⚠️ Update, 19 September 2026: the 2026 edition of the Fête du Vent has been cancelled. The event originally scheduled for 19-20 September on the Prado beaches will not take place this year. We will update this page if a new date is announced.
Every September, the Prado beaches turn into an open-air stage. Kites of all sizes, twenty-metre articulated dragons, giant octopuses, acrobatic geometric shapes, fill the Marseille sky, driven by the Mistral wind. The Fête du Vent, the International Kite Festival, has been running for over thirty editions and draws between 50,000 and 100,000 visitors over a single weekend. Admission is free.
A unique aerial festival
What sets the Fête du Vent apart from other European kite gatherings is its setting: an urban beach overlooking the Mediterranean, swept by the Mistral, just five kilometres from the Vieux-Port. Around a hundred French and international kite flyers from a dozen countries take turns over the weekend performing synchronised aerial choreographies. The collective figures, "kite ballets" flown on two or four lines, are a spectacle in their own right.
The highlight: the night flights. At dusk, LED-equipped kites rise above the sea. The lights reflect off the water, the beach is plunged into darkness, and the show takes on an almost surreal quality. It is the most photographed moment of the festival.
Workshops, wind gardens and family activities
The Fête du Vent is more than professional demonstrations. Free kite-making workshops are offered to children on Saturday and Sunday, you leave with your own kite to fly on the beach. "Wind gardens", poetic installations combining wind sculptures and musical instruments, line the sand between the flying zones. There is also an exhibition village with collector pieces from around the world, paragliding demonstrations, and sweet drops from the sky for little ones.
It's an event I look forward to every year with my kids. They love watching the giant kites rippling in the Mistral, and there is an area set up just for children with plenty of little games.
Practical information
The 2026 edition of the Fête du Vent was scheduled for Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September on the Prado beaches (8th arrondissement). The event has been cancelled.
Usual access: Metro line 2, Rond-Point du Prado station (15-minute walk to the beach). Bus lines 19, 44 and 83 serve the seafront directly.
Getting to the Fête du Vent from across the region
If the event is rescheduled, feel free to book an MR Taxi to avoid parking issues around the Prado. Your driver drops you off directly on the seafront boulevard and picks you up at the agreed time.
