Uzeste Musical
La Hestejada de las Arts, festival of jazz and improvisation in Sud-Gironde
2026
About Uzeste Musical
Uzeste Musical — edition 2026
The 2026 edition will not be held in Uzeste. The 49th Hestejada de las arts has been banned from the village by the prefectural decree of August 4, 2026, and municipal decree No. 29/2026 of August 5, due to the risk of forest fires. Uzeste Musical is moving the event to two neighboring towns: Wednesday, August 19 in Bazas, at the town hall market hall, followed by Thursday, August 20, Friday, August 21, and Saturday, August 22 in Saint-Macaire. The events scheduled for August 17 and 18 have been cancelled. The new program will be published on August 15, 2026, at uzeste.org.
2026 Edition: Banned in Uzeste, relocated to Bazas and Saint-Macaire
The 49th Hestejada de las arts will take place on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, in Bazas (at the town hall market hall), followed by Thursday, August 20, Friday, August 21, and Saturday, August 22 in Saint-Macaire. No events will be held in Uzeste. The venues in Saint-Macaire include the village hall (salle des fêtes), Café Caboulot, Café la Belle Lurette, the media library courtyard, the courtyard and tower of the Château de Tardes, La Carrière, and the Place de l'Horloge.
Why the festival is changing locations
The prefectural decree of August 4, 2026, placed the Gironde department on orange alert for forest fire risks, banning festive, sporting, and cultural events in high-risk areas of forest-dominated municipalities—affecting 159 towns in the department. On August 5, the mayor of Uzeste, Fabrice Quennet, issued decree No. 29/2026, prohibiting "all gatherings and events on any public property within the territory of the commune of Uzeste until August 31, 2026," as well as the use of the village hall and the collegiate church, excluding religious ceremonies.
"It's banned in Uzeste, but not cancelled"
On August 7, the Uzeste town hall announced the "cancellation of the 49th Uzeste Festival," citing the prefectural decree. In a statement on August 11, the Uzeste Musical team challenged this wording: "You may certainly forbid the event from taking place on public property within the commune, but it is not your place to decide on a cancellation." They described the decision as "brutal" and noted that the festival had already been reconfigured in 2022.
The reorganization was carried out in four to five days, whereas it usually takes three weeks. Bernard Lubat told Sud Ouest that the festival was shortened from eight to four days and that about three-quarters of the roughly 350 expected artists had to be cancelled. The opening day in Bazas is an invitation from the local municipality, in tribute to the firefighters and volunteers who mobilized during the Saumos fire. Saint-Macaire will host the following three days.
Highlights Uzeste Musical 2026
- Wednesday, August 19, Bazas, town hall market hall, 9:00 PM — Bernard Lubat, "Cela va sans 'incendire'", followed by the concert test match "La musique que je préfère le rugby" with François Corneloup and Émile Rameau (flat rate €15)
- Thursday, August 20, Saint-Macaire, village hall, 9:30 PM — "Lo huec es dins la lenga" (Loubère/Lubat) and "Cahier d'un retour au pays natal" by Serge Teyssot-Gay, Marc Nammour, and Cyril Bilbeaud
- Friday, August 21, village hall, 9:30 PM — double concert Abuz d'ici trio and Papanosh "Yes I are", followed by the Jazz bal musette dance at 12:30 AM
- Saturday, August 22, village hall, 9:00 PM — Chansons enjazzées by Bernard Lubat and Tandem… André Minvielle / Lionel Suarez, before the grand final dance at 11:00 PM
- Friday, August 21, 10:00 AM — conference/debate "L'incendie et après ?" with the SDIS 33, the Sud-Gironde Living Forest Collective, the CGT, and the Mayor of Uzeste
Programme Uzeste Musical 2026
Program republished by Uzeste Musical on August 15, 2026, following the relocation. It replaces the schedule previously announced for Uzeste from August 17 to 22: the events of August 17 and 18 will not take place.
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 — Bazas
A preview of the 49th Hestejada de las arts. A tribute to the firefighters and the solidarity of local citizens who spontaneously assisted them.
- 9:00 PM — Cela va sans "incendire" · Bazas Town Hall Market Hall · musical show (flat rate €15) — Bernard Lubat (accordion, vocals, piano, spoken word): "Enjazzées" songs, Occitan lyrics set to traditional jazz standards, and "Concerto pour piano brûlant," an original musical composition about current events.
- 9:00 PM — La musique que je préfère le rugby · Bazas Town Hall Market Hall · concert test match between François Corneloup (saxophone), Bernard Lubat (synthesizer piano), and Émile Rameau (drums, percussion).
Thursday, August 20, 2026 — Saint-Macaire
- 10:00 AM — Ça fait longtemps que ça dure · Village Hall · meeting — opening of the festivities with the municipality, the residents of Saint-Macaire, and the Cie Lubat.
