At the Royal City of Loches, Les Médiévales bring the keep and royal residence to life until August 17

Three Days to the Rhythm of the Middle Ages

Les Médiévales take over Loches from August 15 to 17, 2026, with announced opening hours of 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for the Royal Residence and the keep. The event takes the form of a three-day long weekend, designed as an immersion in the Middle Ages through activities, shows and reenactment areas.

The Royal City of Loches concentrates much of the program between the keep, the Royal Residence, Parc Bachet and the Mail du Donjon. The official website also presents the event as the next date on its agenda, while its homepage recalls the opening hours for the period, listed as 9:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m., 7 days a week.

The principle is clear: to move visitors between artisans’ stalls, demonstrations, games, encampments and shows. The event page announces ongoing activities in the park of the Royal Residence and at the keep, as well as an artisan market held every day on the Mail du Donjon.

A Packed Program at the Royal Residence

At the Royal Residence, the program combines theater, music, singing, dancing, juggling and participatory workshops. The Medieval Banquet, presented as a participatory show, invites the public to experience a festive meal from the Middle Ages from the inside, with performances announced at 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:15 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Music also plays an important role. Les Derniers Trouvères are scheduled to sing Celtic and medieval imagery and thought, in contemporary French, to medieval melodies or compositions in that spirit. Their appearances are announced at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Juggling is represented by Les Baladeux, whose performances combine acrobatic juggling and adventure stories. Three time slots are listed: 11:15 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. The announced format, lasting 30 minutes, complements the day’s musical and theatrical events.

Family-Friendly Workshops

The family dimension of the event appears in several offerings designed to get the public involved. Shapes at Your Fingertips is presented as an interactive workshop-show centered on clay, where everyone can observe, shape and discover creation with their hands, in an atmosphere described as calm and friendly.

The Colorist Illuminator’s Workshop offers a chance to discover illumination, a technique developed in the 14th century, using stencils and natural pigments. The event page announces a participatory format, lasting 25 minutes, offered continuously by Scriptoria Mina.

Young visitors can also enjoy the show Princess Jenny Who Did NOT Want to Get Married. The story features a princess who refuses to marry and sets challenges for the suitors who come before the castle gates. Three 45-minute performances are announced, at 10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.

Encampments, Medicine and Games Throughout the Day

Several activities run continuously, giving the route a strolling feel. A 15th-century apothecary’s stall offers a fun and interactive introduction to medieval medicine, with elements devoted to hygiene, care and the dietetics of men and women in the Middle Ages.

A large area of medieval games built from wood is also announced. The program mentions in particular the greased pole, quintain, ring game, checkers, tin-can alley, miniature city, treasure fishing, chess, stilts, hoops, jump ropes, cudgel game and tug of war.

At the keep and in Parc Bachet, the encampments extend this immersion. La Maisnie du Mont Ferrand announces activities, crafts, medieval games, a foot-jousting list, a presentation of medieval cooking and artillery. Other encampments complete the route with weapons, armor, calligraphy, herbalism, board games and games of skill.

An Eastern Opening Along the Route

The program is not limited to a single representation of the Western Middle Ages. Les Voies de Samarcande animate an Eastern medieval encampment, with demonstrations and workshops on armor making, board games, Eastern food, adult archery, shamanic music, forging and Eastern fencing.

This presence adds a notable variation to the route, as it also introduces an Eastern tea room among the announced activities. Visitors can thus move from an encampment with medieval cooking and artillery to a space devoted to other practices, gestures and atmospheres, still within the framework of ongoing activities.

The Town Center Is Involved Too

Part of the weekend takes place in the town center and in the old city, with free access announced from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The program mentions a parodic street show by Les Catapultés and their infernal machine, described as being at once a catapult, a prison and a battering ram.

Other offerings are planned outside the main paid route: music, theater and circus with Cie Kazan and Les Chroniques des Arpenteurs, music from the late Middle Ages to the Renaissance with Cie Smedelyn and Ensemble L’Oisel, as well as demonstrations of choreographed combat in armor by Les Rodeurs du Nord on August 15 and 16.

The Mail du Donjon also hosts a medieval market from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with food available on site. The event is presented as being organized in partnership with the town of Loches, confirming that it extends beyond the monumental site alone.

Announced Tickets and Passes

For the activities at the Royal City, the prices listed on the event page are €15.00 and €13.00. Online booking is mentioned for tickets, while the site’s general homepage also displays usual visit prices of €12.50 and €10.50, distinct from those for the medieval weekend.

A Privilege Pass is also announced for those who wish to attend Les Médiévales over two or three days. Its price is listed at €25.00, with access to all Les Médiévales activities and the pass’s other benefits. The practical condition is important: it is available only on site, with no online sales.

Finally, the Royal City of Loches homepage lists Les Médiévales among its upcoming events, from August 15 to August 17, at the Royal Residence and the keep, with the 9:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. schedule. For visitors, the key information is therefore twofold: the heart of the program is visited in the heritage spaces, while several activities in town are announced with free access.