La Rue des Enfants - Montcuq Street Arts Festival
Street arts festival for young and old in Montcuq
2026
About La Rue des Enfants
La Rue des Enfants — edition 2026
La Rue des Enfants returns to Montcuq-en-Quercy-Blanc on Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13, 2026, for its 17th edition. On the program: 50 performances over the weekend in the courtyards, alleys, and squares of the old village, plus 4 weekday shows for local nurseries and preschools. Featuring street theater, clowns, puppetry, object theater, dance, circus, and music, with Steeve (Cie Les Barjes) on Saturday evening and free concerts by Les Frères Pouetards and DJ Laser under the big top.
La Rue des Enfants 2026: 17th edition on September 12 and 13
The Lézard de la Rue association is organizing the 17th edition of the Montcuq Street Arts Festival on Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The program features 50 performances over the weekend and 4 weekday shows reserved for local nursery and preschool children: street theater, clowns, puppetry, object theater, dance, circus, and music.
The shows take place in thirteen locations throughout the old village: the Festival Village and its big top, the Maison d'Enfants stadium and main courtyard, three middle school courtyards, the Jardin des Consuls, the Place de la Halle aux Grains, the Place de la République, the Promenade, and two rooms for toddlers, Salle Saint-Paul and the Town Hall room.
Two new features this year: for the first time, the festival is scheduling an evening show, Steeve by Cie Les Barjes, on Saturday at 8:30 PM at the Maison d'Enfants stadium. It is also opening La Parenthèse with Le Bilboquet, the Anglars-Juillac social center: a space for welcoming, listening, and sharing for the whole family, open both days. Several street shows are free, as are the two Saturday night concerts under the big top.
Ticket offices are located at the Festival Village, on the tower esplanade, and at the town hall, Place des Consuls, at the bottom of the village. The three indoor shows for toddlers have limited capacity: tickets must be booked on-site, 30 minutes before each performance.
The association has been organizing this festival since 2009 and runs theater workshops in Montcuq and artist residencies at the CRAB, its artistic residency center in Belmontet, throughout the rest of the year. It has 160 members, 17 board members, and 150 volunteers.
Highlights La Rue des Enfants 2026
- Steeve, Cie Les Barjes — first evening show scheduled by the festival, Saturday at 8:30 PM at the Maison d'Enfants stadium
- Les Frères Pouetards, Toulouse brass band — 4 free performances, including the concert under the big top on Saturday at 9:30 PM
- DJ Laser, Cie Vol à l'Étalage — Saturday night closing act, 10:30 PM under the big top, free
- Les Misérables, Cie Accord des On — 5 actors playing 27 characters, 85 min, Saturday and Sunday
- Le Cirque des puces savantes, Lot et Compagnie — fairground sideshow in a miniature big top, 8 sessions over the weekend
- Three indoor shows for toddlers from age 1 (Là, Monsieur, Volatile Ombré), 12 sessions by reservation
- La Parenthèse, new family space run with Le Bilboquet, Anglars-Juillac social center
Programme La Rue des Enfants 2026
Saturday, September 12, 2026 — All-ages performances
- 10:00 AM — Cyclose, Cie Margo Gram (34) · String puppets · All ages · 30 min · Festival Village Big Top · Free show
- 10:30 AM — Contes du bout du chemin, Roberte Lamy (46) · Storytelling · Ages 8+ · 50 min · Jardin des Consuls
- 10:30 AM — Le Cirque des puces savantes, Lot et Compagnie (46) · Fairground sideshow · Ages 4+ · 20 min · Middle School Upper Courtyard entrance · Booking from 10:00 AM
- 11:30 AM — Faudrait pas rester plantés là, Cie La Folle Allure (26) · Acrobatic bike duo · All ages · 50 min · Maison d'Enfants Stadium
- 12:00 PM — Le Cirque des puces savantes, Lot et Compagnie (46) · Middle School Upper Courtyard entrance · Booking from 11:30 AM
- 12:30 PM — Mon Aile, Cie Yi Fan (31) · Intimate human circus · Ages 7+ · 45 min · Maison d'Enfants Main Courtyard
