Festival Têtes en l'air - Carnaval de Dax
Festival of giants and carnival of the city of Dax
About Têtes en l'air
The Festival Têtes en l'air is the carnival of Dax, a free and family-friendly event that transforms the city center of the thermal town into a giant street theater. Created in 2024, this festival brings together giants from France, Spain, Catalonia, and the Basque Country for a weekend of XXL festivities. Carnival parades with giants and big heads, street performances, Landes stilt walker parades, banda and batucada concerts: Têtes en l'air celebrates the tradition of processional giants in a festive and popular atmosphere.
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Festival Têtes en l'air: the carnival of giants of Dax
Since 2024, the city of Dax, famous thermal town of the Landes, hosts in spring the Festival Têtes en l'air, a carnival of a new kind that revives the tradition of processional giants. This free and family-friendly festival transforms the city center into a huge street theater, animated by monumental creatures from all over Europe.
The parade of giants
The highlight of the festival is the grand carnival parade that takes over the streets of Dax city center. More than 27 giants and 15 big heads, accompanied by bandas and batucadas, parade in a colorful cavalcade. The six Dax giants welcome their counterparts from Saragossa, Pasaia, Le Soler and other cities in France, Spain, and the Basque Country, in a spirit of sharing and fraternity.
A festival of street performances
Beyond the parade, the Festival Têtes en l'air offers a rich program of street arts performances scattered throughout the city center:
- Night opening show: on Friday evening, the giants of Dax welcome their international guests in a luminous parade with LED show
- Stilt walker gathering: more than 150 Landes stilt walkers gather to close the festival in a spectacular tribute to Landes traditions
- Participatory work: each edition offers the collective construction of a monumental sculpture, involving the public in artistic creation
- Animations and games: makeup workshops, Just Dance, fairground games and family entertainment on the esplanade
Rooted in the tradition of giants
The Festival Têtes en l'air is part of the rich tradition of processional giants in Europe, recognized as intangible cultural heritage. Dax has its own giants, monumental articulated figures that come to life during parades and embody the festive identity of the city. The festival allows these local traditions to dialogue with those of the invited cities, creating unique cultural encounters.
Dax, festive capital of the Landes
With its thermal baths, its summer Feria, and now its festival of giants, Dax confirms its status as the festive capital of the Landes. The Festival Têtes en l'air enriches the city's event calendar by offering a family-friendly and accessible spring event, rooted in tradition while opening up to European cultures.
Practical information — Têtes en l'air
Practical Information — Festival Têtes en l'air
Access
By car: Dax is accessible via the A63 motorway (exit 6 Dax Nord or exit 7 Dax Sud). Free and paid parking in the city center, notably place de la Course and parking des Remparts. A special traffic plan is in place during the festival with streets closed for the parade.
By train: Dax SNCF station, served by TGV from Paris (approx. 4h) and TER from Bordeaux (approx. 2h). The city center is a 10-minute walk from the station. Regular connections from Bayonne (30 min).
By bus: The Grand Dax Agglo Bus network serves the city center from neighboring towns.
Festival locations
The events take place in the historic city center of Dax on several sites: the parvis of the Hôtel de Ville for shows and the reception of giants, the Yves Goussebaire-Dupin esplanade for the entertainment village and evening shows, the pedestrian streets of the city center for the parade route, and the Max Moras square for participatory creation workshops.
Typical program
- Friday evening: opening show and luminous night parade with the giants, LED show
- Saturday afternoon: grand carnival parade with giants, big heads, bandas, and batucadas in the city center streets
- Saturday and Sunday: street arts performances, family entertainment, participatory workshops for building the monumental sculpture
- Sunday: gathering of Landes stilt walkers for the spectacular closing of the festival
Prices
Completely free entry for all entertainment, shows, and parades. No tickets are required.
Accessibility
The parade route is accessible to people with reduced mobility. Reserved spaces are provided along the route for wheelchair users. Shows on the esplanade are also accessible.
Food and drink
Bars and restaurants in the center of Dax are open during the festival. Food trucks and refreshment stands on the Yves Goussebaire-Dupin esplanade. Les Halles de Dax offer fresh produce and local specialties.
Contact
Ville de Dax - Service événements
Place Roger Ducos, 40100 Dax
Tel: 05 58 56 86 86
Website: www.dax.fr
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Travel to this festival
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Where does it take place — Têtes en l'air
Centre-ville de Dax
Parvis de l'Hôtel de Ville, 40100 Dax