Festival Urbaka
The street arts festival of Limoges
About Urbaka
Urbaka: the spirit of the street in the heart of Limoges
Since 1989, the Festival Urbaka has embodied the soul of street arts in Limousin. The first festival of its kind in Haute-Vienne, it was founded by Andrée Eyrolle with the ambition of making artistic creation accessible to all in public spaces. Its name, a contraction of "urbain" (urban) and "Akas"—the Pygmy festivals—reflects this philosophy of encounters, sharing, and open-air creativity.
The Cité district as a living stage
The festival unfolds in the historic Cité district, in the heart of Limoges. Place Saint-Étienne, at the foot of the majestic Gothic cathedral, and the Jardins de l'Évêché (Bishop's Gardens) are transformed into a vast open-air theatre. The medieval streets, shaded squares, and terraces overlooking the Vienne river provide an exceptional setting for artistic performances. Every corner of the district becomes a potential stage where the unexpected emerges.
A rich and eclectic program
For four days, Urbaka offers a dense and varied program presented by professional national and international companies. The festival showcases street theatre, contemporary circus, dance, puppetry, music, and pyrotechnic shows that light up the Limoges evenings. Aerial acrobatics, poetic processions, participatory performances, and monumental creations follow one another from morning until nightfall.
A free, committed, and popular festival
One of Urbaka's strengths lies in its complete freeness. All shows are freely accessible, without reservation, promoting social and intergenerational diversity. A collection hat circulates after each performance to support the artists. The festival village, set up in the alleys of the Évêché gardens, brings together food trucks, refreshment stands, local products, and international flavors. With over 4,000 artists hosted and 200,000 spectators over its editions, Urbaka has become a must-attend event in Limousin's cultural life and a major player in the national street arts network.
Urbaka — edition 2026
The 37th edition of the Urbaka Festival takes over the Cité district in Limoges from June 25 to 27, 2026. Three days of free and open-access shows in the gardens of the Évêché and on the forecourt of Saint-Étienne Cathedral: street theatre, circus, dance, puppetry, music, and DJ sets. Around twenty shows presented by companies such as Cie Qualité Street, Léandre, Cie Les Josianes, Collectif Les Femmes de l'Ouest, or Bruital Cie, with a gourmet village and artisan market.
37th Edition — June 25 to 27, 2026
The Urbaka Festival returns for its 37th edition in the enchanting setting of the Cité district in Limoges. For three days, the gardens of the Évêché, the museum courtyard, and the forecourt of Saint-Étienne Cathedral transform into a vast open-air theatre. Around twenty free and open-access shows combine theatre, circus, dance, puppetry, music, and street arts.
Highlights of this Edition
The program emphasizes the diversity of street arts. Among the flagship shows: Jogging by Cie Qualité Street (street theatre on the forecourt), Fly me to the Moon by Léandre (circus and clown), Vapeurs by Collectif Les Femmes de l'Ouest (theatre in the lower gardens), Yseult et Tristan by Cie Punk à Mouton, or Dark by Bruital Cie as the closing show on the forecourt. Saturday offers a full day starting at 10:30 AM, from cultural mediation workshops by Cie Zézargo to nocturnal DJ sets.
Gourmet Village and Conviviality
The gourmet village hosts food trucks, a token-operated refreshment stand, and an artisan market from Thursday to Saturday. Also, join us on Sunday, June 28, in Feytiat for an off-site show in a partner commune.
