Avignon festivals fill July, when the Festival d'Avignon and the OFF turn the walled town into one big theatre. The rest of the year has smaller dates worth knowing. Plan your Avignon reservation round them with the dates below.
The Festival d'Avignon was created in 1947 by Jean Vilar. In 2026 it ran from 4 to 25 July. Its best-known stage is the Cour d'honneur of the Palais des Papes. Other shows play in venues across town and beyond.
The festival programmes a season outside July too, with shows at La FabricA. The next July dates are not yet out; the festival's own site gives them first.
The Festival Off Avignon runs alongside, on the same dates. In 2026 it was the 60th edition, from 4 to 25 July, with hundreds of companies playing in theatres across the walled town. Its organisers have announced the 61st edition for 2027.
The tourist office becomes the "Tourism and Festivals Office" for July. It gives you maps of the venues, advice on shows and the OFF season card. Buy it there when you arrive, or ask the advisers which shows suit children.
For three weeks the town is given over to theatre. Rue des Teinturiers becomes the busiest street in town. The palace and the bridge keep their summer hours, 9 am to 7 pm.
Plan the monuments for the morning. Book your room early, and book your palace ticket online. Across the river, Villeneuve en Scène adds more theatre in July.
Outside July, the dates are smaller but closer together. These are the ones announced for the months ahead:
| Event | When | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Festival d'Avignon | 4-25 July 2026 | The palace courtyard and venues across town |
| Festival Off Avignon | 4-25 July 2026 | Theatres all over the walled town |
| Villeneuve en Scène | July | Villeneuve lez Avignon, across the river |
| Dans les bras du Rhône | 2-12 October 2026 | Avignon, a nature festival |
| Relatum: Lee Ufan | 3 July-15 November 2026 | Inside the papal palace |
| The great Nativity scene | Christmas to 2 February | The cathedral beside the palace |
| Fest'hiver: Peeping Tom, Chroniques | 29-31 January 2027 | La FabricA |
The Lee Ufan exhibition inside the Palais des Papes runs until 15 November 2026. Notre-Dame des Doms shows its great Nativity scene from Christmas to 2 February, with 19th-century figures made by the Carmelites of Avignon. Dans les bras du Rhône celebrates the river from 2 to 12 October 2026.
Pair an evening at the festival with a morning walk or a day in the villages.
July is the month to plan furthest ahead. Here is what to sort first:
Every tour here is free to cancel up to 24 hours ahead, so you can book before the festival programme is out. The heat matters too: July averages over 31 °C by day.
The festival dates come from the Festival d'Avignon, the OFF's organisers and Avignon's tourist office, and the exhibition from the palace's own page, checked 28 September 2026.
Two hours from the central post office to Place Saint-Didier, the main sights and some little-known corners, with restaurant and day-trip advice. Palace tickets extra.
From $39 per person
Check Availability
Four hours from the tourist office at 2 pm to two estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with tutored tastings in the fare and a stop at the château ruins.
From $126 per person
Check Availability
Five hours from the tourist office to a spring below a cliff, Gordes, a short abbey photo stop and an hour in Roussillon. Strollers and infant seats fine.
From $92 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: pick your month on the best time to visit, choose a base on where to stay, or compare every tour on Avignon Tours.