Tournois de Joutes de Sète
Languedocian jousting season in Sète, Hérault — from April to September
2026
About Tournois de Joutes de Sète
Tournois de Joutes de Sète — edition 2026
2026 Season of the Sète Jousting Tournaments: from April 1st to September 12th, 2026, all the Languedoc jousting tournaments follow one another on the Canal Royal and in the maritime districts of Sète, culminating in the Saint-Louis Festival from August 19th to 25th, 2026 (282nd edition).
2026 Sète Jousting Tournament Season
The 2026 Languedoc-style jousting season in Sète kicks off on April 1st with the Moussaillons Challenge, featuring cart jousting during the Escale à Sète event, and concludes on September 12th, 2026, with the French Championship at Quai Maximin-Licciardi. In between, enjoy six months of tournaments hosted by Sète's jousting societies under the patronage of the City of Sète and the Coordination des Joutes Sétoises.
2026 Season Schedule
- April 1st and 4th — Moussaillons Challenge and René Zardoni Challenge, during Escale à Sète.
- June 12th-21st — Pointe-Courte Festival and A.J. Pointe-Courte tournaments, starting at Pointe-Courte then moving to the Cadre Royal.
- June 23rd-28th — Jeune Lance Sétoise Festival, from Place de l'Hospitalet to the Cadre Royal.
- July 2nd-6th — A.P.S.M Saint-Pierre Festival, Quai Maximin-Licciardi, a tribute from fishing families.
- July 8th-12th — Pavois d'Or at the Cadre Royal, one of the summer's major highlights.
- July 14th — Di Stefano Night Tournament at the Cadre Royal, a spectacular night tournament under floodlights.
- July 22nd-26th — L.A. Sète tournaments, from Quai Mas-Coulet to the Cadre Royal.
- July 29th - August 2nd — École de Joutes de la Marine de Sète tournaments and Hérault Cup, Quai Maximin-Licciardi.
- August 4th-9th — Avenir des Jouteurs Sétois Week, at Les Quilles.
- August 19th-25th — Saint-Louis Festival, 282nd edition, the peak of the season.
- August 26th-30th — L.S.S tournaments, from La Plagette to the Cadre Royal.
- September 5th and 12th — French Cup and French Championship, Quai Maximin-Licciardi.
The Saint-Louis Festival 2026, the Season's Highlight
The 282nd edition of the Saint-Louis festival takes place from Wednesday, August 19th to Tuesday, August 25th, 2026, featuring Robert Combas as the guest of honor and an official poster designed by Magali Réthoré, selected from 136 entries in the first open poster competition. The official opening will be held at Place Léon-Blum on Wednesday at 7:30 PM, followed by the return of the Grand Prix cycling race after a twenty-year hiatus.
Jousting tournaments will follow daily at the Cadre Royal: youth and jousting schools on Thursday afternoon, the Press and Personalities tournament and the women's tournament on Thursday at 9:15 PM, juniors and the Gaston-Macone Gold Cup on Friday, middleweights on Saturday at 2:00 PM, juniors and middleweights on Sunday at 2:30 PM, and the legendary Heavyweight Grand Prix on Monday, August 24th at 2:30 PM.
Alongside the jousting, the week features the Waiters' Race, boules competitions, the 105th Sète Swimming Crossing on Monday morning, the traditional Rowing Night on Sunday evening, nightly concerts in the city squares, the Incandescences Sète pyromelodic show on Saturday at 10:30 PM on the Maison Régionale de la Mer basin, and the grand closing fireworks display on Tuesday, August 25th at 10:00 PM from the breakwater.
