The fairgrounds are not in a festive mood… Traditionally, the Bayonne festivals are organized at the end of July but in 2024, due to the Olympic Games, they took place earlier, from the 10th to the 14th. And according to the organizers, this “in particular allowed to appease the five days and five nights of festivities. Consequently, the city of Bayonne has decided to maintain the organization of the event during this period, i.e. from July 16 to 20, 2025.”
“Forceful passage” of the city of Bayonne?
The problem is that their more modest Landes counterparts, the Madeleine de Mont-de-Marsan festivals, are organized each year on the same dates, from July 17 to 21. For the fairgrounds, who operate at the two events, which between them attract nearly two million visitors, this heralds a considerable shortfall. Their federation denounces a “forceful move” by Bayonne town hall and a lack of consultation.
“How is it that the Bayonne town hall did not take into account the inconvenience that this could cause for the various service providers, traders and fairgrounds affected by these two festivals? “, she protests in a press release. Before supporting the organizers of the Madeleine celebrations, of which these are the historic dates. The event could also suffer from competition from the Bayonne festivals, a major supplier of festayres (up to 1.4 million).
The Federation of Fairgrounds is asking the Bayonne town hall to reconsider these dates as quickly as possible, threatening a general mobilization in the city center of Bayonne on October 8 and 19, if this schedule is maintained. Holiday spirit are you there?
