From the flamenco of Mont-de-Marsan to the auteur cinema of La Rochelle, by way of the Bonaguil medieval fair, twelve outings for the July 4-5 weekend in New Aquitaine.
The first weekend of July marks a turning point in New Aquitaine: while several big late-June events close on Saturday the 4th, village fêtes and open-air festivals settle in for the whole summer. Our pick of the week goes to the Festival Internacional Arte Flamenco in Mont-de-Marsan, the largest flamenco gathering outside Spain, living its final night on Saturday. But between La Rochelle's auteur cinema, the mime arts in Périgueux and a night of stargazing on the Millevaches plateau, the choice is wide. Here are twelve outings, from the Landes coast to the Limousin, for July 4 and 5.
Festival Internacional Arte Flamenco in Mont-de-Marsan (40): final night on Saturday
Begun on June 30, the Festival Internacional Arte Flamenco lives its final night on Saturday July 4, on Place Charles-de-Gaulle. Created in 1989 by the Landes department at Henri Emmanuelli's initiative, it is the largest flamenco festival held outside Spain's borders. Each early summer, the greatest artists of cante, baile and flamenco guitar perform in the Landes capital, which turns for a few days into the capital of flamenco. The closing concentrates highlights not to be missed for aficionados and for the curious discovering this Andalusian art. One last great rendezvous with flamenco culture, to savour on its very last evening.
La Rochelle International Film Festival (17): final screening on the Old Port
Launched on June 26, the La Rochelle International Film Festival (FEMA) closes its screens on Saturday July 4, on Quai Georges-Simenon. A fixture for film lovers for more than fifty years, FEMA shines a light on auteur cinema, retrospectives devoted to great directors and discoveries from around the world. The final day is the chance to catch one last film before the close, between dark theatres and open-air screenings. And between two films, the Old Port quays offer a welcome maritime break. A programme both demanding and accessible, closing in fine style some ten days of discoveries for a passionate crowd.
Festival MIMOS in Périgueux (24): mime arts take over the town
Until Saturday July 4, the Festival MIMOS takes over the streets, public gardens and theatres of Périgueux, around Place Francheville. Created in 1983 by Ginette and Paul Tellier, it is one of the largest mime and gesture festivals in Europe. Over five days, it celebrates the diversity of movement arts: mime, gestural theatre, dance, circus, puppetry and performance. The closing day is the ideal moment to enjoy a programme largely lived outdoors, at passers-by level. A singular festival where the body and silence tell as much as words, to discover while wandering through town.
Cognac Blues Passions (16): the blues to close the week
Started on July 1, Cognac Blues Passions plays its final card on Saturday July 4, around Boulevard Denfert-Rochereau. Created in 1994, it is one of the biggest blues and African-American music festivals in France. The Jardin Public in Cognac and the Île Madame in Jarnac welcome each early July tens of thousands of festival-goers come to thrill to blues, rock, soul, funk and world music. With more than thirty editions behind it, the festival has become a major fixture of the Charente summer. The closing night is the chance for one last big concert before leaving the riverbanks.
La Félibrée in the Périgord (24): the largest Occitan festival in the Dordogne
From Friday July 3 to Sunday July 5, the Félibrée unfolds its festivities, true to its first-July-weekend rhythm. Organised for more than a century by the Lo Bornat dau Perigòrd association, it is the largest Occitan culture festival in the Dordogne. Each year a different Périgord town is chosen to host three days of parades in traditional costume, Occitan music and dance, demonstrations of old crafts, balls and shared moments. All weekend, the region's language and traditions take centre stage in a popular, easy-going atmosphere. A living heritage event, ideal for getting a taste of Périgord identity.
Festival National de Bellac (87): France's second-oldest festival
Open since July 1, the Festival National de Bellac ends on Saturday July 4 at the Théâtre du Cloître. Founded in 1954 in tribute to Jean Giraudoux, the illustrious son of Bellac, it is the second-oldest performing-arts festival in France after Avignon. Now the "Festival des Émancipations", it offers four intense days of theatre, music, dance, circus and debate, in a warm and committed atmosphere deep in the Haute-Vienne. The closing day is the chance to grasp the spirit of a historic festival that has stayed curious and demanding. A date for those who like to mix live performance with reflection, far from the big machines.
