Fetes de Bayonne

For this month first article, I’ll write few words about what’s begining today, wednesday the 1st of august, till sunday night : the Bayonne Festival, or Fêtes de Bayonne in French.

This is an impressive five-day celebration that takes place each first week of august, and the downtown will have to host arround a million folk, while its native population is just 45,000.

This very expected event officially gets underway with a colourful and particularly loud firework called “mascaleta”, displayed on the first night at 10:00 pm in front of the Town Hall. It symbolically re-enacts the awakening of old King Leon who reigns over the festivities.

Like San Fermin Pamplona’s Festival (Spain), everyone should wear the traditionnal attire : white pants, white shirt and red scarf arround the neck. Some “festayres” (that’s how festival goers are locally called) also wear a red sash arround their waist.

There is a great carnival atmosphere, including live music all across the streets, cow racing, traditionnal Basque dances… and splendid food & drink.

The party continues late into the night in the town’s various bars and restaurants that all enter into the spirit of the festival, by proposing their own entertainments.

And like previous year, I’ll throw myself into the terrific crowdy streets of Bayonne, with my loyal trombone and my fellow musician friends, to animate the places we use to go/stay, eat a lot, drink even more, and try to rest a little between each day. It’s going to be tough, as usual, but fantastic!

Talking about bars and restaurants, during this five-day event, their owners make the biggest part of their yearly turnover.
But the Festival also requires a lot of efforts and preparation, especially from the Town Hall’s staff, for who those days are certainly the longuest and hardest period of the year, because of the amount of work they have in order to keep the city as clean and safe as possible.

all pictures are from www.fetes.bayonne.fr