Programme Urbaka 2026
Thursday, June 25, 2026
- 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM — Batuc a Rideau de Janeiro
- 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM — Scroll · Cie Les Petites Secousses (theatre) — Lower Garden
- 8:00 PM – 8:40 PM — Résonances · Cie Off – Cie À Corps D' (circus) — Museum Side
- 8:45 PM – 9:30 PM — Le Crew · Cie Rêvolution (dance) — Museum Courtyard
- 9:45 PM – 10:50 PM — Jogging · Cie Qualité Street (theatre) — The Forecourt
Friday, June 26, 2026
- 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM — Charlie et Madame la Lune · Cie Off – Cie Déboité (theatre/puppetry) — Museum Side
- 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM — Hune · Cie Paon dans le Ciment (dance) — Behind the Museum
- 8:00 PM – 8:45 PM — Les Naufragés de l'Imaginaire · Théâtre de la Balise (improv) — In front of the trees
- 8:45 PM – 9:30 PM — Fly me to the Moon · Léandre (circus/clown) — Museum Courtyard
- 9:45 PM – 10:45 PM — Josianes ou l'art de la résistance · Cie Les Josianes — Basin
- 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM — DJ Selecta — Basin
Saturday, June 27, 2026
- 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM — Cultural mediation · Cie Zézargo Workshop — Under the trees
- 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM — Les radis, ça compte pas pour du beurre · Cie du Zézargo (musical theatre) — Under the trees
- 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM — Dance · Conservatoire de Limoges — Basin
- 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM — Participatory games · Ludothèque — Near the refreshment stand
- 3:00 PM – 4:05 PM — Yseult et Tristan · Cie Punk à Mouton (theatre) — Museum Side
- 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM — ArcaneXIII · École Pierre Buffière (dance) — Basin
- 5:30 PM – 6:45 PM — Hune · Cie Paon dans le Ciment (dance) — Behind the Museum
- 7:00 PM – 8:10 PM — Vapeurs · Collectif Les Femmes de l'Ouest (theatre) — Lower Gardens
- 7:15 PM – 8:00 PM — Éclats de vies · Cie Off – Cie Circlips (aerial circus/puppetry) — Place Saint-Étienne
- 8:45 PM – 9:30 PM — Fly me to the Moon · Léandre (circus/clown) — Museum Courtyard
- 9:45 PM – 10:45 PM — Dark · Bruital Cie (theatre) — The Forecourt
- 11:00 PM – 1:00 AM — DJ Mika — Basin
Sunday, June 28 — Partner Commune
- Le musée Bombana de Kokologo — Feytiat
Highlights Urbaka 2026
- Jogging (Cie Qualité Street) — street theatre show on the cathedral forecourt
- Fly me to the Moon (Léandre) — circus and clown, performed two evenings in the museum courtyard
- Vapeurs (Collectif Les Femmes de l'Ouest) — theatre in the lower gardens
- Yseult et Tristan (Cie Punk à Mouton) — theatrical reinterpretation of the medieval myth
- Dark (Bruital Cie) — closing show on the forecourt
- Josianes ou l'art de la résistance (Cie Les Josianes) — performance at the basin
- Gourmet village with food trucks, token-operated refreshment stand, and artisan market
- Completely free festival with open access
Prices Urbaka 2026
Practical information — Urbaka
Practical Information
Access
By public transport: Bus lines 1, 13 or 43, Gabriel Péri stop; lines 2, 4 or 13, Place Wilson stop.
By bike: Cycling is recommended to access the Cité district. Facilities are provided during the festival.
Prices
All shows are completely free and accessible without reservation. Some shows in the OFF program operate on a voluntary contribution basis.
Accessibility
The festival offers whispered audio descriptions for certain shows for visually impaired audiences. Accessibility contact: Mandy Chenu at 05 55 32 08 42. The lower lawn of the gardens is not accessible to people with reduced mobility.
Catering
A gourmet village with food trucks, token-operated refreshment stand, and craft market is set up in the Jardins de l’Évêché. Dry toilets are available at the entrance to the village.
Contact
Association Urbaka — Maison du Peuple, 24 Rue Charles Michels, 87039 Limoges Cedex 1
Phone: 05 55 32 08 42
Email: [email protected]
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Where does it take place — Urbaka
Quartier de la Cité — Place Saint-Étienne et Jardins de l'Évêché
Jardin de l'Évêché, 3 Rue de la Cathédrale, 87000 Limoges, 87000 Limoges