# Gabès International Festival

The Gabès International Festival is the town's summer festival, from late July to late August. Its 41st edition ran from 31 July to 24 August 2026, with Tunisian theatre, concerts by Tunisian and Arab singers and shows for children; Saber Rebaï performed on 21 August. The 2027 edition has not yet been announced.

Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/events/festival-gabes/

The Gabès International Festival is the main summer cultural event in south-eastern Tunisia. Its 41st edition ran from 31 July to 24 August 2026, almost a month of evening shows. The 2027 dates have not yet been announced; the festival takes place every year at the height of summer.

## The 2026 edition

The organising committee presented the programme at the Sidi Boulbaba museum of popular arts and traditions in Gabès, under the slogan "We are born again to be what we want to be". A symposium on Tunisia's modernisation, marking seventy years of independence, opened proceedings on 29 and 30 July.

The evenings alternated between three strands:

- **theatre**, with "Lawaëj Soufia", a new work by Salah Baccar produced by the festival association, opening on 31 July, followed by Jaafar Guesmi in "PSY", Saber Oueslati in "Papa Noël", Sofiene Dahech's "Weld El Talyani" on 9 August and Karim Gharbi in "Visa";
- **music**, with Nordo, Amina Fakhet, Yousra Mahnouch, Nour Chiba, Chirine Lajmi, Walid Al-Salahi, Young RZ and Kaso, the Algerian band El Basta and Bilal Tacchini as international guest; Saber Rebaï performed on 21 August;
- **children**, with the puppet show "Khayal Jamil".

The closing night on 24 August featured Rayen Youssef and Dorra Fourti.

## Gabès in summer

Gabès is 111 km from Houmt Souk, about 2 hours 15 via the Ajim ferry, and makes a day trip from Djerba: its coastal oasis, the Sidi Boulbaba mosque and the museum housed in a 17th-century madrasa. The average August high is 32.5 °C. For swimming, head to Djerba, where Sabaro has chosen three beach hotels, described with the town on the [Djerba, Zarzis and the South-East](/en/tunisia/djerba/) page.

Recent racist assaults have been reported in the town, as well as protests against pollution from the Groupe chimique tunisien in October 2025: keep away from gatherings. Foreign ministries do not all give the same advice. Your country's advice:

(Depends on the traveller's country: see the table on https://sabaro-travel.com/en/events/festival-gabes/)

The [Tunisia safety](/en/guides/securite-tunisie/) guide sets out the situation, and the [summer festivals in Tunisia](/en/guides/festivals-ete-tunisie/) guide covers the season's other festivals, from Carthage to Hammamet.

## Frequently asked questions

### When is the Gabès festival?

Every summer; in 2026, from 31 July to 24 August. The 2027 dates have not yet been published.

### Who performs?

Mainly Tunisian and Arab actors and singers; in 2026, Saber Rebaï, Nordo, Amina Fakhet and the Algerian band El Basta, among others.

### Can I go from Djerba?

Yes: Gabès is about 2 hours 15 by road from Houmt Souk via the Ajim ferry.