Event calendar for Quillan & Nearby (2026–2027)
June 2026
🐄 Pays de Sault Transhumance
📍 Pays de Sault
📆 Early June 2026 (date TBC) — a celebration of the traditional movement of livestock to the high mountain pastures, featuring local traditions, livestock processions, regional food and cultural activities.
🔁 Annual recurring
🎵 80's Live Tour Concert
📍 Quillan – Espace Cathare
📆 6 June 2026 (confirmed) — a major outdoor concert featuring well-known artists and classic hits from the 1980s. A lively evening event attracting visitors from across the region.
🔁 Touring event
🏃 Trail d'Antugnac
📍 Antugnac (10 minutes from Quillan)
📆 7 June 2026 (confirmed) — a new trail-running event offering routes through vineyards, hills and countryside in the upper Aude Valley, with options for runners and walkers alike.
🔁 New event for 2026
🤸 Gala de la Gym
📍 Quillan – Espace Cathare
📆 12 June 2026 (confirmed) — a community gymnastics showcase featuring performances from local clubs and young athletes from across the Haute Vallée de l'Aude.
🔁 Annual local event
🛍️ Laval Village Brocante & Flea Market
📍 Laval (Quillan)
📆 13 June 2026 (confirmed) — a traditional village brocante offering antiques, collectibles, local crafts and second-hand treasures in a relaxed rural atmosphere.
🔁 Annual recurring
🐱 Vide Grenier des Chats Libres
📍 Quillan
📆 14 June 2026 (confirmed) — a popular community flea market held in support of local animal welfare initiatives, attracting bargain hunters and visitors from across the valley.
🔁 Annual recurring
🎶 Fête de la Musique
📍 Quillan & Espéraza
📆 21 June 2026 (confirmed) — France's nationwide music celebration with free live performances, local bands, street entertainment and evening festivities throughout the town centres.
🔁 Annual nationwide event
🛍️ Espéraza Summer Market & Riverside Evening
📍 Espéraza
📆 Late June 2026 (seasonal) — the riverside area comes alive with artisan stalls, local produce, cafés and evening entertainment as the summer season begins.
🔁 Seasonal activity
🥾 Summer Hiking Season in the Pyrénées Audoises
📍 Quillan, Axat & Haute Vallée de l'Aude
📆 Throughout June 2026 — one of the best months for exploring the region's mountain trails, forests, gorges and panoramic viewpoints before the peak summer temperatures arrive.
🔁 Seasonal activity
July 2026
🚴♂️ 🇫🇷 Tour de France – Stage Passage (Carcassonne → Foix)
📍 Quillan (Aude, Occitanie)
📆 Tuesday 7 July 2026
The Tour de France passes directly through Quillan during Stage 4 of the 2026 race. Expect the full race caravan, roadside spectators, and live peloton passage as the world’s biggest cycling event moves through the Aude foothills toward the Pyrenees.
🔁 One-day international sporting event
🎉 Major road closures + public spectacle
🎭 Festival de Carcassonne (Regional Summer Festival)
📍 Carcassonne (≈1 hour from Quillan)
📆 Early–late July 2026 (exact programme dates TBC)
One of France’s largest summer arts festivals featuring major concerts, theatre, opera, and live performances within the medieval cité and surrounding venues.
🔁 Annual recurring regional highlight
🎸 Festival de Guitar / July Music Festival
📍 Quillan
📆 July 2026 (date TBC)
Summer music festival showcasing guitar performances and live musical acts across town venues and outdoor stages.
🔁 Annual recurring
🎆 Bastille Day Celebrations (Fête Nationale)
📍 Quillan + surrounding villages
📆 14 July 2026
France’s national holiday featuring fireworks, live music, communal dinners, and evening celebrations throughout Quillan and nearby towns.
🔁 Annual recurring national event
🎆 Lac de Puivert Fireworks & Summer Market
📍 Lac de Puivert
📆 Mid-July 2026 (traditionally around 15 July, 3rd Wednesday of July)
Weekly lakeside market with artisan stalls, food vendors, and evening entertainment, typically culminating in a fireworks display over the lake at dusk.
🔁 Annual recurring
🛍️ Quillan Summer Night Markets (Nocturnes)
📍 Quillan town centre
📆 July 2026 (weekly evenings, exact dates TBC)
Evening artisan markets featuring food stalls, local crafts, and live music, creating a lively summer atmosphere in the town centre.
🔁 Weekly summer series
August 2026
🚴 Critérium Cycliste International de Quillan
📍 Quillan
📆 15 August 2026 (Assumption Day) — historic one-day road cycling race through town streets, acclaimed as one of France’s oldest criterium races.