Highlights Tournois de Joutes de Sète 2026
- 2026 season running from April 1st to September 12th: over fifty Languedoc-style jousting tournaments in Sète
- Saint-Louis Festival from August 19th to 25th, 2026, 282nd edition, with Robert Combas as guest of honor
- Saint-Louis Grand Prix, the heavyweight tournament, on Monday, August 24th at 2:30 PM at the Cadre Royal
- Incandescences Sète, a unique pyromelodic show, on Saturday, August 22nd at 10:30 PM at the Maison Régionale de la Mer
- 105th Sète Swimming Crossing on Monday, August 24th at 9:00 AM and the return of the Grand Prix cycling race on Wednesday, August 19th
- French Cup on September 5th and French Championship on September 12th, Quai Maximin-Licciardi
- Free access to all tournaments and almost all entertainment
Programme Tournois de Joutes de Sète 2026
April 2026 — Season Opener during Escale à Sète
- Wed, April 1st · 9:30 AM — Moussaillons Challenge, cart jousting · parade on Quai du Maroc followed by the tournament and awards ceremony at the Grande Scène Patrick-Denain
- Sat, April 4th · 5:00 PM — René Zardoni Challenge, Languedoc-style jousting · Quai Aspirant-Herber
June 2026 — Pointe-Courte (AJPC) and Jeune Lance Sétoise
- Fri, June 12th · 7:00 PM — Season Opening · A.J. Pointe-Courte
- Sat, June 13th · 2:30 PM — Jousting Schools · Pointe-Courte · A.J. Pointe-Courte
- Sun, June 14th · 3:00 PM — Juniors · Pointe-Courte · A.J. Pointe-Courte (parade departs from Pointe-Courte at 10:30 AM)
- Fri, June 19th · 6:00 PM — Cart jousting · Place de la République · A.J. Pointe-Courte
- Fri, June 19th · 6:30 PM — Jeune Lance Sétoise Tournament
- Sat, June 20th · 2:30 PM — Seniors · Cadre Royal · A.J. Pointe-Courte (parade from City Hall at 2:00 PM → Cadre Royal)
- Sun, June 21st · 3:00 PM — Heavyweights · Cadre Royal · A.J. Pointe-Courte (parades from Les Halles at 11:00 AM → City Hall, then City Hall at 2:30 PM → grandstands)
- Tue, June 23rd · 6:00 PM — Cart jousting · Place de l'Hospitalet · J.L.S
- Wed, June 24th · 3:00 PM — Jousting Schools · Cadre Royal · J.L.S
- Thu, June 25th · 6:30 PM — Juniors · Cadre Royal · J.L.S (parade from grandstands → Place de l'Hospitalet at the end of the tournament)
- Sat, June 27th · 2:30 PM — Seniors and Women's tournament · Cadre Royal · J.L.S (parade from Place de l'Hospitalet at 2:00 PM → grandstands)
- Sun, June 28th · 3:00 PM — Heavyweights · Cadre Royal · J.L.S (parades from Cimetière Marin at 10:45 AM → Place de l'Hospitalet, then Place de l'Hospitalet at 2:30 PM → grandstands)
July 2026 — Saint-Pierre, Pavois d'Or and L.A. Sète
- Thu, July 2nd · 6:00 PM — Cart jousting · Fish Market (Criée) · A.P.S.M
- Thu, July 2nd · 8:00 PM — Juniors · Quai Maximin-Licciardi · A.P.S.M
- Sat, July 4th · 2:30 PM — Seniors · Quai Maximin-Licciardi · A.P.S.M
- Sun, July 5th · 3:00 PM — Heavyweights · Quai Maximin-Licciardi · A.P.S.M (parade at 9:45 AM from Quai Maximin-Licciardi → Fish Market)
- Mon, July 6th · 2:30 PM — Jousting Schools · Quai Maximin-Licciardi · A.P.S.M
- Wed, July 8th · 2:30 PM — Jousting Schools · Cadre Royal · Pavois d'Or
- Thu, July 9th · 6:00 PM — Cart jousting · Headquarters of the École de Joutes de la Marine de Sète · Pavois d'Or
