Feria du Riz d'Arles
The popular bullfighting festival of September celebrating the Camargue rice harvest
About Feria du Riz
The celebration of Camargue rice
The Feria du Riz gets its name from the Camargue rice harvest, which marks the beginning of autumn each year in the Rhone delta. This bullfighting and popular festival, held on the second weekend of September, celebrates the deep attachment of the people of Arles to their Camargue land, where rice has been cultivated since the 19th century in the delta's rice paddies.
The Goyesque: the flagship event
The Goyesque, a bullfight dressed in the tradition of Francisco de Goya's paintings, is the flagship event of the Feria du Riz. In the Roman arenas lit for the occasion, the matadors exchange their traditional bullfighting attire for period Goyesque costumes, offering a unique bullfighting spectacle in France. This event, created in the early 2000s, has become a highly prized meeting for aficionados.
Quality bullfights in the Roman arenas
Beyond the Goyesque, the Feria du Riz offers a complete bullfighting program with bullfights, novilladas, and Camargue races. The lineups bring together internationally renowned matadors, making this feria a quality complement to the Feria de Paques and a fitting end to the Arles bullfighting season.
A festive and popular atmosphere
As with the Feria de Paques, the city of Arles transforms into a huge popular festival during the Feria du Riz. The bodegas, bandas, peñas, abrivados, and street entertainment create a friendly and warm atmosphere, where Provençal and Camargue traditions are fully experienced in the streets of the historic center.
Feria du Riz — edition 2026
The Feria du Riz 2026 takes place from September 11 to 13 in the Roman arenas of Arles. The program includes: the famous Goyesque, a corrida de toros, a novillada without picadors, and a Camargue race, accompanied by bodegas, bandas, and popular festivities throughout the city.
Feria du Riz 2026: September 11 to 13
The Feria du Riz 2026 takes place from Friday, September 11 to Sunday, September 13 in the Arles arenas, closing the Arles bullfighting season. After the Feria de Pâques, the Feria du Riz is the second highlight of the Arles bullfighting year, combining spectacles in the Roman amphitheater and popular festivities in the city streets.
The 2026 edition brings together international-class lineups: Saturday's Goyesque with Jandilla bulls for Juan Ortega, Roca Rey, and Marco Pérez, a novillada without picadors on Sunday morning for the benefit of the École Taurine du Pays d'Arles, and a corrida de toros on Sunday afternoon with Pagès-Mailhan bulls. Throughout the three days, bodegas, bandas, peñas, abrivados, and street entertainment set the pace for the celebration in the historic center.
Programme Feria du Riz 2026
Friday, September 11, 2026
- 5:00 PM — Camargue race in the arenas
- Opening of bodegas, bandas, and street entertainment in the city
Saturday, September 12, 2026
- 5:00 PM — The Goyesque of Arles (bullfight) · 6 Jandilla bulls · Matadors: Juan Ortega, Roca Rey, Marco Pérez
- Bodegas, peñas, and popular festivities in the evening
Sunday, September 13, 2026
- 11:00 AM — Novillada without picadors (for the benefit of the École Taurine du Pays d'Arles) · 6 Jalabert novillos
- 5:00 PM — Corrida de toros · 6 Pagès-Mailhan bulls · Matadors: Juan Leal, José Garrido, Diego San Román
- Closing of the feria, bodegas, and entertainment
Highlights Feria du Riz 2026
- From September 11 to 13, 2026 in the Roman arenas of Arles
- Saturday's Goyesque: Juan Ortega, Roca Rey, and Marco Pérez facing Jandilla bulls
- Sunday's Corrida de toros with Juan Leal, José Garrido, and Diego San Román
- Camargue race, bodegas, bandas, and popular festivities throughout the city
Prices Feria du Riz 2026
Practical information — Feria du Riz
Practical information
Access
The Arles arenas are located in the heart of the historic city center.
- By train : Arles SNCF station, a 10-minute walk from the arenas.
- By car : A54 from Nimes or Salon-de-Provence.
Prices
- Bullfights : from 20 euros depending on seating
- Goyesque : specific prices
- Bodegas and street atmosphere : free access
Contact
- Website : arenes-arles.com
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Where does it take place — Feria du Riz
Arenes d'Arles
Rond-Point des Arenes, 13200 Arles