- 10:30 AM — Urgences poïélitiques · Village Hall · oval table discussion — with Nathalie Garraud and Olivier Saccomano (co-directors of the Théâtre des 13 vents, CDN of Montpellier), the Parti collectif, Timo Metzemakers (CGT spectacle representative), and François Mary (distribution manager, Nouvelle Aquitaine situation).
- 12:30 PM — Les tambours du bourg · Café Caboulot · apéro tempo.
- 2:30 PM — Pourvu que ça dure · Château de Tardes Tower · screening (63 min) — documentary by Francis Lacroix (2022), a tribute to Pierre Scheidt, former stage manager and artist with the Cie Lubat, and co-founder of the Fifres de Garonne festival.
- 4:00 PM — Carton rouge · Media Library Courtyard · concert (pay what you want) — Liam Szymonik (sax), Émile Rameau (drums).
- 4:00 PM — Un rayon vert dans la nuit · La Carrière · concert/show (pay what you want) — by the Lumpen Cie with Myriam Roubinet, Martine Amanieu, Laure Duthilleul. Followed by 120 à la noire, composed and performed by Yoann Scheidt (drums, percussion, lyrics, electronic circuits).
- 5:30 PM — La décision · Château de Tardes Courtyard · theater, staged reading — by the Higher School of Actors of the Royal Conservatory of Liège.
- 7:00 PM — Direct du soir · Café la Belle Lurette · radio broadcast — from the public kiosk, by the Collectif Radio Uz.
- 7:30 PM — Les sous fifres de saint Pierre · Place de l'Horloge · tradicolo aperitif.
- 8:00 PM — Instit'hutte de planctonologie appliquée · Château de Tardes Tower · experiment'action (pay what you want) — a proposal by the association "Les Chaudrons" and the cooperative "Les mutins de Pangée," with André Minvielle, Marina Jolivet, Olivier Azam, and Martin Lartigue.
- 9:30 PM — Village Hall · poetic enjazzement (prices: €20/€25) — Lo huec es dins la lenga, Loubère/Lubat, an Occitan improvisation duo, followed by Cahier d'un retour au pays natal with Serge Teyssot-Gay (guitar), Marc Nammour (recitation), and Cyril Bilbeaud (drums).
- 11:30 PM — Mc Ker.6 · Café la Belle Lurette · trad oc machine — an unbridled avatar of Bastien Fontanille.
Friday, August 21, 2026 — Saint-Macaire
- 9:30 AM — Dormir debout · Café la Belle Lurette · Radio Uz — morning radio performance in public, by Kostia Chaix and Ilan Gratini (Radio Canut).
- 10:00 AM — L'incendie et après ? · Village Hall · conference/debate — with the Sud-Gironde Living Forest Collective, Djibril Cissé-Junior (General Secretary SDIS 33), Stéphane Obé (UD CGT 33), Jérôme Cassaing (CGT Nouvelle Aquitaine manager), Fabrice Quennet (Mayor of Uzeste), Séverine Hubert (anesthetist nurse), and Alain Delmas (CGT activist, President of Uzeste Musical).
- 12:30 PM — Brio trio · Café Caboulot · apéro furioso — Fawzi Berger, Fabrice Vieira, and François Corneloup, acoustic, without electricity.
- 2:30 PM — Michel Portal… "Quelques notes sur la Liberté" · Château de Tardes Tower · screening — film by Benjamin Delattre (2025) about Michel Portal, 54 min.
- 4:00 PM — Karavel · Media Library Courtyard · concert (pay what you want) — Carole Corade (guitar), Marie Delbousquet (cello), Karen Juan (vocals), Arnaud Juan (guitar), Benjamin Payen (violin), Yoann Scheidt (percussion).
- 4:00 PM — Seul à seul · La Carrière · concert (pay what you want) — François Corneloup (saxophone).
- 5:30 PM — Miroir d'Orient · Château de Tardes Courtyard · concert (pay what you want) — Beñat Achiary (vocals), Bruno Maurice (accordion).
- 7:30 PM — C'est oui · location to be determined · theater (pay what you want) — Louis Lubat (writing, direction), Robin Roman-Valussi (dramaturgy), Lucas Bouissou, Margot Reboulin, Louis Paris, Nelly Pons (acting), Lola Calvet (music).
- 8:30 PM — Direct du soir · Café la Belle Lurette · radio broadcast — from the public kiosk, by the Collectif Radio Uz.
- 9:30 PM — Village Hall · double concert (prices: €20/€25) — Abuz d'ici trio with Louis Lubat (drums), Fabrice Vieira (guitar, vocals, sampler), Bernard Lubat (piano, synthesizer, garage vocals); then Papanosh "Yes I are" with Quentin Ghomari (trumpet and slide trumpet), Raphaël Quenehen (alto and tenor saxophones), Sébastien Palis (piano and mellotron), Thibault Cellier (double bass), Jérémie Piazza (drums).
- 12:30 AM — Jazz bal musette · Village Hall · dance — Michel Macias (accordion, vocals), Yoann Scheidt (drums), Éric Duboscq (bass).
