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 The local fiesta
The fiesta is an important event in the lives of the residents of Lunel
Lunel wouldn’t be the same without its great fiesta which, every year around the 14 th of July, transforms the town into a dynamic centre of activities, entertainment, and festivities.
A full programme
In this region, the bull is king and various bull-related activities and competitions are worth mentioning. At noontime, you can watch the abrivado, the arrival of a group of 4 to 6 bulls surrounded by the gardians (Camargue cowboys) on horses, who guide them through town towards the arena. In the evening there is the bandido, when the bulls go in the opposite direction, away from the arena and through the town. You can also attend the roussataïo, and the blessing of the horses or discover a Camargue village; these and many other typical local activities await you.
And that’s not all. During the ten days and nights of the fiesta, you will experience a real outpouring of creative and playful energy. A dazzling variety of entertainment, sporting competitions, cultural events, prizes… not only in the arena, but also in the streets and cafés, wherever possible… which all takes place in an atmosphere of good cheer, music, and the whirlwind of the fiesta.
The soul of the Camargue 
Over the years, the Lunel fiesta has developed its own identity, built around rituals and not-to-be-missed events which bring almost the entire population of Lunel together, with the bull at the centre of it all.
Between ten and fifteen thousand people are present to enjoy the key moments of the fiesta, in an atmosphere not even exceeded by the ferias (Spanish-style bullfighting fiestas) elsewhere in the south of France. But it is important to point out the significant difference between the fête in Lunel from the féria. The “fête de Lunel” is a Camargue-style fiesta, full of local tradition, which owes little to the Spanish-influenced folklore surrounding the corrida (Spanish bullfight). Situated between Bayonne and Arles, on the road between Nîmes and Béziers, the great centres of the corrida, Lunel has managed to remain rooted in local Camargue culture, represented by the course camarguaise (or course libre, a local event in which the bull is not killed). It has not been easy to maintain this local identity, since for many years Lunel has also hosted novilladas (fights between apprentice toreadors and young bulls) or regeonadas sponsored by clubs and specialised aficionados (fans of the bullfighting culture). In all of the Languedoc and Provence, Lunel’s fête is the most famous and popular of the Camargue-style fiestas and efforts are increasingly being made to defend the traditional bull culture even more strongly; old-timer days (with historic dresswear and vehicles), the roussataïos (where young horses are released to run in the streets), the creation of a new bullfighting trophy (the “Muscat Trophy”), and the Camargue village are all steps in this direction.
It is worth mentioning that changing customs, numerous laws and regulations, the tendency of European standards to erase cultural boundaries, low tourism rates, and various unfortunate initiatives all pose a threat to the bouvino culture and the organisation of popular events related to bulls, in the streets or in the arena. Against this backdrop, Lunel clings to its traditions, defends its bull games, seeks out legal compromises, and even claims major recognition for its July fiesta, in defence of Camargue traditions. The abrivados, the bandidos and the encierros bring together thousands of local residents and devotees from the region, an enthusiastic sign of loyalty to local culture.
On the tree-lined Baroncelli Street, in the shadow of the arena still ringing from the passionate cries of the courses, when the bulls arrive from l’Hournède or from Mas du Grés under the watchful eye of the statue of Pascalet, there is the smell of Camargue horses and the black beast, the bull, on the hot and sultry July air. La fé di biou is contagious and makes Lunel feverish with excitement.
Lunel during the fiesta, ten days of unforgettable experiences that you will remember forever !
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