Festival Tempo Latino

Tempo Latino takes over Vic-Fezensac, a small village in the Gers in southwest France, for four days at the turn of August. It is the legendary date for anyone who dances callejero, and most of the crowd is French and Spanish. The bullring is the concert arena and the billing leans hard on Afro-Cuban and Latin orchestras. But what people come back for is the social scene spread through the village, which runs day and night. Casamaria and the Cafe des Arenes are the two best known, both outdoors and both going from the afternoon into the small hours. Workshops are held in smaller venues around the village rather than in one hall. There is also a beach party at the Lac de Lupiac, fifteen minutes away by car, running every day of the festival. Worth building a day around rather than treating as a side trip. Beyond Cuban salsa, zouk, konpa and kizomba are all well covered, and a whole social scene is given over to bachata dominicana. One practical warning: accommodation is the hard part. Airbnb and hotels across the area go months ahead. Facebook groups appear each year for finding a space in a rented house and for arranging lifts, and they are the realistic route in if you have not booked early.