Fête du Biou de Vadans
Ancestral wine tradition in the wine-growing village of Vadans
2026
About Biou de Vadans
Biou de Vadans — edition 2026
The Fête du Biou de Vadans returns on Sunday, September 27, 2026, the Sunday following Saint-Maurice, patron saint of the winegrowing village. At the heart of this ancestral winegrowing tradition of the Jura, the winemakers carry in procession the Biou — a giant cluster of 80 to 100 kg assembling the most beautiful grapes of the harvest — to the church, where it is blessed and then hoisted into the choir.
The Biou de Vadans 2026
The Fête du Biou de Vadans takes place on Sunday, September 27, 2026, as part of the patron saint festival of Saint-Maurice. This Jura winegrowing tradition, shared with Arbois, Pupillin, and Montholier, makes the giant cluster — the Biou — the symbol of the winemakers' gratitude for the harvest.
An Ancestral Procession
The Biou, composed of a mixture of white and black grapes and weighing 80 to 100 kg, is carried by several men during a procession led by the brass band (the Jamois de Tourmont in recent years). The procession, gathering elected officials, fruit guardians, grape bearers, and schoolchildren in costume, ascends from the top of the village to the church. The cluster is blessed there and hoisted into the choir, followed by a religious service and then a republican ceremony (laying of a wreath at the war memorial, Marseillaise sung by the children, mayor's speech).
The festival is organized by the municipality of Vadans. The Jura Biou is also France's candidate for UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Highlights Biou de Vadans 2026
- Ancestral wine tradition
- Procession of the Biou
- UNESCO candidate
Programme Biou de Vadans 2026
The municipality has not yet published the 2026 schedule as their website is currently under reconstruction. The program below reflects previous editions; please confirm details with the town hall at 03 84 66 22 01.
The day before
- Assembly of the Biou at the Espace Liberté, near the tree of the same name: winemakers mount the finest grapes from the harvest onto a frame, mixing white and red varieties. The finished cluster weighs between 80 and 100 kg.
Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Morning — Procession from the top of the village to the church, led by the Jamois de Tourmont brass band. Four local youths carry the Biou, accompanied by the fruit-guarding winemakers; school children in costume lead the procession, carrying baskets and hods filled with grapes.
- At the church — Blessing of the grape cluster, which is then hoisted into the chancel, followed by Mass for Saint Maurice, the patron saint of Vadans.
- After the service — Republican ceremony: wreath-laying at the war memorial, La Marseillaise sung a cappella by the school children, and a speech by the mayor.
Prices Biou de Vadans 2026
Practical information — Biou de Vadans
Practical Information
Location
The Fête du Biou takes place in Vadans (39600), a small wine-growing village located 5 km from Arbois.
Dates
The Fête du Biou de Vadans takes place every year on the 4th Sunday of September.
Prices
Free admission.
Access
- By car: Vadans is located 5 km from Arbois and 50 km from Besançon. Parking in the village.
Contact
Mairie de Vadans. Coeur du Jura Tourist Office: 03 84 73 01 34.
Vadans, land of winegrowers
The small village of Vadans, nestled in the heart of the Jura vineyards a few kilometers from Arbois, perpetuates one of the oldest wine traditions in France each year: the Fête du Biou. In this village where vines have been cultivated for centuries, winegrowers keep alive this ancestral gesture of offering and gratitude to the nurturing earth.
The Biou, mirror of the harvest
The Biou is a giant bunch weighing between 80 and 100 kg, composed of the finest grapes from the harvest brought by each winegrower in Vadans. Its size and appearance are a true indicator of the quality of the year's harvest: a generous and colorful Biou announces a promising grape harvest, while a more modest Biou testifies to a difficult year for the vineyard.
The Biou ceremony
On the fourth Sunday of September, Vadans celebrates its Fête du Biou according to a ritual passed down from generation to generation:
- Crafting the Biou: winegrowers gather to assemble the finest bunches on a wooden frame, forming the giant bunch.
- Procession: the Biou is carried in procession through the village streets to the church.
- Mass and offering: the Biou is hung in the nave of the church and offered to the patron saint of the parish.
- Moment of conviviality: after the ceremony, residents and visitors share a festive moment around Vadans wine.
A living tradition
In Vadans, as in Arbois, Pupillin, and Montholier, the Biou defies time and turbulence. Despite climatic hazards, wine crises, and societal changes, the winegrowers of Vadans continue each year to perpetuate this symbolic gesture that unites the wine-growing community around its land and heritage. The joint application to UNESCO in 2026 could consecrate this tradition internationally.
Where does it take place — Biou de Vadans
Biou de Vadans in brief
History of Biou de Vadans
Edition 2025 Sep 2025Other festivals near Vadans
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