- Fri, July 10th · 7:00 PM — Juniors · Cadre Royal · Pavois d'Or
- Sat, July 11th · 2:30 PM — Seniors · Cadre Royal · Pavois d'Or (parade from Rue d'Alsace-Lorraine at 2:15 PM → grandstands)
- Sun, July 12th · 3:00 PM — Heavyweights · Cadre Royal · Pavois d'Or (parades from Théâtre Molière at 10:45 AM → City Hall, then City Hall at 2:30 PM → grandstands)
- Tue, July 14th · 9:00 PM — Di Stefano Night Tournament · Cadre Royal · J.L.S (parade from Café Social at 8:00 PM → Cadre Royal)
- Fri, July 17th · 1:30 PM — Jousting Schools · Cadre Royal · A.J. Pointe-Courte
- Fri, July 17th · 6:30 PM — Firefighters' Tournament · Quai A.-Merle (parade from Théâtre Molière at 6:00 PM → Bar le Chaland)
- Wed, July 22nd · 2:30 PM — Jousting Schools · Quai Mas-Coulet · L.A. Sète
- Thu, July 23rd · 6:00 PM — Juniors · Quai Mas-Coulet · L.A. Sète
- Fri, July 24th · 6:00 PM — Cart jousting · Théâtre Molière · L.A. Sète
- Sat, July 25th · 2:30 PM — Seniors · Cadre Royal · L.A. Sète (parade from Bar le Cristal at 2:00 PM → Cadre Royal)
- Sun, July 26th · 3:00 PM — Heavyweights · Cadre Royal · L.A. Sète (parades from Bar le Cristal at 11:00 AM, then Bar le Cristal at 2:45 PM → grandstands)
- Wed, July 29th · 3:00 PM — Jousting Schools · Quai Maximin-Licciardi · École de Joutes de la Marine de Sète
- Thu, July 30th · 6:00 PM — Cart jousting · Headquarters of the École de Joutes de la Marine de Sète
Early August 2026 — Hérault Cup and Avenir des Jouteurs Sétois
- Sat, August 1st · 3:00 PM — Hérault Cup, jousting schools · Quai Maximin-Licciardi (parade from EJMS headquarters at 2:30 PM → Quai Maximin-Licciardi)
- Sun, August 2nd · 3:00 PM — Jousting Schools · Quai Maximin-Licciardi · École de Joutes de la Marine de Sète (parade from Chapelle des Pénitents at 10:30 AM → EJMS headquarters)
- Tue, August 4th · 4:00 PM — Jousting Schools · Les Quilles · Avenir des Jouteurs Sétois
- Tue, August 4th · 6:00 PM — Cart jousting · Les Quilles · Avenir des Jouteurs Sétois
- Wed, August 5th · 3:00 PM — Jousting Schools · Les Quilles · Avenir des Jouteurs Sétois
- Fri, August 7th · 8:00 PM — Juniors · Les Quilles · Avenir des Jouteurs Sétois
- Sat, August 8th · 2:30 PM — Seniors · Les Quilles · Avenir des Jouteurs Sétois
- Sun, August 9th · 3:00 PM — Heavyweights · Les Quilles · Avenir des Jouteurs Sétois
August 19-25, 2026 — Saint-Louis Festival, 282nd Edition
- Wed, August 19th · 7:30 PM — Official opening of the festival · Place Léon-Blum
- Wed, August 19th · 8:30 PM — Saint-Louis Grand Prix Cycling Race, night criterium · Avenue Victor-Hugo
- Wed, August 19th · 9:30 PM — DJ 2Fik · Forecourt of the Théâtre Molière
- Thu, August 20th · 2:30 PM — Youth and jousting schools tournaments · Cadre Royal
- Thu, August 20th · 5:45 PM — Start of the junior jousters' parade
- Thu, August 20th · 9:15 PM — Press and Personalities Jousting Tournament and Women's Tournament, 19th edition · Cadre Royal
- Fri, August 21st · 9:30 AM — Lyonnaise boules competition
- Fri, August 21st · 11:00 AM — Poster signing session · Les Halles
- Fri, August 21st · 2:30 PM — Junior tournament · Cadre Royal
- Fri, August 21st · 9:00 PM — Gold Cup, Gaston-Macone Challenge · Cadre Royal
