In brief
- The Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze votive festival takes place from 14 to 23 August 2026 in the heart of the Petite Camargue, a region deeply marked by local traditions and Camargue heritage.
- The programme brings together abrivados, bandidos, Camargue races, bullfighting shows and themed days that bring the village centre and the arenas to life.
- This summer event combines bullfighting traditions, popular entertainment, intergenerational gatherings, artistic creations and prevention initiatives.
- Four exhibition venues and a poster created by the children of the Chloé Dusford school enrich the cultural aspect of this event.
- Local artists and the local youth fully participate in the artistic influence and transmission of the town’s customs.
An immersion into the heart of Camargue traditions
Tradition returns to its rightful place with the Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze votive festival, a major summer event that brings together all generations every year in the heart of the Petite Camargue. From 14 to 23 August 2026, the municipality lives to the rhythm of local customs, driven by the commitment of the Comité des Fêtes and the support of the local council. Located in the Gard department, this territory bordered by the wild landscapes of marshes, ponds and meadows constitutes a major historical home of Camargue culture, where the breeding of bulls and horses shapes the daily identity of its inhabitants.
During the summer period, the votive festival embodies the living memory of the municipality. Historically linked to the celebration of the village’s patron saint, this event has over time become the beating heart of the season, a special moment where long-term residents, new families and bullfighting tradition enthusiasts from surrounding municipalities come together.
A celebration anchored in the heart of the Camargue
For ten days, the municipality becomes the stage for popular gatherings where the Camargue art of living is fully expressed. The village streets and the arenas host daily abrivados, bandidos and Camargue races, offering enthusiasts and passing visitors alike an immersion into the heart of bullfighting traditions.
Each bullfighting discipline has a very precise meaning and progression in the ritual of Camargue festivals. The abrivado historically designates the arrival of the bulls led from the pastures to the arenas by the gardians on horseback, forming a tight escort to prevent the village youth, known as the attrapaires, from letting the animals escape. The bandido represents the opposite movement, namely the return of the bulls to the manades at the end of the events. The Camargue race, for its part, is a sporting game respectful of the animal where the raseteurs seek to catch attributes attached to the horns of the bull, the biòu, revealing the nobility and agility of the beast in the face of man.
The festive atmosphere is accompanied by fairground attractions and musical events that punctuate the days and evenings, maintaining constant entertainment throughout the town centre. Cafe terraces, public squares and the surroundings of the arenas become favourite meeting places where the brass of the peñas and popular music resound.
The festivities begin on Friday 14 August with the opening inter-village evening
The official launch of these ten days of celebrations relies on conviviality and meeting neighbours. The inter-village evening on Friday 14 August helps to strengthen community bonds and launch the festivities in a warm and festive dynamic, bringing together the residents of Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze and the surrounding municipalities of the Petite Camargue.
The programme of summer festivities
The festivities begin on Friday 14 August with the opening inter-village evening. The following day, Saturday 15 August, the Spanish day celebrates gastronomy and folklore with a paella competition, the encierro of Spanish bulls and an “Encierro Infantil” session specially designed to introduce children. This event blends Mediterranean culinary flavours with the excitement of releasing bulls into the streets, where the encierro infantil offers the youngest a fun and safe environment to learn the movements of their elders.
The start of the week will be marked by the show “Les Cowboys en Camargue” on Monday evening, an equestrian creation that explores the cultural bridges between the traditions of the American continent and the ancestral expertise of the Camargue gardians. Wednesday evening will then offer the traditional abrivado festival, a spectacular moment during which several manades compete in skill to lead their bulls through the village streets to the cheers of the crowd.
This 2026 edition also takes on a very special commemorative dimension: the inauguration of a plaque in tribute to Frédéric Fourmaud will take place on Friday 14 August at 7pm, before the old-style day entirely dedicated to him the following Friday. This old-style day is a highlight of the Camargue calendar, during which residents wear traditional period costumes, bring out the carriages and celebrate the lifestyle of yesteryear, working the land, breeding and the memory of figures who marked local history.
The role of bullfighting passion and rural heritage
Beyond the recreational aspect, the Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze votive festival celebrates the daily work of manadiers and gardians. The manades, breeding structures for Camargue breed bulls and horses, are the fundamental pillar of this cultural ecosystem. The presence of the manades during the abrivados and arena races bears witness to the inseparable link between man, horse and bull in the heart of the natural spaces of Petite Camargue.
The arena of Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze is the central place where this passion comes to life. It is within this enclosure that the public gathers to admire the bravery of the bulls and the talent of the raseteurs. The transmission of this knowledge and respect for the animal guarantees the maintenance of local customs and the preservation of a precious intangible heritage for the entire Gard department.
Artistic exhibitions throughout the village
Throughout the festivities, visual arts and photography find a prime place in the heart of the village. Visitors can wander from one venue to another to discover artists’ perspectives on the Camargue, its landscapes, its wildlife and its popular culture.
Exhibitions and cultural events
Beyond the arenas, culture finds its way into several emblematic spaces in the village. The council chamber in the town hall hosts an exhibition combining the photographs of Ludovic Perrier and the creations of Arnaud Chabanon, blending paintings and sculptures. This synergy between pictorial art, sculpture and photography offers a combined perspective on the beauty of the Camargue landscapes, the intensity of bullfighting moments and the plastic richness of materials.
Other artistic trails complete this cultural offering spread throughout the town centre:
- The sculptures of Christian Soulier at the Tourist Office, highlighting the work of forms and materials in connection with the region.
- The “Saint-Laurent en fête” exhibition by the “Peintres en Liberté” collective at the Vincent Scotto hall, offering a gallery of colourful canvases immortalising scenes of village life and the highlights of the festival.
- An open-air artistic installation set up directly on the arenas, transforming the bullfighting building into a theatre of visual expression accessible to all walkers.
Youth engagement and health prevention
The visual identity of this 2026 edition directly honours the young residents of the municipality, thanks to a poster created by the children of the Chloé Dusford school, affirming the intergenerational transmission of local festivals. This educational and artistic project involves the youngest in the life of their town while showcasing their creativity to the entire population.
Furthermore, the local council and the Comité des Fêtes are renewing an awareness campaign against risky behaviour. A health prevention stand run by volunteers will be set up in front of the town hall on Saturday 15 August, and then from Thursday to Saturday from 9pm to 11pm. Participants will find documentation, prevention equipment and a breathalyser available to check their blood alcohol level before any road travel.
The presence of these volunteers and the provision of self-testing equipment bear witness to the joint desire of the organisers and elected officials to ensure peaceful and responsible festivities. By promoting awareness and safety for everyone on the roads as well as in the heart of the village, this stand helps to preserve the warm, family spirit of the Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze votive festival.