Les 24H du Swing in Monségur (33): jazz and dancing under the lime trees
From Friday July 3 to Sunday July 5, Les 24H du Swing turn Monségur, a medieval bastide in south-east Gironde, into a village of swing. Created in 1990 by the Office Monségurais de la Culture et des Loisirs, this jazz and swing-dance festival takes over the village centre for three days: concerts under the market hall, open-air balls under the lime trees and brass bands strolling the streets. The convivial, dancing atmosphere appeals as much to fans of gypsy jazz as to the curious coming to try the lindy hop. A warm event where music lives outdoors, in the preserved setting of a bastide. Perfect for a lively, good-natured weekend.
Les Médiévales de Bonaguil (Fumel, 47): a 15th-century castle turns back time
On Saturday July 4 and Sunday July 5, the Médiévales de Bonaguil turn the majestic Bonaguil castle, in Fumel, into a full-scale medieval village. Within this masterpiece of 15th-century military architecture, craftspeople, troubadours, knights and performance companies bring the Middle Ages back to life for a weekend. The night-time show in the castle moat, blending sketches, music, combat and choreography, is the great moment of these two days. Families and history lovers find a spectacular setting to step back into another era. An outing pairing heritage and live performance, in one of the finest fortified castles of the Lot-et-Garonne.
Salon du Livre de Soorts-Hossegor (40): literature facing the ocean
From Friday July 3 to Sunday July 5, the Salon du Livre de Soorts-Hossegor brings authors and readers together on Avenue de Paris. Founded in 1999, this major South-West literary event carries on the literary tradition of Hossegor. Each summer it gathers renowned authors for talks, round tables, signings and exhibitions. The Biography Prize and the Short Story Prize reward the best works selected by a jury of readers. Free and open to all, the fair offers a weekend of encounters a stone's throw from the beach. A date for book lovers who want to combine editorial discoveries with the gentleness of the Landes coast. To slip in between a swim and a stroll.
L'Astrofête de Millevaches in Meymac (19): two days with your head in the stars
On Friday July 3 and Saturday July 4, the Astrofête du Plateau de Millevaches takes over Meymac, in the Haute-Corrèze. Run by the Club d'Astronomie de Haute-Corrèze, this science festival devoted to astronomy offers two days of solar and night-time observation, talks by astrophysicists from the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, exhibitions and playful activities. Saturday night, on a plateau renowned for the quality of its sky, is the prime moment to discover the stars alongside enthusiasts. An original outing, both educational and contemplative, that breaks from the concerts and village fêtes. Ideal with the family to spark the curiosity of young and old under the Limousin sky.
Crocq en Fête (23): the great popular festival of the Creuse
From Friday July 3 to Sunday July 5, the medieval town of Crocq lives its great annual fête. The second-largest communal festival in the Creuse after the Trinité de Guéret fête, Crocq en Fête welcomes each early July around 10,000 visitors for a weekend of festivities. On the programme: concerts, a ball, a torchlight procession, a parade of flower-decked floats, fireworks, a pétanque contest and funfair attractions. The whole town joins in, in a festive, popular atmosphere that brings together residents and visitors of all ages. A great date of the early Creuse summer, perfect for tasting the warm feel of a country fête, high up on the plateau.
Festival International de Bandas de Rochechouart (87): brass bands take the castle
On Saturday July 4 and Sunday July 5, the Festival International de Bandas turns the grounds of Rochechouart castle into a huge open-air stage. Created in 1989 by the La Châtelaine band, this first-July-weekend event gathers groups from across France and beyond for two days of music, parades and conviviality at the foot of the majestic medieval castle. Gleaming brass, strolling acts and a good-natured atmosphere set the tone of this fête where the street becomes a dance floor. A popular, free event, ideal for families who love the infectious energy of brass bands in a heritage setting.
Worth a mention too
- On the Landes coast, the Capbreton Jazz Festival extends the party through Sunday July 5, with free-access concerts in the public garden.
- In the Basque Country, the Toro de Fuego of Saint-Jean-de-Luz returns from Sunday July 5, on Place Louis-XIV, for its summer pyrotechnic show.
To see what's happening elsewhere in France this weekend, browse our full weekend agenda. Enjoy your outings in New Aquitaine.
