Fete de la Madeleine
Votive festival and corso of the Carreto Ramado in Chateaurenard
About La Madeleine
The Carreto Ramado, a unique tradition in France
The Carreto Ramado — the "decorated float" in Provençal — is the symbol of the Fete de la Madeleine in Chateaurenard. Created in the 17th century to celebrate the development of irrigation which gave birth to market gardening and fruit growing, the Carreto Ramado is the only decorated float in Provence to be secular and republican. Decorated with 3,000 red gladioli and the finest fruits of the region, it carries the bust of Marianne and parades through the village streets, pulled by 60 draft horses harnessed in the sarrasine style, to the sound of La Marseillaise and L'Internationale.
Six days of popular celebration
The Fete de la Madeleine is much more than the corso of the Carreto Ramado: for six days in early August, Chateaurenard comes alive with popular festivities blending bullfighting traditions, music, gastronomy, and conviviality. The bandidos and abrivados — bull drives by horsemen — roam the village streets, Camargue bullfights take place in the arenas, and a bullfight concludes the bullfighting part of the festival.
Bulls, bodegas, and fireworks
The evenings are enlivened by the bodegas on Cours Carnot, with concerts, DJs, and a festive atmosphere. Petanque competitions, the funfair on Allées Marcel Jullian, and family entertainment punctuate the days. Fireworks light up the Chateaurenard sky, while peñas and brass bands parade through the streets in a Provençal fair atmosphere.
A centuries-old heritage
The Fete de la Madeleine in Chateaurenard is one of the oldest votive festivals in Provence, celebrated uninterruptedly since the 17th century. The Carreto Ramado, inscribed in the commune's cultural heritage, is the expression of a strong local identity, where agriculture, the republic, and Provençal conviviality meet in a single celebration. Each year, the passage of the float through the streets of Chateaurenard on Sunday morning is a moment of emotion and pride for the inhabitants.
La Madeleine — edition 2026
2026 edition of the Fête de la Madeleine in Châteaurenard, the town's great votive festival, from Friday, July 31st to Wednesday, August 5th, 2026. On the program: the Carreto Ramado procession on Sunday, abrivados and Camargue races in the arenas, the bullfight on Tuesday, August 4th, bodegas and concerts on Cours Carnot, the funfair, and numerous family activities.
The Fête de la Madeleine 2026 in Châteaurenard
The Fête de la Madeleine 2026 takes place from Friday, July 31st to Wednesday, August 5th, 2026 in Châteaurenard. For six days, the city center and the arenas vibrate to the rhythm of bullfighting traditions, bodegas, and popular entertainment.
The most emblematic moment remains the Carreto Ramado procession, which parades on Sunday, August 2nd (first Sunday of August) through the village streets: an immense cart decorated with 3,000 red gladioli, pulled by 60 draft horses harnessed à la sarrasine, carrying the bust of Marianne, to the sound of the Marseillaise. This secular and republican tradition, unique in France, celebrates the development of irrigation and market gardening in the Durance valley.
The week is punctuated by abrivados, Camargue races, and the corrida on Tuesday, August 4th, in the arenas. Bodegas, concerts, and DJs liven up Cours Carnot, while the funfair and children's games complete the program.
Programme La Madeleine 2026
Friday, July 31st, 2026
- Opening of the votive festival · Funfair
- Evening: Bandido festival around the arenas · bull-pool
- Bodegas, concerts and DJs on Cours Carnot
Saturday, August 1st, 2026
- Morning: Abrivados in the city center streets
- Entertainment, games and aperitifs · bodegas
Sunday, August 2nd, 2026 — Carreto Ramado Procession
- 11:00 AM: Madeleine cart parade (Carreto Ramado) — 3,000 red gladioli, 60 draft horses, bust of Marianne — city center
- Noon: Cart exhibition
- Afternoon: Camargue race in the arenas
Monday, August 3rd, 2026
- Evening: Bull bandido · Olympiads
- Bodegas and concerts on Cours Carnot
Tuesday, August 4th, 2026 — Corrida
- Morning: Long abrivado from Mas des Bayles
- 6:00 PM: Corrida in the arenas — six bulls from ganadería San Sebastian · El Rafi (Nîmes), Ismael Martín and Nino Julian
- Evening: Associations parade · bodegas
Wednesday, August 5th, 2026 — Closing
- Children's entertainment · Camargue race in the arenas
- Evening: Grand closing fireworks display
Program reconstituted based on the recurring edition and the confirmed 2026 bullfighting poster. Timetables and the precise list of manades will be published by the City of Châteaurenard closer to the festival.
Highlights La Madeleine 2026
- Carreto Ramado procession: cart with 3,000 red gladioli pulled by 60 horses, bust of Marianne (Sunday, August 2nd)
- Corrida on Tuesday, August 4th: ganadería San Sebastian, El Rafi · Ismael Martín · Nino Julian
- Abrivados and Camargue races throughout the week
- Bodegas, concerts, and funfair
Prices La Madeleine 2026
Practical information — La Madeleine
Practical Information
Access
The festival takes place in the Chateaurenard town center, 13160.
- By car: Access via the D28 from Avignon (10 km) or the D99 from Saint-Remy (10 km).
- By bus: Bus lines from Avignon and Arles.
Schedules
- Festivities over six days, from Friday to Wednesday.
- Corso of the Carreto Ramado on Sunday at 11 am.
- Funfair continuously on Allées Marcel Jullian.
Prices
- Corso and street entertainment: free
- Bullfight: paid
Contact
- Website: chateaurenard.com
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Where does it take place — La Madeleine
Centre-ville de Chateaurenard
Cours Carnot, 13160 Chateaurenard