U Luddareddu
Porto-Vecchio tradition of July 31st: cremation of the Luddareddu, a straw effigy allegorical of the month of July.
About U Luddareddu
U Luddareddu is a lively and festive tradition of Porto-Vecchio celebrated every year on the night of July 31st to mark the end of the month. Luddareddu means "little July" in Corsican: it is a small straw man who embodies the past month, symbolically judged and then burned in the public square amidst a festive atmosphere mixed with irony and sarcasm.
A Secular Tradition of Porto-Vecchio
The Luddareddu, represented by a straw man, is an allegory of the month of July — the month when the population of Porto-Vecchio once endured the strongest heat and engaged in forced labor: stripping and lifting cork, haymaking, threshing wheat, harvesting salt. The inhabitants also had to face malaria epidemics that long plagued the coast.
A Symbolic Trial and Cremation
The end of the month gave rise to an explosion of collective joy. A celebration where irony and sarcasm reign: after a purely formal trial, the population hangs and then burns the effigy to symbolically drive away the evil it represents.
The Contemporary Program
The tradition is perpetuated every July 31st with various popular activities: donkey rides, workshops for making mini-luddareddi (with the Corsica Bella association), a parade through the streets, the burning of the Luddareddu in the Place de la République, and an open-air concert open to all.
U Luddareddu — edition 2026
2026 edition of the Festa di U Luddareddu in Porto-Vecchio on Friday, July 31, 2026: donkey rides, mini-luddareddi workshop with Corsica Bella, parade and burning of the Luddareddu on Place de la République, followed by a concert by the group A Vadina. Free event, open to all.
2026 Edition — Friday, July 31
The Festa di U Luddareddu will take place on Friday, July 31, 2026 in Porto-Vecchio. As every year, the evening perpetuates the tradition of burning the straw man who embodies the past month, with a day of family activities beforehand and an open-air concert to conclude the evening.
A Free and Friendly Festival
The event is free and open to all audiences, organized by the City of Porto-Vecchio in partnership with the Corsica Bella association and the Tourist Office. Meet at Place de la République and Place Général Henri Giraud, in the heart of the salt city.
Programme U Luddareddu 2026
Friday, July 31, 2026
- 4:00 PM – 8:30 PM — Donkey rides (family activity)
- 6:00 PM — Mini-luddareddi making workshop with the Corsica Bella association
- 9:00 PM — Parade through the city center streets and burning of the Luddareddu
- 9:30 PM — Concert by the group A Vadina · Place de la République
Program communicated by the Porto-Vecchio Tourist Office — subject to minor changes, to be confirmed early July.
Highlights U Luddareddu 2026
- Emblematic tradition of Porto-Vecchio perpetuated every July 31
- Spectacular burning of the straw effigy in the heart of the city center
- Open-air concert by the Corsican group A Vadina to conclude the evening
- Family activities (donkeys, workshops) throughout the afternoon
- Completely free event
Prices U Luddareddu 2026
Practical information — U Luddareddu
Location
Place de la République and Place Général Henri Giraud, Porto-Vecchio city center (Portivechju).
Access
Free, open-air event, open to all. Public parking in the city center (marina and city center car parks, paid during the summer season).
Information
Porto-Vecchio Tourist Office (rue du Général Leclerc) — Tel. 04 95 70 09 58. Porto-Vecchio Town Hall — Tel. 04 95 70 95 30.
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Where does it take place — U Luddareddu
Place de la République
Place de la République, 20137 Porto-Vecchio, 20137 Porto-Vecchio