- 2:00 PM — Histoire d'une mouette & du chat qui lui apprit à voler, Cie La Bouillonnantes (13) · Theater and accordion · Ages 6+ · 50 min · Place de la Halle aux Grains
- 2:00 PM — Le Cirque des puces savantes, Lot et Compagnie (46) · Middle School Upper Courtyard entrance · Booking from 1:30 PM
- 2:00 PM — Cyclose, Cie Margo Gram (34) · Jardin des Consuls
- 3:00 PM — Hors Sol – De la forêt au béton, Dakipaya Danza (30) · All-terrain dance · All ages · 45 min · Middle School Small Courtyard
- 3:00 PM — Virils, Cie Les Barjes (76) · Street theater · All ages · 60 min · Place de la République · Free show
- 4:00 PM — Les Misérables, Cie Accord des On (38) · Street theater · Ages 8+ · 85 min · Maison d'Enfants Main Courtyard
- 4:00 PM — Le Cirque des puces savantes, Lot et Compagnie (46) · Middle School Upper Courtyard entrance · Booking from 3:30 PM
- 4:15 PM — Cyclose, Cie Margo Gram (34) · Promenade · Free show
- 5:00 PM — Maison(s), Cie La belle Journée (81) · Object theater · Ages 6+ · 45 min · Middle School Small Courtyard
- 6:00 PM — Les Tapas, Carnage Productions (31) · Street theater, silent burlesque · Ages 6+ · 45 min · Maison d'Enfants Stadium · Note: "Program change"
- 7:00 PM — Les Frères Pouetards (31) · Brass swing and ska-rock · 60 min · Festival Village · Free concert
- 8:30 PM — Steeve, Cie Les Barjes (76) · Rock'n'Circus · All ages · 50 min · Maison d'Enfants Stadium
- 9:30 PM — Les Frères Pouetards (31) · Festival Village Big Top · Free concert
- 10:30 PM — DJ Laser, Cie Vol à l'Étalage (30) · Festival Village Big Top · Free concert
Saturday, September 12, 2026 — Toddler indoor shows
Limited capacity, mandatory booking on the day at the venue entrance, 30 minutes before the show.
- 10:00 AM — Là, Cie Les soleils piétons (34) · Puppet cartoon · Ages 1+ · 25 min · Town Hall Room · Booking from 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM — Volatile Ombré, Cie La Rotule (46) · Overhead projector shadows, music and singing · Ages 1+ · 30 min · Salle Saint-Paul · Booking from 9:45 AM
- 11:15 AM — Là, Cie Les soleils piétons (34) · Town Hall Room · Booking from 10:45 AM
- 11:30 AM — Volatile Ombré, Cie La Rotule (46) · Salle Saint-Paul · Booking from 11:00 AM
- 3:30 PM — Monsieur, Cie Les soleils piétons (34) · Puppet cartoon · Ages 2+ · 30 min · Town Hall Room · Booking from 3:00 PM
- 3:45 PM — Volatile Ombré, Cie La Rotule (46) · Salle Saint-Paul · Booking from 3:15 PM
Sunday, September 13, 2026 — All-ages performances
- 10:00 AM — Contes du bout du chemin, Roberte Lamy (46) · Storytelling · Ages 8+ · 50 min · Jardin des Consuls
- 10:30 AM — Cyclose, Cie Margo Gram (34) · String puppets · 30 min · Maison d'Enfants Main Courtyard
- 10:30 AM — Le Cirque des puces savantes, Lot et Compagnie (46) · Middle School Upper Courtyard entrance · Booking from 10:00 AM
- 10:30 AM — Les Frères Pouetards (31) · Montcuq Market, Place de la République · Free concert
- 11:15 AM — Maison(s), Cie La belle Journée (81) · Object theater · Ages 6+ · 45 min · Middle School Small Courtyard
- 11:30 AM — Virils, Cie Les Barjes (76) · Street theater · All ages · 60 min · Maison d'Enfants Stadium
- 12:00 PM — Mon Aile, Cie Yi Fan (31) · Intimate human circus · Ages 7+ · 45 min · Maison d'Enfants Main Courtyard
- 12:00 PM — Cyclose, Cie Margo Gram (34) · Jardin des Consuls
- 12:00 PM — Le Cirque des puces savantes, Lot et Compagnie (46) · Middle School Upper Courtyard entrance · Booking from 11:30 AM
- 12:30 PM — Les Frères Pouetards (31) · Festival Village · Free concert
- 2:00 PM — Histoire d'une mouette & du chat qui lui apprit à voler, Cie La Bouillonnantes (13) · Theater and accordion · Ages 6+ · 50 min · Place de la Halle aux Grains
- 2:00 PM — Cyclose, Cie Margo Gram (34) · Jardin des Consuls
- 2:00 PM — Le Cirque des puces savantes, Lot et Compagnie (46) · Middle School Upper Courtyard entrance · Booking from 1:30 PM
- 2:30 PM — Les Misérables, Cie Accord des On (38) · Street theater · Ages 8+ · 85 min · Maison d'Enfants Main Courtyard
- 2:30 PM — Les Tapas, Carnage Productions (31) · Street theater, silent burlesque · Ages 6+ · 45 min · Maison d'Enfants Stadium · Note: "Program change"
