Dragon Festival
The legend of Saint Hermentaire and the dragon of Draguignan, a free popular festival in the heart of the Var
About Dragon Festival
The Dragon Festival of Draguignan: when legend animates the city
Nestled in the hills of the Var hinterland, between the plains of the Argens and the first foothills of the Massif des Maures, the city of Draguignan carries within it the imprint of a founding legend that the Dragon Festival perpetuates and celebrates every year with enthusiasm. This popular festival, free and open to all, transforms the historic center of the prefecture of the Var into a space of festivity, memory, and sharing every end of June.
The legend of Saint Hermentaire and the Dragon
The origin of Draguignan is intimately linked to the legend of Saint Hermentaire, bishop of Antibes in the 5th century AD. According to tradition, a terrible dragon — a symbol of wild and destructive forces — ravaged the lands around what is now Draguignan, devastating crops, terrorizing the inhabitants, and making the region inhospitable. The very name of the city would come from Provençal Draguignan, derived from drago (dragon).
Saint Hermentaire, armed with his Christian faith, set out for this infested territory. Legend has it that he tamed or slew the dragon, thereby freeing the inhabitants from this threat. This founding act — the victory of civilization, faith, and the human community over wild forces — has been at the heart of Draguignan's identity for centuries.
The city also preserves several representations of the dragon and Saint Hermentaire in its heritage: bas-reliefs, sculpted representations, and religious iconography bear witness to the deep roots of this legend in local culture. The Dragon Fountain, one of the best known in Draguignan, is a symbol of this collective memory.
A popular and free festival
The Dragon Festival is above all a festival for everyone: free, family-friendly, open to all audiences and all generations. For three days — generally the last weekend of June — the city center of Draguignan transforms into a festive space where medieval entertainment, concerts, exhibitions, period costume parades, and craft demonstrations take place.
Festival entertainment
The richness of the Dragon Festival lies in the diversity of its offerings:
- Costumed parades and processions: residents and local associations don medieval costumes to parade through the streets, recreating the atmosphere of Provençal Middle Ages. The dragon, the inevitable central character, is represented in all its forms — carried effigies, articulated dragons, mascots for children.
- Street entertainment and shows: jugglers, fire-eaters, stilt walkers, street musicians, and storytellers take over the alleys of old Draguignan and the city center squares for continuous entertainment.
- Exhibitions and conferences: exhibitions retrace the history of the legend of Saint Hermentaire, the iconography of the dragon in medieval culture, and the historical heritage of Draguignan. Conferences provide a deeper understanding of this intangible heritage.
- Concerts: every evening, concerts bring together families and festival-goers in the city squares. Medieval music, folk, pop, and variety concerts liven up the festival nights.
- Crafts and gastronomy: Provençal artisans showcase their skills: potters, jewelers, weavers, soap makers, and local producers. Var gastronomy is highlighted with stands offering regional specialties.
A living intangible heritage
Beyond folklore, the Dragon Festival is an expression of living intangible heritage: the legend of Saint Hermentaire is one of the rare medieval legendary traditions of the Var to have survived to our time, continually reinterpreted and celebrated. It testifies to the relationship of human communities with their territories, their ancestral fears, and their ability to unite around a common narrative.
The city of Draguignan has successfully made this legend a tool for social cohesion and cultural attractiveness. The Dragon Festival is today one of the most popular events in the Var calendar, attracting visitors from all over the department and beyond.
Draguignan, historical capital of the Var
Draguignan was the prefecture of the Var from the Revolution until 1974, when Toulon took this title from it. Rich in a well-preserved medieval historic center, quality museums (Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions of Provence, Museum of Artillery), and an exceptional natural environment between the Verdon and the Massif des Maures, the city is an ideal starting point for exploring the Var hinterland. The Dragon Festival is an opportunity to discover this charming city at its best.
