A fire-breathing mechanical dragon in Calais, large-format photographs on the cliffs of the Two Capes, a trail run climbing the slag heaps of the coal basin: five ideas to add to your May 8 long-weekend agenda in Pas-de-Calais.
Wondering what to do during the 8–10 May 2026 weekend in Pas-de-Calais? The département offers a rare playground, from the Opal Coast to the UNESCO-listed slag heaps of the former coal basin. Friday is a public holiday, so visitors get three full days to roam from west to east. The line-up includes a monumental dragon on the Calais waterfront, a photography trail between Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez, a trail run climbing former pit heads, a metal festival on a colliery site, and a book fair facing the sea. Here is a five-stop tour.
Le Dragon de Calais — the poetic war machine of the Courgain Maritime
You can hardly walk through Calais without catching the eye of the Dragon. Designed by François Delarozière and Compagnie La Machine, this 15-metre-long beast of steel and carved wood breathes fire, smoke and water as it lumbers along the seafront. Since 2025 it has shared the streets with a Travelling Monitor lizard and several sentinel machines, forming a genuine urban bestiary.
The 8 May weekend is well suited to climbing onto the creature's back: rides are scheduled every day, an exhibition runs at Fort Risban, and the Dragon makes timed appearances in the Courgain Maritime district. The proposal works as well for families as for street-arts enthusiasts. Count 7.50 € for a Dragon ride — booking is advised on weekends, slots fill up quickly. See the festival page.
Deux-Caps Photos Festival — 250 giant prints between cliffs and dunes
About thirty kilometres south-west, the Deux-Caps Photos Festival opens its 5th edition. Launched by the Maison du Site des Deux-Caps in 2022, the event lays out more than 250 large-format photographs each spring along the trails of the Grand Site de France between Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez. The prints are best discovered on a coastal walk — cliffs, dunes, fishing villages, customs path.
The festival opens in late April and runs until November, but the 8 May weekend is a highlight: a Photo Marathon is traditionally held during the Ascension days, with the chance to meet some of the professional photographers on display. Free access, sturdy shoes recommended for the marked loops starting in Wissant. See the festival page.
Trail des Pyramides Noires — running the slag heaps, 8 and 9 May
Heading east for the second half of the weekend, in Oignies the Trail des Pyramides Noires takes over the 9-9bis site, a former pit head turned cultural venue. Born in 2014 and run by the Mission Bassin Minier, this race offers distances from 10 to 115 km across slag heaps now listed as UNESCO World Heritage.
On the menu, spectacular landscapes shaped by a century of coal mining: regreened black pyramids, old miners' paths, industrial wastelands reclaimed by nature. For those who don't fancy 100 km, a 1.5 km kids' trail and a Nordic walk are also planned. Registration via Adeorun, prices vary with distance. See the festival page.
Gohelle Fest — the metal and rock night of Saturday 9 May
About 25 minutes by car from Oignies, Sains-en-Gohelle hosts the Gohelle Fest on Saturday 9 May. Founded in 2013 by three enthusiasts, this metal-and-rock festival has already welcomed Kreator, Napalm Death, Carcass, Obituary and Eluveitie. The setting, on the UNESCO-listed slag heaps of the coal basin, is part of the identity: industrial heritage on one side, saturated riffs on the other.
The 2026 line-up is announced as a demanding one, with particular attention paid to up-and-coming bands from the regional metal scene. This is the event to target for fans of extreme music looking for a human-scale gathering. Online ticketing via HelloAsso, gates open in the early afternoon. See the festival page.
Berck Book Fair — regional authors and crime fiction by the Opal Coast
For a quieter end to the weekend, head to Berck-sur-Mer on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 May. The Berck Book Fair brings together regional and national authors for two days of book signings, talks and round tables. Coupled with the Crime Fiction Fair « Du Sang sur la Plage », the event has a clear taste for dark stories told to the rhythm of the waves.
On the agenda, writing workshops, meetings with authors, readings and a stand from the Maison de la Presse de Berck for those who want to take a book home. Free entry, family atmosphere — a good seaside conclusion after the slag heaps and the cliffs. See the festival page.
To sum up
Three days to cross Pas-de-Calais from west to east: monumental machines in Calais, photography on the customs path in Wissant, a trail run on the slag heaps of Oignies, a metal night in Sains-en-Gohelle and books by the sea in Berck. Five complementary picks, from family-friendly to seriously sharp. To explore more local events, take a look at all the festivals in Pas-de-Calais.
