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The Nîmes Feria at Pentecost 2026 drew 1.1 million visitors from 21 to 25 May, according to figures published by the city council. Attendance fell by 6% year on year, but overnight stays rose by 6% to 88,000. More than one visitor in four came from abroad. Published three days after the event, the report also shows what a French town can measure, and what is still missing.
How many people attended the Nîmes Feria in 2026?
According to the Nîmes city council press release of 28 May 2026, cumulative attendance is estimated at 1.1 million people over five days. That is 6% lower than in 2025. However, the council points out that the previous edition lasted one day longer. A feria is a traditional festival of southern France, with street celebrations, concerts and events in the arena.
Crowds were concentrated in the city centre, especially on the Saturday. Meanwhile, the Roman arena welcomed 66,199 spectators in total. Three shows each drew more than 10,000 people: the Saturday and Sunday evening bullfights and the Camargue-style race.
Who are the Feria visitors?
The audience remains mainly French, at 73%. By contrast, 27% of visitors came from abroad. This international share is of direct interest to hotels and restaurants in the city.
In addition, the Nîmes tourist office welcomed and advised 5,165 visitors during the festival. It is a simple indicator that any town can track during a major event.
Nîmes Feria: what impact on accommodation?
The most telling figure concerns overnight stays. The council counts 88,000 of them, both paid and unpaid, up 6% on the previous year. In other words, fewer people came, but they stayed longer or spent more nights locally.
For a destination, this trend matters more than crowd size. Indeed, each night generates spending on hotels, meals and shopping. A similar pattern appears in other reports, such as Strasbourg Capital of Christmas.
Strong growth in online audience
The council also measures the reach of its own channels. Feria pages on nimes.fr totalled 287,402 views, up by almost 55%. On the council’s social media accounts, content reached 3,481,073 views, up 88%.
These figures do not directly measure economic activity. Nevertheless, they show public interest before and during the event. They also help plan communication for future editions.
What the report does not say
The press release is silent on several points that would help other councils. First, the cost of the event is not disclosed. Second, no economic impact is given in euros. Businesses describe trade as “sustained”, without any figure or number of stallholders.
Finally, the method behind the attendance study is not explained. Yet mobile phone counts, ticketing or visual estimates give very different results. These figures should therefore be compared with care.
Lessons for other towns
The Nîmes case offers several practical ideas for any town organising a large festival:
- publish a quick report, here three days after the event;
- track overnight stays, not just crowds;
- separate domestic and international visitors;
- count the people helped by the tourist office;
- add, where possible, the cost and an estimate of visitor spending.
Local tourism businesses can also present their offer to visitors on the town’s page in the Info Communes app, shown below.
Nîmes Feria: key takeaways
- An estimated 1.1 million visitors from 21 to 25 May 2026, down 6% on an edition that was one day shorter.
- 88,000 overnight stays, up 6%.
- 27% of visitors from abroad.
- 66,199 spectators in the arena.
- No cost or economic impact in euros in the official report.
Sources: Nîmes city council, Pentecost Feria 2026 attendance report (28 May 2026); INSEE official geographic code. Featured photo: Hongbin / Unsplash. Lire cet article en français.
