Fêtes de Mont-de-Marsan (Madeleine): The Complete Guide
A guide to the Fêtes de la Madeleine in Mont-de-Marsan: 2026 dates, the course landaise at its most authentic, and how to get there from Bordeaux without a car.
Photo by San Fermin Pamplona on Pexels
Written · Last updated
Quick scan
The Fêtes de la Madeleine in Mont-de-Marsan run 22-26 July 2026, five days built specifically around course landaise, the Landes' own bloodless cattle sport, with a cocarde competition at the Plumaçon arenas, a mass at the Madeleine church, and a grand cavalcade of 19 floats at midday (ici.fr, "Madeleine 2026: le programme des 5 jours de fête", retrieved 2026-08-02). Bayonne, Dax, and Mont-de-Marsan are the three best-known ferias in the region, out of dozens held across the Basque Country and the Landes every summer, on both sides of the Spanish border, and Mont-de-Marsan is the smallest and least internationally known of that trio, but it draws a genuinely large regional crowd, estimated between 650,000 and 750,000 visitors across the five days (montdemarsan.fr, "Fêtes de la Madeleine", retrieved 2026-08-02). The dress code is also different here: blue and white, the colors of Mont-de-Marsan's own coat of arms, rather than the red and white worn at Bayonne and Dax (Wikipedia, "Fêtes de la Madeleine", retrieved 2026-08-03).
- 2026 dates: Wednesday 22 July to Sunday 26 July
- The course landaise capital: Mont-de-Marsan's feria is built around this specifically, more than Bayonne's or Dax's broader festival mix
- Cocarde competition at the Plumaçon arenas, 10:30am, alongside bandas, bodegas, and street animations
- A grand midday cavalcade with 19 floats anchors the festival
- Estimated 650,000-750,000 visitors across the five days, a major regional draw despite limited international coverage
- Dress code is blue and white, not the red and white worn at Bayonne and Dax, reflecting Mont-de-Marsan's own coat of arms
- Getting there: direct trains from Bordeaux (as fast as 1h 23m) and Dax (as fast as 57 minutes)
Mont-de-Marsan's feria gets the least attention of the three, but it's the one I probably know best, since I grew up going every summer along with Bayonne and Dax. It's a real and significant event in its own right, and specifically the best of the three for anyone who wants to see course landaise as the main event rather than one part of a broader festival program.
How does Mont-de-Marsan's feria differ?
Where Bayonne and Dax mix course landaise, bullfighting, music, and general street festivity in roughly equal measure, Mont-de-Marsan's Fêtes de la Madeleine centers specifically on course landaise, the Landes' own cow-based sport, at the Plumaçon arenas, with a cocarde competition (a scoring format within course landaise) running at 10:30am (ici.fr, retrieved 2026-08-02). As with the events covered in Fêtes de Bayonne, course landaise here uses cows (vachettes), not bulls, and the animal is not harmed or killed; it's a genuine sport of skill (dodging and vaulting), not a violent spectacle, and that distinction matters more here than at the other two ferias precisely because course landaise is so central to Mont-de-Marsan's identity. Several friends I grew up with went on to become professional sauteurs, and I spent my teenage summers in the Landes watching them compete.
Go here specifically for course landaise
If Bayonne or Dax left you curious about course landaise but it felt like one attraction among many, Mont-de-Marsan is where it's the headline. The Plumaçon arenas host some of the most respected course landaise competitions in the Landes tradition.
The wider program includes a mass at the Madeleine church on the festival's religious/traditional side, and a grand midday cavalcade with 19 floats, alongside the bandas, bodegas, and general street animations that carry across all three of these Basque and Landes ferias.
A lot of locals cross into Spain the weekend before these ferias to stock up on cheaper alcohol, usually at Irun or Dantxaria, right on the border. Pre-game before heading out, then stick to beers or a bottle of Jacqueline once you're at the festival, cheap and known for a brutal hangover.
How does Mont-de-Marsan compare to Bayonne and Dax?
Mont-de-Marsan draws a genuinely large crowd, an estimated 650,000 to 750,000 visitors across the five days, comparable in scale to Dax despite getting far less international attention. The core etiquette from Fêtes de Bayonne, white-and-red dress bought locally rather than in advance, general street-festival caution at night, is the same tradition here, just with a smaller foreign crowd and a more locally-weighted atmosphere than either Bayonne or Dax.
How do I get to Mont-de-Marsan?
Direct trains connect Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux, taking as little as 1 hour 23 minutes on the fastest services, and to Dax, a shorter regional hop of as little as 57 minutes (Trainline, "Bordeaux to Mont-de-Marsan", retrieved 2026-08-02; SNCF Connect, "Mont-de-Marsan-Dax", retrieved 2026-08-02). That makes it a realistic add-on from either Bordeaux or the Basque coast, though it sits further inland than Bayonne or Dax, so budget the extra connection time if you're combining it with either of the other two ferias in the same trip. Getting to Basque Country covers the wider regional transport picture.
Don't assume a quick same-day trip from Bayonne
Mont-de-Marsan is further from Bayonne than Dax is, with a longer or connecting train journey. If you're trying to catch all three ferias in one summer, treat Mont-de-Marsan as its own trip or an overnight add-on, not a same-day hop from the coast.
Mont-de-Marsan, Dax and Bayonne in the Landes and Basque Country
- Dax
- Bayonne
Frequently asked questions
22-26 July 2026, five days centered on course landaise, with a cocarde competition at the Plumaçon arenas, a mass at the Madeleine church, and a grand midday cavalcade of 19 floats.
It's built specifically around course landaise rather than a broader mix of bullfighting and general festivity. The Plumaçon arenas host some of the most respected course landaise competitions in the Landes tradition.
No. It uses cows (vachettes), not bulls, and the animal is never harmed or killed. It's a sport of skill built around dodging and vaulting over the charging animal.
Direct trains run from Bordeaux (as fast as 1 hour 23 minutes) and from Dax (as fast as 57 minutes). It sits further inland than Bayonne or Dax, so budget extra time if combining it with either in the same trip.
Sources
- ici.fr, "Madeleine 2026: le programme des 5 jours de fête à Mont-de-Marsan", retrieved 2026-08-02
- montdemarsan.fr, "Fêtes de la Madeleine", retrieved 2026-08-02
- Trainline, "Bordeaux to Mont-de-Marsan", retrieved 2026-08-02
- SNCF Connect, "Mont-de-Marsan-Dax", retrieved 2026-08-02
- Wikipedia, "Fêtes de la Madeleine", retrieved 2026-08-03
Before you go
Planning your trip?
We recommend booking through our partner sites for the best rates and to support this guide.
Related Guides
Watching Sport in France: Tickets & Timing Guide
How to attend France's biggest sporting events, Roland-Garros, the Tour de France, Le Mans, and Route du Rhum, with tickets, timing, and getting there sorted.
Fêtes de Dax: The Complete Festival Guide
A local's guide to the Feria de Dax: 2026 dates, the daily corridas and bandas, how it compares to Bayonne, and how to get there from Bordeaux without a car.
Fêtes de Bayonne: The Complete Festival Guide
A local's guide to the Fêtes de Bayonne: 2026 dates, what actually happens, where to go, the foulard rule nobody explains right, and how to do it without a car.
Getting to Basque Country: Trains, Flights & Driving
Direct TGV, a Bordeaux connection, or a flight into Biarritz: the real trade-offs for reaching France's Basque Country, and what you'll need once you're there.