A cultural festival in the south of France featuring, among others, Bas Smets, Bart Van Loo, Agnès Jaoui, Sigrid Bousset, Pierre Haski and Vinciane Despret

From 27 to 31 July 2026, the Domaine Les Davids in Viens in the Luberon will host the 5th edition of Les Estivales du Haut Calavon. Each summer, this festival brings together nature and culture with renowned authors, philosophers and leading cultural figures from France and Belgium.

This year's guest of honour is actress Agnès Jaoui, who will be giving a concert with the Ensemble Canto Allegre. She will be joined by philosopher Vinciane Despret, the festival's patron, who will be bringing together ethologists, writers and artists to discuss the theme of "Peoples of the seas, lands and skies", with the Cie de Massimo Furlan and Claire de Ribaupierre, as well as authors Pierre-Olivier Dittmar and Laure Limongi.

This 2026 edition explores the links between humans and living environments through talks, readings, concerts and performances. Participants include writer Charles Dantzig, journalists and authors Pierre Haski and Thomas Snégaroff, pianist Vanessa Wagner and saxophonist Raphaël Imbert, in dialogue with philosopher Martin Legros and writer Bart Van Loo.

The festival also gives prominence to visual arts and cinema, with films by Dominique Gros exploring the visible and invisible presence of water throughout the Calavon region.

Several exhibitions accompany the programme: at the Salagon Museum, an exhibition by painter Yves Zurstrassen, presented together with curator Yannick Mercoyrol; and at Les Davids, the exhibition “Revealing the Landscape” by landscape architect Bas Smets and designer Éliane Le Roux, alongside exhibitions by editorial cartoonist Pierre Kroll and artist Christine Mawet, presenting a series of silkscreen prints.

Workshops open to all complete the programme, combining writing, textile creation and printing practices.

The festival takes place at the Les Davids wine estate, home to a landscaped walking trail punctuated with discreet artworks and an open-air theatre hosting the talks and concerts.

Les Davids is a 320-hectare estate in Haute-Provence (southern France), where organic farming and viticulture, contemporary art, architecture, nature and hospitality meet in a unique landscape. The estate is owned by Belgian Sophie Le Clercq, who acquired the site in 2000 and then passionately transformed it into an exceptional place, including an an architect-designed winery, an organic bakery, a promenade designed by Bas Smets and dotted with artworks, holiday houses and over 50 hectares of vineyards. The annual summer festival brings together cultural figures on the estate and in the surrounding area.

The full programme can be found here :

Practical information

Estivales du Haut-Calavon ​
​Route de Banon Viens (Vaucluse), ​
​Domaine Les Davids ​
​27 to 31 July 2026
​estivaleshautcalavon.fr

Illustrations 2026

Images of the 2025 edition of the Estivales

Les Davids

Les Davids, whose owner Sophie Le Clercq is behind the Estivales, is located on the edge of the Luberon Regional Nature Park, a wild region whose diversity makes for a rich terroir. The vineyard is nestled at an altitude of 600 metres, one of the highest in the Vaucluse.

The vineyard has been farmed organically for over 20 years to restore its biodiversity and encourage the indigenous yeasts that ensure the natural fermentation of its wines. The altitude and the combined human and natural qualities enable the estate to produce exceptional wines in controlled quantities year after year.

Les Davids is an agricultural and wine-growing estate, but also a place where people meet, share and learn. Its exceptional winery, designed by architect Marc Barani, features a mural by artist Yves Zurstrassen at its entrance, and the estate has a promenade laid out by landscape architect Bas Smets where, year after year, artists' works are added as a curiosity cabinet.