- Sat, August 22nd · 10:00 AM — Waiters' Race (Course des Cafés)
- Sat, August 22nd · 2:00 PM — Middleweight tournament · Cadre Royal
- Sat, August 22nd · 4:00 PM-8:00 PM — Free children's entertainment · Esplanade Aristide-Briand
- Sat, August 22nd · 10:30 PM — Incandescences Sète, 40-minute pyromelodic show · Maison Régionale de la Mer basin
- Sun, August 23rd · 9:00 AM — Oval boules competition
- Sun, August 23rd · 10:15 AM — Grand parade of junior, middleweight, and heavyweight jousters
- Sun, August 23rd · 11:00 AM — Saint-Louis High Mass
- Sun, August 23rd · 2:30 PM — Junior and middleweight tournaments · Cadre Royal
- Sun, August 23rd · 8:30 PM — Rowing Night, 31st traditional rowing championship
- Mon, August 24th · 9:00 AM — 105th Sète Swimming Crossing
- Mon, August 24th · 2:30 PM — Saint-Louis Grand Prix, heavyweight tournament · Cadre Royal (parade departs from City Hall at 2:00 PM)
- Mon, August 24th · 8:30 PM — Jean-Dumas Lyric Gala · Parc Simone-Veil
- Tue, August 25th · 8:30 PM — Ball with the Goldstar Orchestra · Promenade Jean-Baptiste-Marty
- Tue, August 25th · 10:00 PM — Grand closing fireworks display · Breakwater (Brise-lames)
Late August 2026 — L.S.S Tournaments
- Wed, August 26th · 6:00 PM — Cart jousting · La Plagette · L.S.S
- Thu, August 27th · 2:30 PM — Jousting Schools · Cadre Royal · L.S.S
- Fri, August 28th · 9:00 PM — Juniors · Cadre Royal · L.S.S
- Sat, August 29th · 2:30 PM — Seniors · Cadre Royal · L.S.S (parade at 2:00 PM → grandstands)
- Sun, August 30th · 3:00 PM — Heavyweights · Cadre Royal · L.S.S (parades from Bar de la Marine at 11:00 AM → City Hall, then City Hall at 2:30 PM → grandstands)
September 2026 — National Competitions
- Sat, September 5th · 2:30 PM — French Cup, all categories · Quai Maximin-Licciardi (parade at 2:00 PM)
- Sat, September 12th · 2:30 PM — French Championship, all categories · Quai Maximin-Licciardi (parade departs from City Hall at 2:00 PM)
Prices Tournois de Joutes de Sète 2026
Practical information — Tournois de Joutes de Sète
Practical Information
Main Venue
Cadre Royal — 8 Quai de la Résistance, 34200 Sète, located between the Pont de la Civette and the Pont de la Savonnerie. Other tournaments take place at Pointe-Courte, Quai Maximin-Licciardi, Place de la République, Place de l'Hospitalet, Les Quilles, Quai Mas-Coulet, La Plagette, Quai A.-Merle, and Quai Aspirant-Herber.
Access
Sète is accessible by train (Sète SNCF station, Bordeaux–Marseille line), by car (A9 motorway, exit 33 or 34), and by bus from Montpellier or Béziers. During festivals, traffic around the Canal Royal is restricted: we recommend parking on the outskirts and using the shuttle services provided by the city. During the Fêtes de la Saint-Louis, a dedicated shuttle system is available at saintlouis-en-bus.com.
Schedule
Afternoon tournaments generally begin between 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM, while evening tournaments (the nuitées) start around 9:00 PM. They are usually preceded by a parade starting 30 to 60 minutes earlier. Please check the official calendar published annually by the City of Sète for the exact times of each tournament.
