Foire aux Côtelettes - Fête de la Saint Michel
The great pastoral festival of Luz-Saint-Sauveur at the foot of the Pyrenees
2026
About Foire aux Côtelettes
Foire aux Côtelettes — edition 2026
The Foire aux Côtelettes (Chop Fair) will take place from October 2nd to 4th, 2026, in Luz-Saint-Sauveur, rather than at the end of September as in previous years. The town has rescheduled the event due to the Pope's visit to Lourdes. The program includes the grand transhumance on Friday evening, the sheep show and farmers' market on Saturday, and brass bands and a festive meal on Sunday.
2026 Edition: New dates for the first weekend of October
The Luz-Saint-Sauveur town hall announced in June that the Foire aux Côtelettes is moving from its traditional late-September slot to October 2nd–4th, 2026. This change is due to the Pope's visit to Lourdes and the logistical arrangements required for the occasion. The town communicated the change early to ensure residents, exhibitors, professionals, and visitors could plan accordingly.
Three days celebrating the Barèges-Gavarnie AOP lamb
The festival kicks off on Friday, October 2nd, at 6:00 PM with the grand transhumance starting from the Astès district, followed by the official opening at 6:45 PM and an evening under the marquee with Toy Zic, Les Fantaskes, and DJ Bury. Saturday, October 3rd, features the farmers' market at Place du Marché, sheep displays and an agricultural competition at Place Saint-Clément, sheepdog and shearing demonstrations, a petting zoo at Parc Massoure, the donkey race in Esquièze-Sère, and fireworks launched from Château Sainte-Marie at 10:30 PM. On Sunday, October 4th, brass bands will play around the marquee from 10:00 AM, followed by a festive meal hosted by Patricia Armary.
On Saturday (lunch and dinner) and Sunday lunch, everyone brings their own chops to grill under the marquee. The fair attracts approximately 10,000 visitors over the weekend.
Highlights Foire aux Côtelettes 2026
- Grand transhumance on Friday, October 2nd at 6:00 PM, departing from the Astès district
- Sheep presentation and agricultural competition on Saturday, October 3rd at 10:00 AM, Place Saint-Clément
- Grand donkey race through the streets of Esquièze-Sère on Saturday, October 3rd at 6:00 PM
- Fireworks launched from Château Sainte-Marie on Saturday, October 3rd at 10:30 PM
- Festive meal hosted by Patricia Armary on Sunday, October 4th from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM under the marquee
Programme Foire aux Côtelettes 2026
Friday, October 2, 2026
- 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM — Official fair sales point · Tourist Office, 20 Place du 8 mai
- 6:00 PM — Grand transhumance, departing from the Astès district above the Balcons de l'Yse (follow signs)
- 6:45 PM — Official opening of the fair
- From 7:00 PM — Evening under the marquee featuring a full lamb-themed menu
- 7:00 PM — Concert by Toy Zic · Marquee
- 9:00 PM — Les Fantaskes · Marquee
- 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM — DJ Bury · Marquee
Entertainment, concerts, and refreshments throughout the village.
Saturday, October 3, 2026
- 8:30 AM — Cycling gathering, Route Jacques Doudhain in Esquièze-Sère. This is the Randonnée des côtelettes souvenir Jacques Dhoudain: a round trip from the Esquièze-Sère town hall to the village of Gavarnie, with a refreshment stop in Gèdre. Coffee and croustade welcome from 8:00 AM, awards ceremony at 12:15 PM followed by a reception hosted by Cyclo Toy. This is not a race: traffic laws apply. Registration €5, information at 06 15 27 79 62.
- 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM — Official fair sales point · Tourist Office stand, Place Saint-Clément
- 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM — Farmers' market · Place du Marché
- 10:00 AM — Sheep presentation and agricultural competition · Place Saint-Clément
- 10:00 AM — Sheepdog and sheep shearing demonstrations
- 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM — Petting zoo · Parc Massoure
- 11:00 AM — Traditional songs performed by children from the Luz-Saint-Sauveur school
- 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM — Official fair sales point · Tourist Office stand, entrance to Place du 8 mai
- 2:00 PM — Wooden games for children · Parc Massoure
- 6:00 PM — Grand donkey race through the streets of Esquièze-Sère
- 7:00 PM — Musical battle in front of the PMU
- 10:30 PM — Fireworks launched from Château Sainte-Marie, courtesy of the Esquièze-Sère town hall
Entertainment, concerts, and refreshments throughout the village until 2:00 AM.
Sunday, October 4, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Brass bands around the marquee and throughout Luz
- 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM — Official fair sales point · Tourist Office stand, in front of the marquee
- 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM — Festive meal hosted by Patricia Armary · Marquee
Ongoing
- Grilling: On Saturday (lunch and dinner) and Sunday lunch, bring your own chops to grill under the marquee.
- Fair merchandise available at Tourist Office stands: posters, eco-cups, and scarves.
Prices Foire aux Côtelettes 2026
Meals and grilling under the marquee: paid, prices not yet published.
Randonnée des côtelettes souvenir Jacques Dhoudain (Saturday, October 3rd): €5 registration fee.
Fair posters, eco-cups, and scarves available for purchase at Tourist Office stands.
Practical information — Foire aux Côtelettes
Practical Information
Location
Center of the village of Luz-Saint-Sauveur (65120), in the streets and under a marquee.
Access
By car: Luz-Saint-Sauveur is located 30 km south of Lourdes via the D921. Free parking.
By bus: Regular lines from Lourdes and Tarbes.
Prices
Free access to street entertainment, transhumance, and competitions. Meals and grills are paid.
Contact
- Luz-Saint-Sauveur Tourist Office
- Phone: 05 62 92 30 30
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.luz.org
Foire aux Côtelettes: the shepherds' festival in Luz-Saint-Sauveur
Every end of September, Luz-Saint-Sauveur hosts one of the oldest and most popular pastoral festivals in the Pyrenees: the Foire aux Côtelettes, also known as the Fête de la Saint Michel. This event, whose origins date back to 1371, celebrates the return of the flocks from the summer pastures and the end of the transhumance season.
A living centuries-old tradition
Originally, the fair was the time when shepherds came back down to the village to sell their sheep. The treaty of the Duke of Anjou of 1371 established this annual fair on September 1st, but as the flocks did not descend from the summer pastures until the end of the month, the date was quickly set for Saint Michael's Day (September 29th).
Three days of popular celebration
Today, the Foire aux Côtelettes has become a major three-day popular festival: transhumance in the streets of Luz, parades of bandas, béret tossing, donkey races, sheep competitions, demonstrations of sheepdogs and shearing, entertainment in the bistros and under a marquee.
AOP Barèges-Gavarnie lamb in the spotlight
It is an opportunity to taste the famous AOP Barèges-Gavarnie lamb, a symbol of still-living mountain agriculture. The giant grills, the local producers' market, and the festive meals highlight this exceptional product and the pastoral know-how of the Pays Toy.
Where does it take place — Foire aux Côtelettes
Foire aux Côtelettes in brief
History of Foire aux Côtelettes
Edition 2025 Sep 2025Other festivals near Luz-Saint-Sauveur
Festival-goer reviews
No review yet. Be the first!
No rating yet — be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community
Have you spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every suggestion is reviewed by our team before publication.
Festival-goer photos
No photo yet. Share yours!
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)