Les Rues' Cambolesques

A festival that celebrates the street

Since 2021, Les Rues' Cambolesques has established itself as the essential summer event for the people of Castres and the Tarn region. Every year, on the first weekend of July, the city center is transformed: squares, esplanades, and parks become the backdrop for an eclectic program dedicated to street arts, accessible to all and entirely free.

The festival owes its catchy name to the Castres tradition of cambolous, those winding and picturesque alleys that snake through the old quarters of the city. A mischievous nod that perfectly illustrates the spirit of the festival: to surprise the public around a street corner, where they least expect it.

About twenty shows for all tastes

Each edition offers about twenty shows spread over a week, highlighting the diversity of disciplines. Throughout the evenings, the public discovers street theater companies from all over France, jugglers and acrobats from the circus, festive musicians, interactive magicians, hip-hop dancers, and even fire shows that illuminate the Castres night.

Among the companies and artists who have marked past editions, we can mention:

• Compagnie Ekart and its unforgettable Dodos, an offbeat procession with giant birds through the streets
• Compagnie Fusion Arts and its pyrotechnic show Firefly, mixing fire, circus, and light
• Grupo Puja and Verne, an aerial odyssey in the universe of Jules Verne
• Peaky Bikers, the acrobatic BMX collective that gets the audience on their feet
• Compagnie Doun and its El Famoso, an irresistible burlesque magician
• Cirque Hirsute and Cosmicomics, a cosmic machine powered by two breathtaking acrobats
• Olivier Palmer, gentleman juggler, and his Formidable journey through the history of juggling
• Compagnie Wab & Étincelles and the Street Soul Train, the first funk concert danced in procession
• Les Frères Jacquard and their Ze New Bamboche, a hilarious musical comedy
• The fire shows Caldera and Fuego, which close the evenings in style

Three open-air stages in the heart of Castres

The festival takes over several emblematic locations in the center of Castres:

• Place Jean-Jaurès: the large central square, the beating heart of the festival, hosts the most popular shows and processions
• The Parvis du Théâtre (Esplanade of the municipal theater): a more structured stage area, ideal for circus and theater shows requiring a bit more staging
• Place Soult: a historic small square in the old town, perfect for intimate performances and acrobatic arts
• Parc Briguiboul: a green setting for family and outdoor shows
• Place Pierre-Fabre: a new space used for large aerial performances

This variety of locations invites the public to wander freely through the city, to compose their own evening according to the shows and discoveries.

A popular and family-friendly festival

One of the major assets of Les Rues' Cambolesques is its total accessibility: all shows are completely free, without reservation. The festival is designed to be experienced as a family, with shows suitable for young audiences during the day and more contemporary or evening performances at night.

Street arts have this unique magic of spontaneously bringing together spectators from all walks of life, creating encounters between the artist and the passerby, between the performance and the city. Les Rues' Cambolesques have fully embraced this philosophy: here, no ticket or reserved seat is needed — just be there, curious and available.

Organized by the City of Castres

The festival is organized by the Theater–Associations–Animations Service of the City of Castres, in conjunction with Castres Événements, the municipal structure dedicated to the animation and cultural life of the city. This institutional anchoring guarantees the event's sustainability and its integration into Castres' summer cultural programming, alongside the Guinguette des Bords d'Agout, À Portée de Rue (open-air classical music), and Couleurs du Monde.