Festival OFF de Carcassonne
Free shows and street arts in the Bastide of Carcassonne
About Festival OFF
Culture with Free Access in the Bastide
Since the creation of the Festival de Carcassonne in 2006, the Festival OFF has been the free and popular counterpart to the Festival IN. For over a month, from the end of June to the end of July, the squares, plazas, and gardens of Bastide Saint-Louis transform into open-air stages. More than 80 completely free shows are programmed each summer, attracting tens of thousands of spectators who come to enjoy a rich and varied cultural offering with no access restrictions.
Stages Scattered Throughout the City
The Festival OFF takes over the emblematic locations of the Bastide: Place Carnot, the beating heart of the lower town with its Neptune fountain; Square André-Chénier, a green space on the edge of the Canal du Midi; the Hôtel de Rolland, a superb 18th-century private mansion; the Église Saint-Vincent and its Gothic volumes for sacred and classical music concerts; as well as the Berges de l'Aude, a bucolic setting for open-air performances. This geographical dispersion allows visitors to discover the city while being carried away by music and street arts.
An Eclectic and Festive Program
The OFF's program covers all genres and disciplines: French chanson, jazz, rock, world music, rap, reggae, classical music, circus shows, street arts, street theater, and shows for young audiences. Local and regional artists mingle with national companies, offering an exceptional showcase for emerging talents as well as established performers. The evening concerts, particularly on Place Carnot, create a festive and convivial atmosphere that extends summer evenings into the heart of the night.
An Unmissable Popular Event
The Festival OFF de Carcassonne has established itself as an unmissable summer event in Carcassonne. With its completely free access, it fulfills an essential mission of cultural democratization, allowing all audiences—families, young people, tourists, residents—to enjoy a quality program. The growing attendance of the OFF, which now attracts several tens of thousands of spectators each summer, testifies to its success and its place in the Occitan cultural landscape.
Festival OFF — edition 2026
The Festival OFF accompanies the 21st edition of the Carcassonne Festival from July 1st to 31st, 2026, with approximately 80 to 100 entirely free shows in the Bastide Saint-Louis. An eclectic program combining music, street arts, circus, and young audience shows takes over the squares and parks of the lower town every day.
Festival OFF 2026 — approximately 100 free shows in the Bastide
From July 1st to 31st, 2026, the Festival OFF returns with its free and popular program, running in parallel with the paid Festival IN held at the Cité médiévale. Throughout July, the Bastide Saint-Louis hosts daily concerts, street shows, circus acts, and young audience entertainment on about a dozen open-access stages.
A dozen stages in the heart of the lower town
The organizers announce a dozen venues invested for this 2026 edition, including Place Carnot (main evening stage), Square André-Chénier, Hôtel de Rolland, Église Saint-Vincent for sacred and classical music concerts, as well as the Berges de l'Aude for more bucolic shows. The dispersion of the stages invites festival-goers to wander through the Bastide and discover the city at their own pace.
An eclectic program for all audiences
The OFF 2026 combines French chanson, jazz, rock, world music, rap, reggae, classical music, street arts, and young audience shows. The detailed program for the OFF is usually published closer to the event by the City of Carcassonne; visitors are invited to regularly check the official website and the festival's Oniva app to discover artists as announcements are made. In parallel, the Festival IN offers about fifteen paid headliners at the Théâtre Jean-Deschamps and the Château Comtal (notably Ludovico Einaudi, Chris Isaak, Christophe Maé, Tom Odell, Franz Ferdinand, Zaz, Claudio Capéo, Gaëtan Roussel, Feu! Chatterton, Airbourne).
Programme Festival OFF 2026
OFF Festival 2026 Program (free)
From July 1st to 31st, 2026, the OFF Festival offers more than 70 entirely free shows in the Bastide Saint-Louis and the lower town of Carcassonne, across a dozen stages: Place Carnot, Square André-Chénier, Hôtel de Rolland (Town Hall), Église Saint-Vincent, Berges de l'Aude, rue du Pont-Vieux, La Trivalle district, and the surroundings of the Château Comtal. The detailed program is gradually unveiled by the City of Carcassonne. Here are the free concerts and shows already announced.
Major Free Concerts at Place Carnot (8:30 PM)
Every concert evening, Place Carnot, the heart of Bastide Saint-Louis, hosts headliners for free:
- Monday, July 13 — Têtes Raides (opening act: Marty), 8:30 PM, Place Carnot
- Wednesday, July 15 — Jahneration (opening act: Châmade), 8:30 PM, Place Carnot
- Thursday, July 16 — Goran Bregović (opening act: L'Esbrouf'), 8:30 PM, Place Carnot
- Friday, July 17 — Cœur de Pirate (opening act: Mélanie Lesage), 8:30 PM, Place Carnot
- Saturday, July 18 — Linh (opening act: Miss Marina), 8:30 PM, Place Carnot
Other Free Concerts and Shows
- July 16 — À 3 Reprises (concert)
- July 18 — À 2 Temps (concert)
- July 21 — Dirty Bootz (concert)
- July 23 — Alexreste (concert)
- July 28 — Panda Banditt, 9:00 PM, rue du Pont-Vieux
- July 30 — Loïc Tran (concert)
The Chants Libres Festival (July 13-14)
A free highlight of the OFF, the Chants Libres Festival brings together around forty choirs (39 choirs) on the weekend of July 13 and 14 for a weekend of free-access polyphony, in the squares and spaces of the Cité and the lower town.
Free Open-Air Cinema and Theatre
- June 26 — Screening: « C'est moi… Marlène Jobert » (cinema)
- June 27 — Screening: « Marchal par Marchal, portrait intime » (cinema)
- June 28 — Screening: « Charles Aznavour en Arménie » (cinema)
- July 5 — « Clôture de l'amour » (theatre)
- July 7 — « Retour de Madison » (theatre)
- July 12 — « L'illusion conjugale » (theatre)
- July 19 — « Émois » (theatre)
- July 21 — « Les quatre vérités » (theatre)
In addition, there are numerous street art, circus, world music, and youth shows spread throughout the month of July. The complete program, updated until the opening, can be consulted on the official website festivaldecarcassonne.fr and on the Oniva application. All OFF shows are free and require no reservation.
Highlights Festival OFF 2026
- Approximately 80 to 100 entirely free shows
- A dozen stages set up in the Bastide Saint-Louis
- Eclectic program: music, street arts, circus, young audience
- Every day from July 1st to 31st, 2026
- Paid Festival IN running in parallel at the Cité médiévale
Prices Festival OFF 2026
Practical information — Festival OFF
Practical Information
Access
The Festival OFF takes place in the Bastide Saint-Louis, the lower town of Carcassonne (11000).
- Place Carnot: Carcassonne city center
- Square André-Chénier: Boulevard Jean-Jaurès, 11000 Carcassonne
- By car: A61 motorway, Carcassonne exit. Parking in the city center.
- By train: Carcassonne SNCF station, a 10-minute walk from Place Carnot.
Prices
- All shows are free
Usual Dates
From the end of June to the end of July, daily.
Contact
- Website: festivaldecarcassonne.fr
- Phone: 04 68 11 59 15
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Where does it take place — Festival OFF
Bastide Saint-Louis
Place Carnot, 11000 Carcassonne