From monumental street art in the streets of Dax to heritage gatherings at Marquèze, with MIMIZ'Arts in Mimizan in between: a tour of festival outings this weekend in the Landes.
The 8 May 2026 long weekend lines up three days off in the Landes — Friday 8th, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th. Plenty of time to wander between the pine forest, the Atlantic coast and the bastide towns of the southern département. The cultural programme follows suit: in Dax, two fairs converge around the Parc des Arènes; in Mimizan, a multidisciplinary festival sets up shop on the seafront; in Sabres, the Marquèze open-air museum reopens for a season of live events. Here are five ideas to add to your agenda.
Grand Dax Trade Fair — three days to taste the Landes terroir
This is the major commercial and festive event of the Dax conurbation. The Grand Dax Trade Fair takes over the Parc des Arènes from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 May, with more than 200 exhibitors split across seven thematic areas: Home and Garden, Auto and Camping-Car, Gourmet Village, Wellness and Shopping, Tattoo, Crafts and Writers.
Beyond the shopping, the fair leans on its atmosphere: regional product tastings in the Gourmet Village, craft demonstrations, free evening concerts. It is a family-friendly format that brings together locals, neighbours and visitors passing through. See the festival page.
Festi Tattoo — four days of ink at the Parc des Arènes
Inside the Trade Fair, Festi Tattoo opens a chapter dedicated to the art of tattooing, from Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 May. Some twenty professional tattoo artists exhibit their work and produce live flash tattoos in front of the public.
Demonstrations, sketch and drawing exhibitions, conversations with the artists: the event speaks to enthusiasts as much as to curious visitors keen to look behind the scenes. A creative atmosphere, perfect for a few-hour detour while exploring the fair. See the festival page.
MIMIZ'Arts Festival — the seafront becomes an art trail
Heading for the Landes coast: in Mimizan Plage, the MIMIZ'Arts Festival is in its final week, with a busy schedule running until Sunday 10 May. The free event turns the seafront into a trail of exhibitions and street performances.
Local and regional artists take over the Salle Maurice Martin and the Chapelle à la Mer. Concerts, creative workshops for children, street performances: the line-up plays the eclecticism card and welcomes everyone in. A multidisciplinary format that fits a family day between a swim and an art walk. See the festival page.
Muralis — Dax's open-air museum
Still in Dax, but outdoors this time. The Muralis festival, run by the Kalos collective since 2019, lays out its trail of monumental frescoes across the city walls. The 8 May weekend is a fine moment to discover it, on foot or by bike.
Across six editions, more than 28 artists have covered over 1,000 m² of walls with 200 litres of paint and 330 spray cans. The trail mixes generations of urban artists and styles, from pure graffiti to contemporary figurative work. Access is free, and the walk slips naturally into a tour of the historic centre. See the festival page.
Marquèze open-air museum — diving into 19th-century Landes
For those craving fresh air and the pine forest, head to Sabres and the Marquèze open-air museum. Tucked inside the Landes de Gascogne Regional Nature Park, the site is reached by a heritage train that drops visitors at a reconstructed Landes village, a window onto rural life in the 19th century.
Throughout the season, which runs from April to September, the Festive Days punctuate the calendar: Easter, sheep shearing, summer evening events, traditional hunting and fishing demonstrations. For the 8 May weekend, the museum focuses on its seasonal workshops, suitable for families and for hikers with a taste for heritage. See the festival page.
To sum up
Five complementary picks for the 8 May long weekend in the Landes: a generalist trade fair and a tattoo festival in Dax, a free street art trail, an artistic getaway by the sea in Mimizan, and living heritage in the pine forest of Sabres. Plenty to build a tailor-made weekend, from gourmet shopping to a cultural walk. To explore more local events, take a look at all the festivals in the Landes.