Dragon Festival — edition 2026
Dragon Festival 2026 — End of June in Draguignan
The Dragon Festival returns in June 2026 to once again celebrate the founding legend of Draguignan in the streets of the historic center. For three days, the city transforms into a space of popular and free festivity, true to a tradition that perpetuates the memory of Saint Hermentaire and the dragon he slew.
The 2026 program will follow on from previous editions, with costumed parades, medieval entertainment for all ages, heritage exhibitions, free concerts every evening, and an artisan market showcasing the know-how and flavors of Dracénie.
The Dragon Festival is the ideal opportunity to discover Draguignan, its medieval alleys, its clock tower, its museums, and its rich historical heritage. The detailed program will be announced in the spring of 2026 by the City of Draguignan and the Dracénie Tourist Office.
Programme Dragon Festival 2026
Dragon Festival 2026 Program (12th edition)
The City of Draguignan renews its Dragon Festival in the historic center for its 12th edition on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27, 2026. Around fifty activities, mostly free, related to Provençal heritage and traditions, animated by the city's artisans, merchants, and associations.
Friday, June 26, 2026
- 10 AM - 12 PM / 2 PM - 4 PM — Dragon making workshop (ages 3 and up) · Jimagine Studio Création, 8 rue des Marchands
- 4:30 PM — Visit and sketch workshop “Dragon Sketch” (7-11 years old, 40 min, registration required) · Musée des Beaux-Arts, rue de la République
- 5 PM — Leather creation workshop, keychains (ages 10 and up, registration 06 13 04 20 27) · Maroquinerie 2 R'EVE, 20 rue de la République
- 7 PM — Dragon Contest awards ceremony, festive aperitif (AQAD association) · Place Luis Mizon
- 8:30 PM — Musical Aïoli dinner with the OLDIZ group (22 € / person: aïoli, cheese, dessert, coffee) · Place du Marché
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Activities
- 10 AM — Scavenger hunt “dragon hunt” (ages 6 and up, registration required) · Musée des ATP, place Georges Brassens
- 10 AM - 12 PM / 3 PM - 6 PM — Author discovery Alison Bounce, book signing for “Australe” · Espace Les Caboch'Arts, 9 rue de Trans
- 10 AM - 12 PM / 2 PM - 6 PM — Artist discovery Serge Cuba (recreation of Renoir's “Luncheon of the Boating Party”) · Espace Les Caboch'Arts, 9 rue de Trans
- 10 AM - 5 PM — Once upon a time, the farm: animals, goat milking, butter making · Place des Comtes de Provence
- 10:30 AM - 12 PM — Parade by the Fanfare Godogodom Brass Band in the pedestrian streets of the city center
- 3 PM (registrations 3 PM - 4 PM, matches from 4 PM) — Dragui'Boules 2026 family pétanque challenge: chosen doublettes (10 €/team), parent/child competition (under 12), egg shooting, refreshment stand · Parking des Allées Azémar / Jardin Angles
- From 6:30 PM — Provençal craft market · Boulevard Clemenceau
Aperitif Concerts (8 PM)
- Boulevard Clemenceau (upper) — Ginger Brown (variety music)
- Boulevard Clemenceau (middle) — Cluster (pop rock)
- Boulevard Clemenceau (lower) — Space Cowboys (funk rock)
- Place Cassin — Snap Fingers (pop rock)
- Place du Marché — Tinkiet (pop rock)
- Place des Comtes de Provence — Face 2 Face (soul pop)
- Place aux Herbes — Naloo (pop folk)
- Rue Mireur — Cherry Chicks (pop rock)
- Place du Dragon — Bakara (variety music)
- Rue de la République — Chants Swings (gypsy jazz)
- Boulevard Marx Dormoy — Weo (pop rock)
- 10:30 PM — Pyrotechnic show · Boulevard Clemenceau
Saturday Workshops
- 9:30 AM and 11 AM — Pottery “Create your clay dragon” (ages 4 and up, registration required) · Jardin du musée des Beaux-Arts, place Octave Teissier
- 9 AM - 12 PM — Kapl'Arc archery (ages 6 and up) · Jardin du musée des Beaux-Arts