- 3:00 PM — Hors Sol – De la forêt au béton, Dakipaya Danza (30) · All-terrain dance · 45 min · Middle School Small Courtyard
- 3:30 PM — Le Cirque des puces savantes, Lot et Compagnie (46) · Middle School Upper Courtyard entrance · Booking from 3:00 PM
- 4:30 PM — Faudrait pas rester plantés là, Cie La Folle Allure (26) · Acrobatic bike duo · 50 min · Maison d'Enfants Stadium · Final show
Sunday, September 13, 2026 — Toddler indoor shows
- 10:00 AM — Monsieur, Cie Les soleils piétons (34) · Puppet cartoon · Ages 2+ · 30 min · Town Hall Room · Booking from 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM — Volatile Ombré, Cie La Rotule (46) · Overhead projector shadows, music and singing · Ages 1+ · 30 min · Salle Saint-Paul · Booking from 9:45 AM
- 11:15 AM — Monsieur, Cie Les soleils piétons (34) · Town Hall Room · Booking from 10:45 AM
- 11:30 AM — Volatile Ombré, Cie La Rotule (46) · Salle Saint-Paul · Booking from 11:00 AM
- 3:15 PM — Là, Cie Les soleils piétons (34) · Puppet cartoon · Ages 1+ · 25 min · Town Hall Room · Booking from 2:45 PM
- 3:30 PM — Volatile Ombré, Cie La Rotule (46) · Salle Saint-Paul · Booking from 3:00 PM
Ongoing, Saturday and Sunday: The Festival Village
Free access to all Festival Village activities.
- All day — La Parenthèse, with Le Bilboquet, Anglars-Juillac social center (46): a welcoming space for resources, listening, and sharing for the whole family, focusing on emotions, consent, "caring," and "living together." New for 2026.
- All day — Le Schmilblick Club, Victor Betti (31): a carousel featuring figures from the 50s to the 70s, an interactive show blending theater, song, poetry, dance, and improvisation.
- Sunday 10:30 AM-12:00 PM, 1:00 PM-2:30 PM and 3:00 PM-4:30 PM — Circus workshop with Les Cas du Cyrque, Vallée du Lot circus school: juggling, object balancing, acrobatic course, supervised by qualified instructors · Festival Village Big Top
- Duck fishing workshop on waste sorting, with Syded du Lot · Ages 4+
- Radio set with Antenne d'Oc, open to young reporters: interviews with artists, organizers, and the public, in partnership with the MECS of Montcuq – Les Apprentis d'Auteuil
- Wooden games with La Bateleuse
- Board games with the Jeux & Compagnie toy library in Montcuq
- Festival pub and partner food stalls: Balinese, Thai, and African cuisine, vegetarian crepes and galettes, organic sorbets and ice lollies, Liège waffles
Weekdays
Four additional performances are scheduled at Salle Saint-Paul for local nursery and preschool children. These are not open to the public.
Prices La Rue des Enfants 2026
Late Saturday (from 2:30 PM): €12 adult / €8 child · reduced rate €6 adult / €4 child
Late Sunday (from 1:30 PM): €12 adult / €8 child · reduced rate €6 adult / €4 child
Weekend pass: €29 adult / €19 child · reduced rate €15 adult / €10 child
Steeve show, Saturday 8:30 PM: €10 adult / €5 child · reduced rate €5 adult / €3 child · free for holders of a day, late, or weekend pass
Saturday evening from 9:30 PM: free
Free for children under 2. Child rate for ages 2 to 12. Reduced rate with proof: students, social minimum recipients, unemployed.
Festival Village activities are free to access.
On-site ticket offices: Festival Village (tower esplanade) and town hall, Place des Consuls.
Practical information — La Rue des Enfants
Practical Information
Dates and Times
The festival takes place on the second weekend of September, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. On Saturday evening, the day continues with a show followed by two concerts under a big top.
Pricing
Admission is ticketed, with options for day passes, evening-only entry, or full weekend passes. There is a child rate for ages 2 to 12, and a reduced rate upon presentation of proof for students, social welfare recipients, and the unemployed. Admission is free for children under 2. Current year pricing is available on the event page. Activities in the Festival Village are free to access, and several street performances are also free of charge.
