Nect'arts Festival

Free circus and street arts festival in Candou Park, Carmaux

Carmaux — Tarn (81) Since 2018
Theatre Street Performance Circus
Nect'arts Festival
Edition
2026
Nect'arts

About Nect'arts

Created in 2018 by the cultural commission of the city of Carmaux in partnership with L'été de Vaour, a conventioned stage, the Nect'arts Festival is a free and family-friendly event dedicated to circus and street arts. Every September, for two days, Candou Park in Carmaux hosts about ten professional companies for about twenty shows of circus, street theater, puppetry, magic, juggling, and clowning, accompanied by concerts, children's workshops, and moments of sharing. The Nect'arts Ségala Tour extends the festival throughout the Carmausin-Ségala region.
Dates 12 Sep — 13 Sep 2026
Location Carmaux (81)
Prices Free
Status
Edition 2026

Nect'arts — edition 2026

The Nect'arts Festival returns for its 8th edition on Saturday, September 12th and Sunday, September 13th, 2026, at the Parc du Candou in Carmaux. Enjoy two days of circus, street arts, theater, puppetry, and music—all completely free and open to everyone—with a special prelude scheduled for September 5th and 6th at Cap'Découverte. The detailed program has not yet been released as of mid-August 2026.

8th edition: September 12th and 13th, 2026, at the Parc du Candou

The dates for the 2026 edition are confirmed. The official poster, unveiled on August 4th, 2026, on the festival's Facebook page, announces the Nect'arts Festival 2026 on September 12th & 13th in Carmaux, at the Parc du Candou, featuring circus, theater, comedy, and music, all marked as "Free". The municipal magazine Regards sur Carmaux no. 93 confirms these dates in its calendar: "September 12th & 13th — Festival, Parc du Candou — Nect'arts Festival".

The festival is organized by the city of Carmaux in partnership with the association L'été de Vaour, a state-subsidized venue, with support from the Tarn Department, the Carmausin-Ségala Community of Communes, Cap'Découverte, and the adda du Tarn.

A prelude at Cap'Découverte on September 5th and 6th, 2026

As in previous years, the festival extends beyond Carmaux: the municipal calendar lists a "Nect'arts Festival Prelude" at Cap'Découverte on September 5th and 6th, 2026, one week before the main two-day event at the Parc du Candou.

Program to be announced

As of mid-August 2026, no detailed program has been published: the nectarts.carmaux.fr mini-site has not been updated since the 2024 edition, and the city has yet to release an official announcement. During the 2024 and 2025 editions, the day-by-day schedule, including performing companies and show times, was released at the end of August on the festival's Facebook page—this remains the best place to check for updates.

Highlights Nect'arts 2026

  • 8th edition on Saturday, September 12th and Sunday, September 13th, 2026, at the Parc du Candou in Carmaux
  • Free admission for all performances
  • Circus, street arts, theater, puppetry, and music for the whole family
  • Festival prelude at Cap'Découverte on September 5th and 6th, 2026
  • Detailed program not yet published as of mid-August 2026

Prices Nect'arts 2026

Completely free festival. Catering on-site.
Practical information

Practical information — Nect'arts

Practical Information

Access

The festival takes place at Candou Park, in Carmaux (81400), about 20 km north of Albi.

  • By car: From Albi, take the D600 towards Carmaux (approx. 25 minutes). From Toulouse, take the A68 then the D600 via Albi (approx. 1h15).
  • By train: Carmaux station on the Toulouse-Rodez line (approx. 1h30 from Toulouse).

Prices

Completely free festival. All shows are free access.

Catering

Refreshments and catering available on-site.

In case of rain

Possible relocation to the François Mitterrand hall for some shows.

Regulations

  • Dogs prohibited within the festival grounds
  • Family-friendly festival accessible to all ages

Nect'arts: Circus and Street Arts in Carmaux

The Nect'arts Festival was born in 2018 from the desire of the city of Carmaux to create a popular, free, and family-friendly cultural event, rooted in the Candou district. In partnership with L'été de Vaour, a conventioned stage in the Tarn region, and with the support of Point de Fût, Clap Actions, Clap Ciné, and the Scène nationale d'Albi, the festival has established itself in a few editions as a must-attend event for the cultural season in the north of Tarn.

A Completely Free Circus and Street Arts Festival

Nect'arts' philosophy is based on total freeness and accessibility for all audiences. For two days, Candou Park, a green oasis in the heart of Carmaux, transforms into a playground for circus and street arts companies. The shows — contemporary circus, street theater, puppetry, magic, juggling, clowning, acrobatics — follow one another from morning to evening, offering families a journey of artistic discovery filled with good humor and wonder.

The Nect'arts Ségala Tour: Culture Beyond Carmaux

Since 2021, the festival has been extended through the Nect'arts Ségala Tour, a touring initiative that brings companies to the rural communes of Carmausin-Ségala. Villages, towns, and hamlets host free street performances, allowing residents furthest from cultural centers to experience quality artistic moments. This territorial expansion reflects the festival's ambition to democratize access to live culture.

Workshops, Concerts, and Shared Moments

Beyond the shows, Nect'arts offers creative workshops for children, a reading corner hosted by the Carmaux media library, evening concerts mixing rock, hip-hop, jazz, and blues, and on-site catering. The atmosphere is that of a reinvented village festival, where circus and street arts create moments of intergenerational sharing.

Where does it take place — Nect'arts

Parc du Candou
Parc du Candou, 81400 Carmaux

Nect'arts in brief

Theatre Street Performance Circus Contemporary Circus Dance Comedy Family Outdoor Free International Tarn

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Contact Nect'arts
Tel 05 63 80 22 50

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