# Douz International Sahara Festival

The Douz International Sahara Festival takes place every year in late December; the 58th edition is scheduled for 19 to 22 December 2026, on Haniche square. Camel and horse races, a camel marathon, Bedouin weddings and evenings of music celebrate the culture of southern Tunisia's nomads.

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

The 58th International Sahara Festival will be held in Douz from 19 to 22 December 2026, the organising committee announced at its first planning meeting in September. Each year the festival fills four days in late December, on Haniche square, ringed with Bedouin tents, and in the town's cultural venues.

## A festival dating from 1910

According to the Tunisian National Tourist Office (ONTT), the festival has celebrated the region's Arab and Berber heritage since 1910. It began with races of mehari (racing camels) and traditional games, and its first international edition took place in 1967. It is hosted by the Mrazig, the tribe of former nomadic camel herders who live in Douz.

## What you will see

The 2026 programme has not yet been published. The 57th edition, from 25 to 28 December 2025, followed the usual pattern:

- **Opening**: a parade of Tunisian and foreign folk troupes from Martyrs' square to Market square, followed in the evening by a large show on Haniche square recreating life in the Sahara.
- **Horse day**: horse and camel races, equestrian displays and folk shows.
- **Camel day**: the start of the international camel marathon and the "Samour" evening, one of the most popular events.
- **Around the festival**: a heritage village, art and food exhibitions, poetry evenings at the culture centre and an exhibition at the Sahara Museum.

Earlier editions also featured camel fights, fantasias (cavalry charges), traditional Bedouin weddings and hunting with the sloughi, the desert greyhound.

## Getting there and staying

Douz is 125 km from Tozeur airport and 260 km from Djerba's. Tozeur is a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop. In late December afternoons are mild, with an average high of about 18 °C, and nights are cold, around 5 °C: bring warm clothes for the evenings.

The hotel chosen by Sabaro in Douz is [The Residence Douz](/en/hotels/the-residence-douz/), 50 villas in a palm grove. The region is described on the [Douz and the Sahara](/en/tunisia/douz-sahara/) page, and the festival pairs well with a stay in [Tozeur and Nefta](/en/tunisia/tozeur-nefta/).

## Safety

Some European foreign ministries advise against travel south of a line running through Douz: the town itself can be visited, but excursions into the dunes to the south cannot. 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-sahara-douz/)

The [Tunisia safety](/en/guides/securite-tunisie/) guide sets out the situation.

## Frequently asked questions

### When is the 2026 Douz festival?

From 19 to 22 December 2026, for the 58th edition.

### How do I get to Douz?

Via Tozeur airport, 125 km away, or Djerba airport, 260 km away; the road from Tozeur crosses Chott el Djerid.

### What is the weather like in Douz in December?

Around 18 °C in the afternoon and 5 °C at night on average, with very little rain.