Admission
Access to all tournaments throughout the season is completely free, including the grandstands, with no tickets or reservations required.
Contact and Information
Sète Tourist Office — 60 Grande Rue Mario Roustan, 34200 Sète — +33 (0)4 99 04 71 71 — [email protected]
Sète Town Hall — +33 (0)4 99 04 70 00
Official tournament calendar: sete.fr
Official website for Languedoc jousting: joutes.com
Sète Jousting Tournaments — Annual Season
The Sète Jousting Tournaments are one of the most iconic cultural events for both the city of Sète and the Hérault department in the Occitanie region. Practiced in Sète since the port's founding in 1666, this Languedoc-style jousting pits two competitors against each other, standing on the tintaine (platform) of red and blue boats. Armed with a wooden lance and a shield, they attempt to knock their opponent into the water to the sound of oboes and drums.
A season spanning from April to September
The jousting season in Sète is not just a single event; it is a packed calendar of successive tournaments organized by local jousting societies—Amicale des Jouteurs de la Pointe-Courte (A.J.P.C), Jeune Lance Sétoise (J.L.S), Amicale des Pêcheurs Sète Môle (A.P.S.M), École de Joutes de la Marine de Sète (E.J.M.S), L.A. Sète, Avenir des Jouteurs Sétois (A.J.S), and L.S.S—under the guidance of the Coordination des Joutes Sétoises, the Occitanie Jousting League, and the French Federation of Jousting and Nautical Sports. Each society hosts its own week of tournaments, ranging from youth training events to the heavyweight competitions, which usually take place on Sundays.
Major seasonal highlights
- April — The Moussaillons Challenge (cart jousting) and the René Zardoni Challenge during the Escale à Sète festival, marking the symbolic start of the season.
- June — The Pointe-Courte Festival hosted by the A.J.P.C, followed by the Jeune Lance Sétoise Festival, moving from Place de l'Hospitalet to the Cadre Royal.
- July — The Saint-Pierre Festivals on Quai Maximin-Licciardi, a tribute from fishing families, followed by the Pavois d'Or at the Cadre Royal, the Nuitée Di Stefano on July 14th, and the L.A. Sète tournaments.
- August — Tournaments by the École de Joutes de la Marine and the Hérault Cup, the Avenir des Jouteurs Sétois week at Les Quilles, the Fêtes de la Saint-Louis (the season's peak, with the heavyweight Grand Prix on Monday), and finally the L.S.S tournaments.
- September — The French Cup and French Championship on Quai Maximin-Licciardi, marking the national close of the season.
The Cadre Royal, the jousting arena
Most major tournaments take place at the Cadre Royal, the historic section of the Canal Royal between the Pont de la Civette and the Pont de la Savonnerie. Starting in June, this area is transformed into a nautical arena with grandstands set up right at the water's edge. This is where the Pavois d'Or, the Coupe d'Or, and the Grand Prix de la Saint-Louis are contested. Other events are held in the maritime neighborhoods—Pointe-Courte, Quai Maximin-Licciardi, Place de la République, Place de l'Hospitalet, Les Quilles, Quai Mas-Coulet, and La Plagette—giving the season a popular, city-wide atmosphere.
A living tradition embraced by the entire city
Registered in the French Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Sète Languedoc-style jousting draws thousands of spectators to the quays every summer. Tournaments are preceded by costumed parades, led by oboe and drum players, marching from the town hall, the covered market (Halles), or the Marine Cemetery to the stands. The jousting schools, present throughout almost every week of the season, ensure the tradition is passed down to the next generation. The event is supported by the City of Sète and Sète Agglopôle Méditerranée, in close collaboration with local jousting societies and sports federations.
Where does it take place — Tournois de Joutes de Sète
Tournois de Joutes de Sète in brief
History of Tournois de Joutes de Sète
Edition 2025 Jun 2025Other festivals near Sète
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