Equestrian show at Chambord, ephemeral gardens in Chaumont-sur-Loire, magic in Blois and a sound and light show on the royal château: eight ideas to add to your 8 May long weekend in the Loire Valley.
The 8 May 2026 long weekend looks set to be busy in Loir-et-Cher. Between the Château de Chambord, the banks of the Loire and the historic centre of Blois, the département packs in a rare density of heritage and contemporary cultural offerings. The major sites open their spring season, with programmes that run on into autumn but take on a particular flavour over these three holiday days when the Loire Valley calendar is in full swing. Here are eight events to know about as you plan a tailor-made weekend.
Chambord Equestrian Show — the château's story told on horseback
This is one of the domain's most spectacular creations. The Chambord Equestrian Show, directed by Mario Luraschi and narrated by Jean Dujardin, retraces five centuries of history through equestrian art. Ten horses and eight riders embody François I, Louis XIV, Molière and Marshal de Saxe inside the 18th-century historic stables.
Stunts, haute école dressage, video projections: the drama unfolds across forty-five tightly packed minutes. The format suits families as much as fans of history and horses. Booking is wise — slots fill up fast on the 8 May long weekend. See the festival page.
International Garden Festival of Chaumont-sur-Loire — the 35th edition in bloom
Half an hour south of Blois, the International Garden Festival is in full swing in the park of the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire. Since 1992, it has been the largest laboratory of contemporary garden creation in the world. About twenty ephemeral gardens, designed each year by international landscape architects and designers around a renewed theme, follow one another along the trail.
May is the moment of the first wave of flowering: the compositions emerge from their winter slumber and reveal the full sweep of their plant writing. The visit easily fills a half-day, alongside the château and the Prés du Goualoup. See the festival page.
Chaumont-sur-Loire Art Season — contemporary installations across the 32-hectare domain
Still at Chaumont, but on the contemporary art side. The Art Season at the Centre for Arts and Nature programmes international sculptors, painters and visual artists each year, creating works in dialogue with the domain's nature and heritage.
The trail unfolds through the château, the historic park and the Prés du Goualoup. Since 2008 the Centre has built up an exceptional permanent collection that grows with each season. A visit recommended to lovers of contemporary art looking beyond classic gallery walls. See the festival page.
Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin — the six-headed dragon facing the royal château
Heading to Blois, on the Place du Château. The Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin is the only public museum in Europe combining heritage collections and live performances around the art of magic. Opened in 1998, it pays tribute to the famous Blois-born illusionist Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, considered the father of modern magic.
Across five floors, visitors move between permanent exhibitions, on-stage magic shows and interactive activities. The mechanical six-headed dragon that bursts out of the façade every half hour still works its charm on children. The obvious stop for families passing through Blois. See the festival page.
« Ainsi Blois vous est conté » sound and light show — the château façade narrated by Hossein, Arditi and Luchini
Once evening falls, stay in the courtyard of the Royal Château of Blois. The show « Ainsi Blois vous est conté » has been illuminating the façades each evening for over thirty years. The forty-five-minute creation blends video mapping, 3D modelling and spatialised sound, with a script carried by the voices of Robert Hossein, Pierre Arditi and Fabrice Luchini.
The show is simultaneously translated into ten languages, making it accessible to international visitors. A good way to round off a heritage day gently, without transport timing pressure. See the festival page.
Fondation du Doute — total immersion in the Fluxus movement
For lovers of contemporary art, head to the Fondation du Doute, a few steps from the Château de Blois. This unique art centre in France is entirely devoted to the Fluxus movement, born from the collaboration between artist Ben Vautier and the city of Blois.
The venue brings together close to 350 works by fifty international artists across 1,000 m² of exhibition space. From Ben's Mur des mots to the temporary exhibitions in the glass pavilion, by way of conferences, concerts and video screenings: the programme cultivates the iconoclastic, joyful spirit of the movement. A visit aimed at seasoned art-goers. See the festival page.
Printemps des Douves — chamber music in a Loire-side garden
In Veuzain-sur-Loire, the Printemps des Douves offers chamber music concerts in the Douves garden in Onzain. Run by the Les Douves Onzain association, the festival welcomes violinists, pianists and string quartets in a green setting on the banks of the Loire.
The repertoire ranges from Bach to Brahms, Mozart to the Romantics. Concerts are held outdoors or in the village hall depending on the weather. An intimate format, recommended for music lovers who appreciate focused listening. See the festival page.
La Familia — the travelling youth stage of the Halle aux Grains
For families with children, La Familia is a travelling stage run by the Halle aux Grains, the national venue of Blois. Its mobile bleachers tour the département, putting on shows in public spaces, in rural and urban settings alike.
Each season, around twenty shows and more than fifty performances are scheduled across some ten towns, in partnership with Agglopolys and the Department of Loir-et-Cher. For the 8 May weekend, check the festival page to confirm the host town. See the festival page.
To sum up
Eight ideas, from the grand equestrian show to a travelling youth stage, from a contemporary garden trail to a historic sound and light show. Loir-et-Cher offers a rare concentration of living heritage and contemporary creation within a few square kilometres around Blois and the Loire Valley. To explore more local events, take a look at all the festivals in Loir-et-Cher.
