/ MAIN EVENTS
Italian Festivities
May
A tribute to the Neapolitan heritage of Sète ; the city transforms itself into Venice with decorated bridges.
Vast number of cultural activities in the streets, Commedia dell’Arte, flag throwers, typical music bands, costumed parade and even a giant pasta tasting with Italian chefs.
Nautical jousting tournaments
(from end of June through end of August)
At the Canal Royal in the heart of the city.
Traditional activities, every week.
All categories offer a colourful event, from the youngest, jousting with great conviction on wheel carts, to the heavy weights, who face each other in a chivalrous atmosphere.
Suspens increases until the famous Saint Louis Monday (this year August 28th) when more than one hundred jousters of the highest level (heavy weight 80/170 or more kilos) will try to add their names to the list of medals during a Homeric combat which can last more than eight hours.
All in the name of glory and posterity !
An extra hint in order to understand the stakes ; the Saint Louis Monday is an additional official holiday in Sète, an unique fact in history !
The Fishermen Feast or « le Grand Pardon de la Saint Pierre »
4th- 7th July
A truly traditional festivity during which fishermen honour their patron saint St Peter. A parade in the city’s streets tranfers the saint’s statue from the Penitents Chapel to the Saint Louis main Church. Follows a moving procession of trawlers decorated with all their flags in a tribute to men lost at sea.
Then it’s time for the big feast Sète’s style !
« Jazz à Sète » Festival
th 8 - 13th July
6 grand evenings for the 10th edition : Along the years, the dedication of Louis Martinez, -a renowned musician author of several records-, and his team have helped this festival become one of the main summer jazz events in the South of France for all kinds of jazz lovers.
« Quand je pense à Fernande » Festival
11st- 15th june
This festival is a special event for contemporary French language songs. In it’s sixieme year’s edition the festival will include a part of the « nouvelle chanson française ». Other than the already famous names, the « Rien à jetter »party will reveal regional and national talented artists.
The « Fiesta à Sète » Festival
2nd – 8th August
festival of world music. Fiesta Sète first starts gaining momentum at the villages surrounding the pays de Thau before making its grand entrance to the Théâtre de la Mer in Sète for an exceptional series of international performances.
All the festivals have long ago brought their « after » to perfection at the beach where they will be able to find once more the atmosphere of the bars and pubs at the new Villeroy beach.
The Jousters festival or « la Saint Louis »
20th-26th August
More than 70 street performances and the bodegas open very late into the night, a totally wild atmosphere invades the city, the much awaited appointment of jousters with the final tournament of the year, a true world championship on each category including the heavy weight on Monday the 28th.
Six days of non-stop festivities around the Cadre Royal as well as in the streets and public squares where visitors will mingle with Sètois, the inhabitants, who, as residents or expatriates, never miss their major holiday.