, across some thirty concerts of classical, baroque and contemporary music. The setting: a thousand-year-old Romanesque abbey.
Saturday's closing night gathers the last big moments of this edition. It's a demanding festival for classical-music lovers, pairing religious heritage with musical excellence. Far from the buzz of the big contemporary-music festivals.
Fête Médiévale de Lusignan (86): two days in the footsteps of the fairy Mélusine
On Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, the town of Lusignan — legendary birthplace of the fairy Mélusine — holds its Fête Médiévale. It takes place on the Promenade de Blossac and Place du Bail. The 2025 edition already drew thousands of visitors.
On offer: a medieval market of some thirty craftspeople, historical encampments, fire shows, sword fights, troubadours and minstrels. Rooted in a strong local legend, the event blends historical re-enactment with a family atmosphere.
A remarkable heritage setting for two days out of time, between myth and history, in the Vienne.
Fête Médiévale La Roche à Foucauld (16): more than 13,000 spectators expected
On Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, the Fête Médiévale de La Roche à Foucauld takes over the town centre, below the castle. The result: a full-scale medieval village. Created in 2011, it draws more than 13,000 spectators over two days.
On the bill: jousting shows, falconry displays, costumed parades, a medieval market and various activities. It's one of the best-attended events of its kind in the Charente. The event relies on the quality of its re-enactments and the scale of its staging.
An accessible medieval immersion for families, in a strong heritage setting near Angoulême.
Festival Dansons sur les Quais (33): Bordeaux's giant dance floor by the river
Through August 2, the Festival Dansons sur les Quais livens up the Placette de Munich, on Bordeaux's riverside quays facing the Esplanade des Quinconces. Running since 2004, this major dance event gathers thousands of dancers, amateurs and onlookers.
Their stage: a huge open-air wooden dance floor. The July 18-19 weekend falls partway through nearly three weeks of festivities.
Rock, salsa, tango and ballroom dancing: each evening has its own mood and its regulars. Fancy dancing, or just watching? This free, popular interlude in central Bordeaux works either way.
Pow Wow — Festival of Indigenous Cultures (17): a Charente château for cultures from afar
On Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, the Château de Dampierre-sur-Boutonne hosts its Pow Wow, a unique festival devoted to Native American cultures. About ten Native Americans from Canada and Ecuador share their culture through traditional dance, music, exchanges, craft and Tex-Mex food.
The setting of a Charente-Maritime château, unusual for this kind of event, adds to the sense of getting away. A family-friendly, cultural programme that breaks from contemporary-music stages and village fêtes.
For anyone after a genuinely different outing this weekend, this is it.
Festi'Belge (24): Belgian cinema drops into the Périgord Vert
On Saturday July 18, the Place des Droits de l'Homme in Nontron hosts Festi'Belge, a touring Belgian film festival. It also stops in Ribérac, Bourdeilles and Édon. Created in 2025, it screens Belgian feature films, shorts and documentaries, with director talks and exhibitions.
Around the films: brass bands and Belgian specialities — beer, fries, waffles. A brand-new, original event built around a theme rarely covered by regional film festivals.
A short but different evening for anyone curious about cinema from elsewhere, somewhere between a screening and a tasting.
Fête du Pâté aux Pommes de Terre (23): the Creuse speciality celebrated in Saint-Marc-à-Loubaud
On Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, the village of Saint-Marc-à-Loubaud celebrates its Fête du Pâté aux Pommes de Terre. It's the emblematic dish of Creuse cooking. Held for more than thirty years, on the weekend after Bastille Day, it's a proud local ritual.
On the menu: tastings of the famous pâté, a peeling contest, the "Foulées du Pâté" foot race and other activities. An unpretentious, traditional food fête celebrating a local speciality little known outside the Creuse.
An ideal outing for lovers of genuine country fêtes, far from the big stages and headline acts.
Festival Signé Nature (19): three days devoted to wildlife photography
From Friday July 17 to Sunday July 19, the village of Saint-Étienne-aux-Clos hosts the Festival Signé Nature, created in 2011 by the Silva association. Devoted to discovering and protecting wildlife, this is its specialty.
On site: exhibitions by wildlife photographers, screenings, talks, nature walks and a children's drawing contest. Fancy something more contemplative than festive? Three days for nature and image lovers, in a Corrèze village that has built a niche event.
A programme that breaks from music festivals or patron saint fêtes, somewhere between education and contemplation.
Worth a mention too
- The Nuits d'Été de Guéret (23) close their edition this Sunday July 19, with more than 15,000 spectators expected at free open-air concerts.
- The Toro de Fuego in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (64) returns on Sunday July 19, on Place Louis-XIV, for its summer pyrotechnic show.
- The Fêtes d'Ustaritz (64) bring the Basque Country to life from July 17 to 19, with dance, pelota and communal meals.
To see what's happening elsewhere in France this weekend, browse our full weekend agenda. Enjoy your outings in New Aquitaine.
