From Sanxay's Gallo-Roman open-air opera to the heritage-listed Pastorale Souletine, our picks of events and festivals in Nouvelle-Aquitaine for August 8-9, 2026.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine has no shortage of events and festivals for the weekend of August 8-9, 2026: an open-air opera inside Roman ruins, a royal pageant in Pau, a century-old bullring in the Landes, or a forest turned into a concert venue for one weekend only. Our pick of the weekend is the Pastorale Souletine, a Basque-language mystery play listed on France's inventory of intangible cultural heritage, which wraps up its annual run precisely this Sunday. Across the Vienne, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the Landes, where do you even start on a region this size? Here are ten picks spanning the region north to south, running 8-9 August 2026 (08/08/2026).
Sanxay revives open-air opera
The Gallo-Roman theatre of Sanxay, in the Vienne, reopens on August 8 for the Soirées Lyriques: a full-scale opera staged in front of ancient ruins. Founded in 2000 by Christophe Blugeon, the festival has grown into France's third-largest open-air opera event, drawing close to 10,000 spectators across the run thanks to the site's natural acoustics and international casts. Performances continue through August 12. The Soirées Lyriques de Sanxay offer a backdrop few French festivals can match: genuine Roman remains, with no added scenery.
Libourne turns into an open-air stage for Fest'Arts
In Libourne, Gironde, street performers take over the town for Fest'Arts, which wraps up its run on Saturday, August 8. Since 1991, around a hundred French and international companies have staged more than a hundred free shows: theatre, dance, circus, clown acts, brass bands. Fest'Arts remains one of the region's longest-running street-arts festivals, with three days of non-stop shows turning the town centre into an open stage.
A medieval mystery play in Basque closes at Mauléon-Licharre
In Mauléon-Licharre, in the Basque Country, the Pastorale Souletine wraps up its tour on Sunday, August 9. This form of open-air popular theatre, performed entirely in the Souletin Basque dialect, descends directly from medieval mystery plays: each year, a different village in Soule rallies to stage a three-hour show combining song, dance and declaimed verse. Listed as intangible cultural heritage in France since 2012, the tradition runs unbroken. The Pastorale Souletine is staged only once a year, in a language rarely heard on any other French stage.
The Quatuor Ébène returns to a Romanesque church for Les Chaises Musicales
In the Romanesque church of Vicq-sur-Gartempe, in the Vienne, the Quatuor Ébène and its guests reunite for Les Chaises Musicales, running August 8-9. Founded in 2008 by the Au Fil des Ondes association under the quartet's artistic direction, this intimate gathering blends classical music, jazz and world music inside a small Romanesque setting built for close listening. Les Chaises Musicales favours proximity between artists and audience over capacity: the church seats only a few rows.
Pau replays the reign of Henri IV
In Pau, the Fête du Roi honours Henri IV from August 7 to 9 around the Château district. Launched in 2024, it unfolds over three themed days — medieval, Renaissance and Béarnaise — with craft markets, costumed parades, fire shows, the king's archers, games of quille de neuf, concerts and banquets. The Fête du Roi is one of the region's youngest heritage festivals: only two editions in, and an entire boulevard is already turned into open-air theatre for the weekend.
The 'Mecca of course landaise' celebrates its century-old bullring
Pomarez, in the Landes, holds its patronal festival from August 7 to 10 inside a covered bullring seating over 3,000, built in 1932. Nicknamed the 'Mecca of course landaise', the town packs in top-level course landaise events, encierros, brass bands, communal meals and street dances. The Fêtes de Pomarez draw as many connoisseurs as curious visitors to this traditional Gascon sport, where the écarteur dodges the cow without ever touching it.
Vizara Festival lights up the Vézère riverbank near Lascaux
In Montignac-Lascaux, Dordogne, the Vizara Festival sets up two evenings of electronic and world music on the banks of the Vézère, on August 7 and 8. Food trucks, craft beer, local artisans and a campsite complete a line-up mixing electronic sounds with music from further afield, just a few kilometres from the Lascaux caves. Vizara Festival bets on its natural riverside setting rather than a big stage.
The 'smallest festival in Europe's largest forest' returns to Lüe
In Lüe, in the Landes, the StockS'WooD Festival returns to the heart of the forest on August 7 and 8. Created in 2023 by the Au Fil des Landes association, it bills itself as 'the smallest festival in the largest forest in Europe' and deliberately caps attendance at 400 people a day. StockS'WooD Festival goes against the grain of the region's big festivals: no giant stage, just an intimate, eco-conscious gathering among the pines of the Landes de Gascogne.
Writers and readers meet at the Salon du Livre de Bugeat
In Bugeat, Corrèze, the Salon du Livre brings together writers and publishers on Saturday, August 8, at the Foyer Rural, as part of the Festival Sport et Culture run by the Amis du Pays de Bugeat association. Creative workshops, readings and the awarding of the Prix Georges-Emmanuel Clancier de la Nouvelle punctuate the day. The Salon du Livre de Bugeat runs for a single day — one of the shortest events on this list, and one of the few devoted entirely to books rather than the stage.
Duras celebrates its wine under the medieval market hall
Under the market hall of the medieval village of Duras, in Lot-et-Garonne, winemakers of the Côtes de Duras appellation open their cellars for Duras Fête son Vin, on August 9 and 10. Tastings, formal inductions by the local wine brotherhood, concerts and family entertainment fill the village streets for two days. Duras Fête son Vin kicks off Sunday, August 9, 2026 — a fitting close to the weekend for anyone who prefers a last glass of wine to a last concert.
Also worth a look
- Toro de Fuego in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques): on Sunday evening, a pyrotechnic wooden bull crosses Place Louis XIV to the sound of Granada's music, a local summer tradition held every Wednesday and Sunday through late August — read more.
- Nocturne Cycliste de Dun-le-Palestel (Creuse): a professional criterium race under the lights on Saturday, August 8, on a 1,500-metre circuit ridden fifty times, drawing 10,000 to 12,000 spectators since 1965 — read more.
- Écofestival Les Carrioles in Flavignac (Haute-Vienne): concerts, circus and a producers' market by the Lac Saint-Fortunat, August 7-9, an eco-minded gathering running since 2011 — read more.
Ten picks, eight départements, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine still hasn't run out of events and festivals for summer 2026. To widen the search across all of France this weekend of August 8-9, head to this weekend's agenda.
