Originating in Sete centuries ago, this sport is now a passionate fixture of Languedoc traditional culture. We stumbled upon it quite by chance one Sunday afternoon. This spectacle is something that really has to be witnessed to be believed and it is difficult to describe adequately, but here goes: Water jousting consists of two elaborate rowing boats with a platform at one end. On the platform sit 6 jousters dressed all in white. As the boats charge towards each other one of the jouster's picks up their shield and jousting pole and tries to dislodge the other boat's jouster from their platform. A great applause greets a jouster falling into the canal. The boats past each other 7 times and the winning crew is the one who unseats most opponents.

All of this is accompanied by an on-board band. Each area of Sete has its own Societe des Jouste and rivalry is fierce. Teams from other Languedoc ports (Meze, Marseillan, Agde) also compete in the water jousting tournament.

Sete Water jousting festival

The season runs from late spring through the early autumn, with more frequent water jousting tournaments taking place in the summer. The most important water jousting championships are held here on 25 August, the Fete de St-Louis, with accompanying fireworks at night (see the website Fiesta de Sete for more details).