Ticketing
There are two on-site ticket offices: the Festival Village on the esplanade by the tower, and the town hall (mairie) at Place des Consuls, at the bottom of the village. Indoor shows for toddlers have limited capacity; tickets must be reserved on the day of the performance, 30 minutes before each show, at the venue entrance.
Access
Performances take place in the courtyards, narrow streets, and squares of the old village in Montcuq, 46800 Montcuq-en-Quercy-Blanc. The village is closed to traffic during the festival, and signposted parking areas are available at the west, east, and south entrances.
By car: Montcuq is located on the D653, between Cahors (30 km) and Lauzerte (20 km).
Food and Drink
The festival bistro serves local products, prioritizing organic or sustainably sourced items: sausage-in-a-bun and sausage-and-fries combos, organic beer from the Lot region, organic fruit juices, and local wines. Partner chefs run stalls in the Festival Village, and the village's restaurants, bistros, and tea rooms remain open. The festival is eco-certified: reusable tableware is encouraged, water bottles are welcome, and recycling bins are provided on-site.
Accommodation
Montcuq and the Quercy Blanc area offer numerous gîtes, a hotel, a paid motorhome area, and a free campsite. For information, contact the Cahors – Vallée du Lot Tourist Office at 05 65 22 94 04 or visit www.cahorsvalleedulot.com. The Montcuq Tourist Office is located at 3 rue du faubourg Saint-Privat.
Contact
Association Lézard de la Rue, mairie de Montcuq, place des Consuls, 46800 Montcuq-en-Quercy-Blanc.
Phone: 07 68 32 96 76
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.lezarddelarue.org
A street arts festival born in Montcuq in 2009
Since 2009, the association Lézard de la Rue has organized La Rue des Enfants, Montcuq's street arts festival, every year. Born from the desire to bring culture to life in this medieval village in Quercy Blanc, the festival has grown over the years to become a must-attend event of the back-to-school season in the Lot department and beyond.
Every second weekend of September, the alleys, courtyards, and squares of the old village of Montcuq are transformed into open-air stages. For two days, about fifteen professional French and European companies take over the town to offer around forty performances accessible to all ages, from 6 months old.
A demanding and eclectic multidisciplinary program
The program for La Rue des Enfants is both eclectic and demanding. The festival explores all facets of live performance in public spaces: street theater, puppetry and object theater, new circus, dance, storytelling, musical shows, improbable clowns, and wild fanfares. Each edition features a carefully selected artistic lineup, mixing discoveries with established companies from the street arts scene.
The shows unfold in various locations within the historic village, creating a natural flow between performances. On Saturday evening, a concert under a big top extends the celebration and brings together festival-goers of all ages in a friendly atmosphere.
The Children's Village: a space dedicated to the youngest
True to its name, La Rue des Enfants places young spectators at the heart of the festival. Between shows, children can enjoy the Children's Village, an activity area featuring circus workshops, wooden games, and activities offered by local village associations: DIY, reading, board games, and manual crafts. Shows specifically designed for toddlers complete the program, allowing families to share moments of artistic discovery together.
An eco-responsible festival rooted in its territory
La Rue des Enfants is committed to an eco-responsible approach, encouraging festival-goers to become true eco-festival-goers. The on-site bar and catering prioritize products from local Quercy Blanc agriculture, thus supporting regional producers.
With nearly 3,000 spectators welcomed each year, the festival actively contributes to the cultural and economic dynamism of Montcuq-en-Quercy-Blanc. The Lézard de la Rue association also conducts cultural activities throughout the year, including theater workshops for children, teenagers, and adults, as well as artist residencies at the CRAB (Centre de Résidence Artistique de Belmontet), which opened in 2019 in a former school made available by the municipality.
Montcuq-en-Quercy-Blanc: a medieval setting for street arts
The festival's setting is an integral part of its magic. Montcuq, a medieval village perched in the Quercy Blanc region of the Lot, offers an exceptional natural backdrop for street arts. Its cobbled alleys, shaded squares, and the Nino Ferrer esplanade all serve as open-air stages where companies can showcase their art up close to the audience. The beauty of the site and the warm atmosphere of the village make La Rue des Enfants a unique festival experience, halfway between artistic discovery and heritage exploration.
Where does it take place — La Rue des Enfants
La Rue des Enfants in brief
Other festivals near Montcuq-en-Quercy-Blanc
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