- 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM — Face painting and balloon sculpting · Jardin du musée des Beaux-Arts
- 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM — Straw-blown painting (ages 4 and up) · Jardin du musée des Beaux-Arts
- 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM / 1:30 PM - 4 PM — Plaster painting (ages 4 and up) · L'atelier de Sylvie, place Luis Mizon
- 10 AM - 12:30 PM / 1:30 PM - 4 PM — Woodturning, spinning top or honey spoon (ages 8 and up) · Intemporel Déco, 7 rue de Trans
- 10 AM - 12 PM — Hand sewing (ages 6 and up) and pouch painting · Odyssée d'Hestia, 1 rue de Trans
- 10:30 AM — Dragon workshop (ages 6 and up, registration required) · Chapelle de l'Observance, montée du Rigoulier
- 10 AM - 12 PM — Discovering flavors and scents · Épicerie Les Pot'iront, 38 rue de Trans
- 10 AM - 12 PM — Embroider the neighborhood with the Citizen Council · Place aux Herbes
- 10 AM - 12:30 PM / 2 PM - 5 PM — Creation workshop, magic wand or knight's shield (ages 5 and up) · L'atelier de Myr, 23 rue de Trans
- 10 AM - 12:30 PM / 2 PM - 6 PM — Bookbinding workshop, paper basket (ages 8 and up) · Aurelieur, 14 rue de Trans
- 10 AM - 12:30 PM / 2 PM - 5:30 PM — Pencil portraits by Marlene Savail · Place Luis Mizon
- 2 PM - 4 PM — Origami dragon workshop · Odyssée d'Hestia, 1 rue de Trans
- 2 PM and 5 PM — Pottery initiation “Create your ceramic cup” (ages 14 and up) · Vagabonde Création, rue Pierre Clément
- 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM — Dragon piñata workshop · Place aux Herbes
Information and reservations: Draguignan City Animation Department, Centre Joseph Collomp — 04 94 60 31 59 / 04 94 60 20 21. Online ticketing: billetterieculture.dracenie.com
Highlights Dragon Festival 2026
Highlights for 2026
- 12th edition on June 26 and 27, 2026, in the historic center
- Around fifty activities, mostly free
- 11 free aperitif concerts on Saturday evening (from 8 PM)
- Pyrotechnic show on Saturday at 10:30 PM, Boulevard Clemenceau
- Musical aïoli dinner on Friday evening (22 €) and Provençal craft market on Saturday
Prices Dragon Festival 2026
Practical information — Dragon Festival
Practical information
Location
Historic center of Draguignan
Place du Marché and pedestrian streets
83300 Draguignan
Access
By car: Draguignan is accessible via the A8 motorway (exit Le Muy or Les Arcs-Draguignan) then the RN7 and the D562. From Marseille: about 1h30. From Nice: about 1h. Parking in the city center and on the outskirts with shuttle services during the festival.
By train: Les Arcs-Draguignan station (TER Marseille-Vintimille line) is 10 km from Draguignan. Var Lib buses provide the station/city center link approximately every hour.
By bus: Var Lib network (regional lines) from Toulon, Fréjus, Brignoles, and towns in the Var.
Free admission
The Dragon Festival is entirely free and open to all. Some evening concerts may require prior registration; inquire with the Draguignan Tourist Office.
Opening hours
Activities generally start in the late morning and continue until late evening. Evening concerts begin around 9 p.m. in the city center squares.
Practical advice
- Wear comfortable shoes for walking through the alleys of old Draguignan.
- Arrive early in the morning to enjoy the atmosphere of the exhibitions and craft activities.
- Weekend evenings attract a large crowd: plan ahead for concerts.
Contact
Draguignan Tourist Office Pays de la Dracénie
2 avenue Lazare Carnot, 83300 Draguignan
Tel: 04 98 10 51 05
Website: www.dracenie.com
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Where does it take place — Dragon Festival
Centre historique de Draguignan
Place du Marché, 83300 Draguignan