Saturday, August 22, 2026 — Saint-Macaire
- 10:00 AM — Brecht pour nos mauvais temps nouveaux · Village Hall · conference — with Olivier Neveux and Marie-José Sirach.
- 12:30 PM — René Martinez, official storyteller of Uzeste Musical · Village Hall · apéro fortissimo — with Mixel Etxekopar (vocals and Basque txirula) and Sylvain Roux (flute and Gascon fife).
- 2:00 PM — Droit d'invention création transartisitique contemporaine en et d'en milieu rural · Village Hall · conference/debate — with Jean-Luc Gleize (President of the Gironde Departmental Council), Joël Brouch (Director of the Nouvelle Aquitaine Regional Office), Fabrice Quennet (Mayor of Uzeste), Sylvain Capelli (Deputy Mayor of Saint-Macaire), Bernard Lubat, Diane Camus (Doctor of Architecture and Landscape), Sébastien Carlier (Culture and Education Manager of the Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park); Marie-Josée Sirach and Olivier Neveux moderating.
- 5:00 PM — Rouge bois mangé recraché · La Carrière · clandestino impro (pay what you want) — Kateb Arbi Anouar (narration), Louis Lubat (drums).
- 5:00 PM — Costa Vieira · Media Library Courtyard · concert (pay what you want) — Fabrice Vieira (guitar, vocals), Fawzi Berger and Jérémie Piazza (drums, percussion, vocals).
- 6:30 PM — Monde grand (excerpts) · Château de Tardes Courtyard · theater (pay what you want) — Nathalie Garraud and Olivier Saccomano with students from the ENSATT in Lyon.
- 7:30 PM — Les Durs à cuivre · Café Belle Lurette · apérodéo — François Corneloup, Raphaël Quenehen, Liam Szymonik, Quentin Ghomari, Franck Assémat.
- 8:30 PM — Direct du soir · Café la Belle Lurette · radio broadcast — from the public kiosk, by the Collectif Radio Uz.
- 9:00 PM — Village Hall · concerts (prices: €20/€25) — Chansons enjazzées by Bernard Lubat and Tandem… André Minvielle / Lionel Suarez.
- 11:00 PM — En grand bal final bio bal sauvage · Village Hall — all together, all dancing, all utopian.
Prices Uzeste Musical 2026
Saint-Macaire, evenings at the village hall (Thursday 9:30 PM, Friday 9:30 PM, Saturday 9:00 PM): €20 or €25.
Pay what you want: concerts and shows at the Media Library courtyard, La Carrière, the courtyard and tower of the Château de Tardes, as well as the theater performance on Friday at 7:30 PM.
The program does not list prices for meetings, conferences, aperitifs, or radio broadcasts.
Practical information — Uzeste Musical
2026 Edition: Bazas and Saint-Macaire, not Uzeste
The 49th Hestejada de las arts is prohibited on public property in Uzeste until August 31, 2026, under municipal decree no. 29/2026 due to the risk of forest fires. The event will take place on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at the Bazas town hall, and from Thursday, August 20 to Saturday, August 22 in Saint-Macaire. No events will be held in Uzeste this year.
Getting there
Uzeste is located about 55 km south of Bordeaux, in the Landes de Gascogne forest, accessible via the A62 motorway and the D8 road. Bazas and Saint-Macaire, which are hosting the 2026 edition, are two neighboring towns in the South Gironde region.
2026 Prices
A flat rate of €15 applies to the evening of August 19 in Bazas. In Saint-Macaire, evening events at the village hall cost €20 or €25, while some concerts and performances are available on a pay-what-you-wish basis.
Contact
Uzeste Musical — Compagnie Lubat de Jazzcogne, Théâtre Amusicien l'Estaminet, 180 rue Faza, 33730 Uzeste. Phone: 05 56 25 38 46. Official website: uzeste.org.
Uzeste Musical, the free spirit of Gascon jazz
Uzeste Musical, officially named La Hestejada de las Arts, is a festival founded in 1978 by musician Bernard Lubat in his native village of Uzeste, in the heart of Sud-Gironde. More than just a music festival, it is a total artistic experience, a space for improvisation, reflection, and transmission.
A unique artistic melting pot
Jazz, popular music, theater, poetry, cinema, performances... each discipline intertwines, giving birth to unprecedented encounters. The festival celebrates improvisation in all its forms and rejects boundaries between artistic genres. Concerts, debates, shows, and workshops are scattered throughout the village's emblematic locations.
Historic venues
The shows take place in unique venues: the Parti Collectif tent, the Estaminet (Bernard Lubat's parents' former café-restaurant transformed into a theater), the Café des Sports, and the magnificent Collégiale d'Uzeste, a jewel of Gothic architecture.
A transgenerational festival
Uzeste Musical is a father-to-son festival, now led by Sylvain Lubat alongside his father Bernard. The festival remains true to its values of sharing, openness, and artistic experimentation.
Where does it take place — Uzeste Musical
Uzeste Musical in brief
Other festivals near Uzeste
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