The Saint Louis Festival and its centuries-old tradition of water jousting transform this Mediterranean city into one of France’s most unforgettable summer celebrations.
Water Jousting in Sète
I’d never seen or heard anything about water jousting before moving to France.
In fact, the first time I stood beside the Grand Canal in Sète during the Saint Louis Festival, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was watching. Two brightly decorated boats headed for each other, with men on wooden platforms trying to knock each other into the water with a lance and shield? Thousands of spectators lined the canal, cheering every pass? It was wonderfully chaotic.
Then I discovered I wasn’t watching a spectacle created for tourists. I was witnessing one of France’s oldest sporting traditions, one that has been part of life in Sète for more than 350 years. Since then I’ve returned several times, intentionally planning visits around the festival. Few places that I’ve been in France capture the excitement, the pride, tradition, and community spirit of a place quite like these few days each August.
A Tradition Dating Back Centuries
Water jousting, or joutes nautiques, has remarkably deep roots in history.
Versions of the sport were known in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It appeared in Lyon during the Middle Ages before becoming associated with King Louis IX and the Crusades. It is said that crusaders embarking on the Holy Wars with King Louis IX (Saint Louis) teamed up against each other in small boats outside Aigue-Mortes.
Sète adopted the tradition in 1666 to celebrate the opening of its harbor. More than 350 years later, the sport is still played much as it was then, and the Saint Louis Festival remains the highlight of the city’s calendar.
The competition itself follows rules that have changed very little over the centuries. Two boats, powered by rowers, charge toward one another along the canal. Standing high above the water on wooden platforms at the stern, the jousters try to knock each other into the canal using a wooden lance and shield. Victory belongs to the last competitor left standing.
It’s simply spectacular to watch.
Coming Back Again and Again
Some of you may remember one of my earlier visits to the Saint Louis Festival when I unexpectedly met London’s Bad Girls Groove Band. They were performing at the awards ceremony and had the entire crowd dancing.
Another year, I found myself posing with the champion after the final match—and yes, kissing the trophy!
My most memorable visit, however, came when the Sète Tourist Office invited me to attend the finals as a member of the press. This time, I wasn’t watching from the sidelines. I was part of it. I attended receptions with members of the local jousting clubs, sampled Sète specialties including mini tielles and fresh oysters, and watched as city officials and members of the water jousting federation prepared for the day’s celebrations.
The entire city was celebrating.
The streets filled with musicians, entertainers, families, and supporters dressed in club colors. Then, when it was time for the championship, our press group joined the official parade through town and marched alongside dignitaries to the Grand Canal for the final matches. The Barefoot Blogger was in the parade!
As if that weren’t enough, members of the press were even invited aboard one of the boats to try water jousting themselves. Nooooo… not me! I’ll happily watch from the sidelines.
If You Go to Sète
If you’re planning a visit to southern France in August, Sète comes alive during the Saint Louis Festival. The festival is usually held during the last week of August, with the championship matches drawing the biggest crowds. Arrive early if you want a good viewing spot along the Grand Canal, book your accommodation well in advance, and allow at least a couple of days to enjoy everything the city has to offer.
Between the matches, wander Sète’s canals, stroll the waterfront, enjoy seafood overlooking the harbor, relax on the nearby Mediterranean beaches, and sample local favorites such as tielle sétoise and oysters from the Étang de Thau.
I’ve visited Sète many times over the years, but if someone asks me when they should go, my answer is always the same. August. The Saint Louis Festival isn’t something staged for visitors. It’s a tradition that belongs to the people of Sète, and for a few unforgettable days each summer.
They’re happy to let the rest of us share in it.
Here’s a video from Culture Trip that provides a closer look at the tradition of water jousting in Sete. Be sure to watch it in full. It’s a beautiful story about a family and their passion for jousting that has been passed from one generation to the next.
