Looking to discover the traditional summer festivals typical of the South of France? Discover the best ferias in Occitania!
A feria is a very special cultural event. Typical of Spain, Portugal or Latin America, it traditionally refers to a bullfighting festival. And in France, particularly in the Midi region, we’re lucky enough to be able to attend! At any self-respecting feria, people come to party to the sound of « bandas« , small orchestras playing music. Bodegas (street-side bistros) sell tapas, sangrias and spirits of all kinds. The bravest participants come to prove their mettle at bull runs, bullfights and Landes or Camargue races. At ferias in Occitanie, there’s something for everyone! The Occitan region is particularly famous for its unforgettable festivals. With family or friends, Generation Voyage brings you its selection of the best ferias in Occitanie!
1. Feria d’Istres
Photo Credit: Facebook – Arènes d’Istres – Le Palio
Dates: June 19-21, 2020
Istres offers one of the best ferias in Occitanie. It takes place mainly in the Palio bullring, where you can watch spectacular bullfights, and in the city center.
The most renowned bullfighters invite themselves to Istres to the delight of the curious. Istres is also open to more modern festivities with the feria de l’Art, a spin-off event including art exhibitions, music, dance and cinema. This year, the feria d’Istres comes to a close on June 21… yes, for the fête de la musique! The date promises an unforgettable finale and a joyous evening.
Small in size, the feria d’Istres is ideal for a family outing. If you’re visiting the region in June, be sure to pay a visit: you won’t regret it.
2. Grau Festival
Photo Credit: Facebook – Le Grau du Roi Port Camargue
Dates: September 5 to 13, 2020
The summer vacations have come to an end. The mood is gloomy and routine is back… But wait, the start of the new school year also heralds the Fête du Grau, which takes place every year in Le Grau-du-Roi! Over the years, this small fishing village in the Gard region of France has become a leading seaside and tourist resort.
The commune organizes the classic feria activities: abrivado, bandido, bullfighting, water jousting and bal. Easily accessible, it has the advantage of being just a stone’s throw from the beaches. So you can enjoy a refreshing dip in the sea to recover from your exploits.
There’s no doubt that it’s one of the best ferias in France, thanks to its warm atmosphere. Don’t hesitate to come along, with family or friends, to relax and have fun!
3. Feria d’Uzès
Photo credit: Shutterstock – trabantos
Dates: August 7 to 10, 2020
The feria d’Uzès is an absolute must when visiting the Gard department. Over the years, it has become one of the best ferias to attend in Occitanie.
This popular family festival is renowned for its festive and joyous atmosphere. Spectacular Landes races, bullfights and float parades are held here. Artisans from all over the region gather here to offer tastings of local specialities. These are on offer around every corner in the famous bodegas.
Encierros, cow releases, are open to all in Uzès. The aim? Run faster than the speeding cows: you need a good stride to get away from them! Can you do it?
4. Feria de la Crau
Photo Credit: Facebook – Feria de la crau La unica
Dates: April 24-26, 2020
Saint-Martin-de-Crau is a feria mecca, but we don’t know it well enough. Since 1995, the festival committee in charge of organizing this major event has been working hard to keep participants happy. Originally called the Feria des Rameaux, it is now one of the best ferias to be held in Occitanie. With a particular focus on bullfighting, numerous schools come to compete in novilladas, bullfights and other competitions.
For the rest of the festival-goers, encierros, joyful meals and dance evenings are on the program. Particularly well organized, the Crau festivals provide buses, shuttles, camping sites and city services. All you need to do is party merrily into the wee hours of the night, without a care in the world!
5. Saint Vincent festivities in Collioure
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Pani Garmyder
Dates: August 14-18, 2020
This is undoubtedly one of the best ferias to be held in Occitanie: welcome to Collioure ! The Saint Vincent festivities attract some 200,000 people over five days. And yet the town has only 2,600 inhabitants in normal times. Spectacular nautical jousts are organized in the open sea, as well as boat races and altitude dives. Festival-goers parade merrily between typical attractions and tapas bars. They come to laugh, drink and dance to the sound of the bandas in a totally unique atmosphere.
Previously organized around bullfighting, the Saint Vincent festivities now offer a wider variety of activities. Times are changing, and the organizers are well aware of this!
6. Feria d’Arles
Photo Credit: Facebook – Féria Arles
Dates: April 11-13, 2020
There’s no doubt that theArles feria is one of the best ferias to be held in Occitania. In fact, the people of Arles are so fond of ferias that they organize two every year! In the Bouches-du-Rhône commune (the largest in France!), this is just the thing to keep festival-goers happy.
The first feria takes place at Easter and is dedicated to bullfighting. These spectacular fights take place in the city’s Roman amphitheatre. Of course, abrivado, encierro and brass band parades are also on the program. And let’s not forget the Camargue races: a must in this town considered the capital of the Camargue ! For three days, aficionados come to discover the unique cultural heritage of this town in the south of France. Will you be tempted?
7. Nîmes Feria
Photo Credit: Facebook – Nîmes en Féria
Dates: May 29 to June 1, 2020
The feria de Nîmes is to fiesta what the whale is to marine animals: a fiesta behemoth! Nîmes is the prefecture of the Gard department and a Roman city with a long history of customs and traditions. As in Arles, only a few dozen kilometers away, two ferias are organized each year. Pentecost is undoubtedly the most eccentric: tens of thousands of onlookers flock here every year. Nîmes organizes its ferias like a carnival. Processions of merry revelers move slowly along to the sound of bandas as they circle the city!
Concerts, jousting on the canal, a Provencal mass, parades and bullfights are all on offer. Of course, they can also enjoy paellas and aperitifs at the countless bodegas along the way!
8. Béziers Feria
Photo Credit: Facebook – Féria de Béziers
Dates: August 12 to 16, 2020
The Béziers feria has been held every year in mid-August since the 1960s. Aficionados come to enjoy the bodegas and bandas that punctuate their strolls through the town. The feria de Béziers attracts many Catalans who have been deprived of bullfights since they were banned in Catalonia.
If it’s one of the best ferias to attend in Occitanie, it’s because it offers so many different kinds of activities. Whether you’re a Camargue race fan, a bullfighting enthusiast, a cultural heritage buff or a family outing, it doesn’t matter. You’ll enjoy one of the country’s most intense traditional festivals. And what better way to recover than with a succulent plate of lovingly prepared tapas?
9. Feria de Céret
Photo Credit: Facebook – Feria de Céret
Dates: July 18 to July 19, 2020
Every year in July, thousands of visitors eagerly await the weekend’s festivities. Here, Catalan traditions take center stage, to the delight of young and old alike. They can admire the abrivados, discover the sumptuous craft market or take in the folk dances. As they follow the bandas through the narrow streets of Céret, they’ll be able to appreciate the beauty of this typically Catalan town. Two bullfights and a novillada will be held, featuring the best bullfighters.
Céret’s small-scale feria lends itself particularly well to family visits. The easiest way to see for yourself is to show up!
10. Feria de Carcassone
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Gary Perkin
Dates : NC (August 2020)
Carcassone is a multi-day feria held at the end of August. The festivities are in full swing, and festival-goers flock to the Carcassonne arenas to watch the most spectacular bullfights. Once the bullfighting is over, head for the square André Chénier where the campo de feria is located: it’s the heart of this picturesque festival! It’s the heart of this picturesque festival, with association stands, stages, free entertainment and tasty snacks.
For dance enthusiasts, traditional Spanish and Sevillian dances will be presented by talented artists. Salsa, flamenco, tango and frenzied brass bands: if you don’t know where to turn, don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal!
So what are you waiting for to discover the ferias in Occitania?