Toros y Salsa

Toros y Salsa: When Bullfighting Meets Salsa

Toros y Salsa is a one-of-a-kind festival, born in 1995 in Dax from the unlikely but successful combination of two passions: bullfighting, a deeply rooted tradition in the Southwest, and salsa, a popular and sunny music from the Caribbean and Latin America.

An Original Dax Creation

The festival was born from the meeting between François Charpentier, a salsa enthusiast since his teenage years, and Pascal Dagès, then president of the Dax festival committee. The city was looking to create a festive event that would extend the August fair while offering a different tempo. The idea emerged to combine bullfighting shows and salsa concerts, creating an original event that has no equivalent in Europe.

Salsa Dura as the Guiding Thread

Toros y Salsa remains the only festival in Europe to maintain salsa dura as its central theme, that authentic and powerful salsa born in the streets of New York and Havana. Each edition presents the different musical genres and styles that formed the common foundation of salsa's origins: son cubano, mambo, guaguancó, bomba, plena, boogaloo, and many other Afro-Caribbean rhythms.

A Three-Day Festive Program

Over three days in September, the program offers a explosive mix:

• Two bullfights and one novillada (bullfight with young bulls) at the Dax arena
• About ten free concerts of Latin music on the Parc des Arènes stage
• A village of casetas (marquees) with a festive atmosphere
• A pintxos competition blending Basque gastronomy and Latin influences
• Salsa, bachata, and other Latin dance classes
• Music workshops and entertainment for all ages
• DJ sets and dance parties

30 Years of Festival in 2025

In 2025, Toros y Salsa celebrated its 30th anniversary with an expanded program and artists from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, and France. Three decades of shared passion between the bullring and the dance floor, between the adrenaline of the ring and the energy of the clave.