The Camargue and Rhône Delta Festival

The 18th edition : MAY 13th to 17th 2026

For its 18th edition, the Camargue Festival will open its doors in Port Saint Louis du Rhône from May 13th to 17th 2026, in the heart of a region shaped by water and wind.

This year, the festival will highlight wetlands and biodiversity, with a special focus on the Ciénaga de Zapata Biosphere Reserve in Cuba, which has recently signed a cooperation agreement with the Camargue Biosphere Reserve. This dialogue between two emblematic territories illustrates the importance of international exchanges in better understanding and protecting the living world for future generations.

We will also have the pleasure of welcoming Hans Silvester, an internationally renowned photographer and patron of this new edition. The Camargue marked the beginning of his career more than sixty years ago. Today, he offers us a poetic and unique perspective on this landscape, revealing seasonal changes and the deep relationship between people and their environment.

The festival will also welcome several guest photographers whose work offers complementary perspectives on the natural world. Éric Le Go and Olivier Larrey transport us to the heart of the polar regions, capturing the stark beauty of ice and the power of extreme landscapes. Jean-Michel Lenoir, through his seascapes, invites us to experience the ocean as a place of reflection, emotion and quiet contemplation.

In partnership with the VII Foundation, a new forum will also spotlight women photographers and filmmakers. Through sensitive, committed and courageous storytelling, they reveal, document and defend the living world, bringing powerful new voices to the dialogue between nature and humanity.

But the festival is also about discovering a territory and the people who bring it to life. More than 100 guided nature outings will allow visitors to explore the landscapes, lagoons and biodiversity of the Camargue.

In Port Saint Louis du Rhône, the beating heart of the festival, conferences, film screenings, discussions, activities, exhibitions and themed evenings will shape the festival experience.

More than ever, the Camargue Festival aims to be a place for dialogue and discovery, extending across the Camargue and into the Camargue Gardoise, inviting everyone to take a thoughtful and committed look at wetlands and the living world. It celebrates the fragile beauty of our landscapes and the deep connections between people and nature and invites us all to play a role in their preservation.

10:30 am : “The Fox That Saved Its Island”

 A family friendly screening of “The Fox That Saved Its Island”, followed by a discussion with the film’s director Emma Baus & producer Sylvie Randonneix.

Off the coast of California lies Santa Cruz Island, home to the Island fox, the smallest fox species on Earth. Once the island’s top predator, this perfectly adapted animal saw its numbers plummet when new predators threatened its survival, disrupting the delicate balance of the ecosystem. Today, thanks to conservation efforts, the island fox is making a remarkable comeback.

11:45 am : Opening of the exhibition “Mistral, the Legendary Wind of Provence ” with photographer Rachel Cobb.

Mistral is my 20-year project photographing the effects of France’s legendary wind that funnels down the Rhône River Valley between the Alps and Massif Central mountains, blowing as often as 200 days a year, sometimes reaching hurricane strength.

It is not just a weather phenomenon, it is an integral part of Provençal life, honing the landscape, influencing the architecture and agriculture, and shaping the character of the inhabitants. It slams doors, lifts roof tiles, steals fruit from trees. It’s a gremlin wreaking havoc – everywhere, yet always unseen. As long as there have been inhabitants in Provence, they have endured the mistral. I explore what it is to live in its path.

" American photojournalist Rachel Cobb has spent several decades capturing the legendary wind that blows through southern France. This relentless force of nature that can gust to hurricane strength is an integral part of the fabric of Provençal life" -  The Guardian

Round-table discussion : “ Women Photographers and Filmmakers at the Heart of Nature ”

With Rachel Cobb, Emma Baus and Sylvie Randonneix, moderated by Jacqueline Farmer, Director of the Nature Through Her Eyes Programme at the VII Foundation.

 Through their lenses, women photographers and filmmakers capture the living world with patience, sensitivity and deep commitment. Their images and wildlife films reveal the fragile beauty of ecosystems and offer a powerful perspective on nature.
This panel will explore women’s place within the profession, the challenges they face and how their work brings the beauty and vulnerability of the natural world to light.

 7:00 pm - Espace Gérard Philipe : Screening of the feature documentary 
"Hurricane : a wind odyssey"

The film follows the life of named storm ‘Lucy’ revealing the immense power that once led ancient civilizations to revere these winds as gods. From birth over Africa, to a journey across the Atlantic and into the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, Lucy’s winds shape landscapes, ecosystems, and human lives. Seen from space and on the ground, the film traces the evolution of a storm that grows from distant clouds into a force hundreds of miles wide.

“An eye-popping stereoscopic exploration into the heart of a tropical cyclone as it wreaks havoc over several Caribbean islands and parts of the American south. Featuring some of the most startling natural images in recent memory… “ -Hollywood reporter

“A moment of pure ecstasy… terrifying.” - RFI

The screening will be followed by a conversation with Jacqueline Farmer, co-director of the film, Emmanuelle Perrin, architect, and in the presence of the Cuban delegation.

The evening is organised in partnership with Scènes et Cinés and journalist Camille Bosshardt.