Neighborhood Float Parade
Festive procession with music and colorful floats winds through the city; spectators dance along.
Festival of St. Mary Magdalene
Fêtes de la Madeleine
Mont-de-Marsan, France
Jul 22 - 26, 2026ExpectedSource
Each July, the Gascon town of Mont-de-Marsan dresses in blue and white for five days of feria in honor of Saint Mary Magdalene. Concerts and parades fill the streets, alongside the region's own daring style of bullfighting, the Course Landaise, where leapers vault clean over charging cows.
Key moments
Fireworks Finale
Family-friendly finale lighting up the sky while crowds sing late-night revelries to conclude the week.
Official Opening with Key Handover
Locals gather to witness the ceremony and join in opening festivities to live dance music.
Where it happens
Place du Général Leclerc
Mont-de-Marsan, France
Open in MapsHow to show up well
Plan the timing
Blue and white bandana or scarf (festival colors)
Respect local boundaries
Respect bullfighting traditions, do not disturb formal ceremonies, and participate decorous...
Ask before close-up photos
Ask permission
Practical notes
Crowds & timing
Crowd level: very high.
Tickets
Free events are available.
Reviewed mediaMAJOR COMMUNITY & FOLK LIFE
Festival of St. Mary Magdalene
Fêtes de la Madeleine
Mont-de-Marsan, France
Each July, the Gascon town of Mont-de-Marsan dresses in blue and white for five days of feria in honor of Saint Mary Magdalene. Concerts and parades fill the streets, alongside the region's own daring style of bullfighting, the Course Landaise, where leapers vault clean over charging cows.
AnchorCultural anchor
Jul 22 - 26, 2026Expected dates
Verified this year
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The story behind it
Mont-de-Marsan lies in the Landes of Gascony, near the Spanish border. The festival blends Gascon and Spanish influences: participants wear blue-and-white (the city’s colors) instead of the red-and-white typical of southern fiestas. For Landes residents, the festival is a moment of collective identity, recalling Saint Mary Magdalene (whose feast is July 22) and local bullfighting customs.
Key moments to know
Neighborhood Float Parade
Festive procession with music and colorful floats winds through the city; spectators dance along.
Fireworks Finale
Family-friendly finale lighting up the sky while crowds sing late-night revelries to conclude the week.
Official Opening with Key Handover
Locals gather to witness the ceremony and join in opening festivities to live dance music.
Course Landaise Show
Trained écarteurs and sauteurs perform acrobatic maneuvers with bulls in the ring; free for attendees.
How to show up well
first-timer tips
Plan the timing
Blue and white bandana or scarf (festival colors)
Respect local boundaries
Respect bullfighting traditions, do not disturb formal ceremonies, and participate decorously in communal songs...
Ask before close-up photos
Ask permission
Essentials at a glance
Date window
Jul 22 - 26, 2026
Estimated
City / Area
Mont-de-Marsan
Gascony
Cost
Free public events available
Good for
Families welcome
Very High visitor welcome
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