🔁 Annual recurring
🎉 Grandes Fêtes de Quillan
📍 Quillan
📆 Mid-August (approx. 13–17 August) — a lively multi-day town festival with music, communal eating, live entertainment, parades and social gatherings each summer.
🔁 Annual recurring
🌲 La Ronde des Sapins (Fir Tree Tour)
📍 Pays de Sault
📆 End of August 2026 (likely final weekend) — trail event through scenic forests and summit routes.
🔁 Annual recurring
September 2026
🥔 Plateau de Sault Potato Festival (La Fête de la Pomme de Terre)
📍 Pays de Sault
📆 Late August / September 2026 (exact date TBC) — harvest festival dedicated to the famed local potato crop, with food, demonstrations and family activities.
🔁 Annual recurring
🍷 Festival des Saveurs Pyrénées Audoises
📍 Quillan
📆 Early September 2026 (estimated weekend around 12–13 Sep) — annual gastronomic celebration with stalls, tastings and showcasing of local produce and cuisine.
🔁 Annual recurring
🚵 Ronde VTT des 3 Quilles
📍 Quillan
📆 Late September / Early October 2026 (2025 edition ran on 28 September) — mountain bike event over varying routes with support activities.
🔁 Annual recurring
December 2026
🎄 Quillan Christmas Market
📍 Quillan
📆 Mid-December 2026 (e.g., weekend of 11–12 Dec) — festive holiday market with artisan stalls, local products, seasonal food and community celebrations.
🔁 Annual recurring
January–March 2027
🎭 Carnaval de Limoux 2027
📍 Limoux (about 40 min from Quillan)
📆 Weekends from mid-January to Mardi Gras / early March 2027 — this is considered one of the longest carnivals in the world, rooted in 16th-century Occitan tradition. Celebrations take place nearly every weekend from January through March with multiple parades per day featuring bands (Fecos), masked figures (Goudils), music and street performances, concluding with the judgment and symbolic burning of Majesté Carnaval. Full 2027 dates are typically confirmed in late autumn/December but, based on 2026
April 2027
🏃 Trail Quillan – Trail des 3 Quilles
📍 Quillan
📆 24–25 April 2027 (expected) — multi-distance trail running event with routes from 11 km up to 40+ km, set against the rugged landscapes of the Pyrénées Audoises. Known for its friendly, festival-style atmosphere, it attracts over a thousand participants each year.
🔁 Annual recurring (typically held the last weekend of April)
May 2027
🚜 De Ferme en Ferme (Open Farm Weekend)
📍 Haute Vallée de l’Aude (around Quillan)
📆 Expected early May 2027 — a region-wide open farm event where local producers welcome visitors to discover traditional agriculture, local produce and rural life. An excellent opportunity for families and visitors seeking an authentic experience of rural Occitanie.
🔁 Annual recurring
🚴 La Carach Bike
📍 Quillan
📆 Expected early May 2027 (date TBC) — a popular regional mountain biking event featuring challenging cross-country routes through the forests, hills and trails surrounding Quillan. The event attracts both competitive riders and cycling enthusiasts from across the region.
🔁 Annual recurring (typically late April to early May)
🎨 Artist to Watch (Art Weekend)
📍 Quillan & surrounding villages
📆 Expected May 2027 (dates TBC) — a valley-wide arts event showcasing local and international artists through exhibitions, open studios, workshops and opportunities to meet creators across the Haute Vallée de l’Aude.
🔁 Annual recurring
🏃 Spartan Race Weekend
📍 Carcassonne
📆 8–9 May 2027 (confirmed) — one of southern France’s largest obstacle racing events, attracting thousands of competitors from across Europe. The weekend features multiple race formats and offers a vibrant atmosphere for participants and spectators alike.
🔁 Annual recurring
🏎️ Course de Côte du Col du Portel
📍 Near Quillan
📆 Expected May 2027 (dates TBC) — a classic hill-climb motorsport event forming part of the regional championship calendar. Drivers tackle the winding mountain roads above the Aude Valley while spectators enjoy panoramic viewing points.
🔁 Annual recurring
🏃 Trail du Pech de Bugarach
📍 Bugarach (approx. 30 min from Quillan)
📆 Expected late May 2027 (date TBC) — a well-established trail running event set around the legendary Pic de Bugarach, offering demanding routes through spectacular mountain scenery and attracting runners from across France.
🔁 Annual recurring
🚴 Fête du Tour
📍 Quillan
📆 Expected late May 2027 (date TBC) — a cycling celebration inspired by the Tour de France, featuring organised rides, family activities and community events that highlight Quillan’s strong connection to cycling and the surrounding mountain roads.
🔁 Annual recurring
