Feria in Beziers, France

Beziers is a historic town in Languedoc in southern France, in the Hérault department. The town is chiefly known for wine and for bullfighting. There is a large community of inhabitants of Spanish origin, so the annual Feria, held over five days in August each year, attracts the very best bullfighters and the flamenco dancers.
 
A million visitors are attracted to the town at this time.



In unexpected corners of the town, Bodegas appear. These are little cafes, each with its own theme, selling local wine and providing live music from about 10pm until 5am the next morning. Along the Allee Paul Riquet and in all the main squares, crowds wander in happy mood, stopping to sample the food and drink on offer or to watch the numerous displays of folk dancing, acrobatics or to listen to the live music - everything from classical guitar to jazz, via African drums and Eastern European or Asian instruments.

In the cloister of the Cathédrale Saint-Nazaire, every seat is taken to watch the superb Flamenco performance by the Jose Manuel Alvarez Company from Barcelona.

      

The dances are very stylised and sweep the audience along in their intensity. As in the picture above, the dancer represents movements from the bullfight.
                      

It is a tradition that the bullfighters at the Feria are the best Spanish bullfighters of the year; those who have won all their competitions.