In the middle of summer, there are many festivals, or ‘fêtes’ in French. An important and well-known in the region is the ‘joutes’ event in the lovely seaside town of Sète. This spectacular water jousting tournament dates from 1743 and is held annually at the end of August during the ‘Fête de la Saint Louis’. Water jousting is more than just tradition, folklore and sport, as it really reflects the soul of the inhabitants of Sète. Therefore, checking it out for yourself is great fun, especially if you want to indulge in local celebrations!
Languedoc tradition
‘Joutes’ is a tradition in the Languedoc region that dates back to the 18th century. Sète organised its first water jousting tournament in 1743, and 2024 was the 280th edition. During the tournaments, in the early days, the married men went up against the young bachelors. Red was the colour of the married men, blue the colour of the bachelors. By looking at the colours of the boats, uniforms and spears you could see which group the men belonged to. Many of these traditions are still in use today, including parades through the streets, the men dressed in white, the waltzing boats before the tournament starts, and the folk music. Even the spot where the tournaments are held is the same: Le Cadre Royal. La Fête de la Saint-Louis is a celebration where all generations gather together in good spirits.
Salutation of jousters
These days, an experienced helmsman (barreur) leads the boat, which is manned by ten rowers (rameurs), mostly strong fishermen. The tournament starts with a ‘passe d’honneur’, a salutation of the jousters (jouteurs). This is where they display their spears vertically and shake hands when their boats cross. Once the battle starts, you will hear a traditional jousting tune, played by an oboist and a drummer, sitting in the front of their boat. On the stands, there are also bands to warm up the audience with traditional music. And, of course, to ensure that the public encourages the ‘knights of the canal’!
Strict rules
There are strict rules, which I cannot really explain here (as I don’t understand them very well myself…). In short: the goal of the battle is to push the opponent off the ‘tintaine’ (a small platform on each boat where the jouster stands, about 2 meters above the water level) with a ‘lance’ (a 2.8-meter long wooden spear). Meanwhile, the jousters protect themselves with their ‘pavois’, a wooden shield. The lance has an iron tip, which can hit the pavois quite hard when looking at the shields in the picture below… The one who falls into the water is then followed by another jouster from that boat, who continues the battle. With every victory or great move, the music around the stands swells. It truly is a spectacular experience! The winner of the tournament gets eternal fame- his name engraved on a jousting shield in the Paul Valéry museum.
Watch the competition
The festival is free to visit, but expect crowds if you want to experience La Fête de la Saint-Louis for yourself. Parking in town is impossible, so it’s better to opt for the free parking lot along the Route de Cayenne or near the Quai Paul Riquet. This is also where the free ‘bateau bus’ (boat bus) will bring you into town. The family and I managed to get a seat in the front row on one of the stands. Tip: try to get in the public stands on the side of the Quai Léopold Suquet, specifically the ones with the front row in the sun. These seats are too hot, so people won’t stay long and move around. You will have to have patience, though, but if you succeed, you will have the best spot to watch the action.
