Three holiday days in Alsace, fairground rides lighting up Haguenau, unclassifiable performances in Strasbourg and a castle dressed up like Game of Thrones: here are five ideas to add to your agenda.
The 8 May 2026 long weekend offers three consecutive days off in Alsace — Friday is a public holiday, plus Saturday and Sunday — perfect for enjoying the spring season. The Bas-Rhin festival programme aligns neatly with this calendar. Between the closing night of a cross-border festival of contemporary music in Strasbourg, the simultaneous opening of a funfair and a music-and-comedy festival in Haguenau, sharp performance art events and a medieval castle dabbling in the fantastical, the département has something for every kind of audience. Here is a five-stop tour, from the city centre to the Vosges forest.
Strasbourg Music Week — the closing cross-border night, Friday 8 May
This is the night not to miss for anyone following the European emerging scene. The 4th edition of Strasbourg Music Week wraps up on Friday 8 May after four days of concerts, conferences and workshops. Twenty-four artists from France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland have played across three city-centre venues. The grand finale unfolds in the intimacy of Strasbourg's clubs, with a bonus Soundwalk on Cathedral Square that turns the parvis into an immersive listening trail. Half-festival, half-pro convention, the event draws curious music lovers and young industry professionals. See the festival page.
L'Humour des Notes — Haguenau switches to laughter mode, 8 to 17 May
Just as Strasbourg Music Week takes its final bow, Haguenau picks up the baton with the 34th edition of L'Humour des Notes. For nine days, more than one hundred shows blend music and humour across the city's theatre, the streets of the historic centre, the children's village and neighbouring villages. International music-theatre companies, clowns, offbeat brass bands, contemporary circus: the lineup is demanding yet accessible, appealing to families as much as to seasoned festival-goers. Many street performances are free — a great way to dip into the festival on a budget. See the festival page.
Haguenau Fair — funfair rides, candy floss and the lights of the Quai des Pêcheurs
A short walk from L'Humour des Notes, the Haguenau Fair opens on the very same day, Friday 8 May. The Quai des Pêcheurs car park, on the banks of the Moder, turns into an ephemeral amusement park for ten days. About twenty rides — Ferris wheel, giant slides, bumper cars, carousels — welcome families and teenagers until 17 May. Free site access, individually priced rides. It is the classic outing for kids in search of cotton candy and funfair tunes, in an atmosphere that symbolically kicks off the warm season in Northern Alsace. See the festival page.
Festival des Arts Mutants — contemporary performance at its sharpest in Strasbourg
For lovers of contemporary art and radical proposals, the 16th edition of Festival des Arts Mutants runs throughout the month of May in Strasbourg, with a dense schedule during the long weekend. The 2026 theme, « Fugologie », borrowed from artist Erwan Souhmi, brings together music, performance, video and visual art to question our relationship with the climate and our cognitive biases. Evenings are split between Strasbourg and Karlsruhe in a frankly cross-border spirit. A programme on the cutting edge, recommended for curious viewers who feel at home in alternative venues. See the festival page.
Medieval and Fantastic at Haut-Koenigsbourg — an immersive visit perched at 757 metres
If the urge to leave the plain takes hold, head for the Vosges foothills and the Haut-Koenigsbourg fortress, in Orschwiller. Throughout the spring, a themed two-hour Medieval and Fantastic tour plunges visitors into the castle's gothic universe: strange sculptures, medieval bestiary, keeps and turrets retold from an unexpected angle. It works just as well for families with imaginative children as for adults who love heroic fantasy. Booking essential — slots fill up quickly during long weekends. See the festival page.
To sum up
Three days off, five complementary picks: emerging music on Friday night, funfair and music-comedy in Haguenau across the whole long weekend, contemporary performance in Strasbourg, and a medieval escape above the plain. Plenty to build a tailor-made agenda whether you're travelling as a couple, with the kids or with friends. To explore more local events, take a look at all the festivals in Bas-Rhin.
