This April, one of Louisiana’s crown jewels in its 400-plus repertoire of fairs and festivals—Lafayette’s Festival International de Louisiane (FIL)—turns 40. Its longevity is a testament to the power of community and the scores of volunteers and artists who made it happen in 1987 and continue to enhance its success every year.
The annual festival dedicated to the francophone nations of the world came about when Herman Mire, then director of the University Art Museum at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), presented an exhibition of paintings from Senegal, West Africa, through Maurice Dedieu, the French linguistic attaché to Louisiana in the early 1980s. The exhibit included African musicians, whom Mire communicated with in French, the language of both Senegal and Louisiana.
The experience of interacting with other francophone nations, plus Mire’s travels to other countries in his job, sparked an idea. He envisioned an international festival that would fill the streets of downtown Lafayette. Bring the world to South Louisiana.
“The overall impact of the Senegalese exhibition and the Senegalese musicians, my exploration of the country and culture of Jordan, the Festival of India in Amsterdam, and museums and concerts of New York City was so powerful, that in August of 1985 I had an idea: to organize an annual visual and performing arts festival in Lafayette,” Mire writes in the anniversary tome “40: Festival International de Louisiane.” “…my hope was that Lafayette could host a world-class arts festival of its own.”
Lafayette city officials, the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, and Michael Doucet of the popular Cajun band BeauSoleil, along with many other community leaders, visited festivals in other cities to garner ideas. They received grants from both Louisiana and Francophone countries, and on July 2-5, 1987, the organizers, along with 750 volunteers and sponsors, debuted the inaugural Festival International de Louisiane.
It wasn’t the best of times. In the late 80s, Lafayette and South Louisiana residents were suffering from an oil and gas slump that triggered high unemployment. The July date meant staggering heat and thunderstorms. When the visiting Master Drummers of Rwanda warmed the skins of their drums, police and firemen arrived, suspecting a fire.
Despite it all, that first festival in 1987 was a success. The Master Drummers began their performance, and the crowds arrived to be introduced to visual and performing artists from throughout the world.
“People of all ages and from all walks of life were welcome, and they were, at the end of the day, mesmerized by the experience,” Mire writes.
The non-profit festival, led by volunteers and funded by sponsorships and merchandise sales, has evolved and grown since its origins in 1987. Festival International de Louisiane now spans five days and is considered the largest international music festival in the country. In addition to musicians visiting from around the world, the festival offers local and international artisans and artists selling their handcrafted works, incredible food vendors from throughout Louisiana and the world, special events such as theatrical performances, art exhibits, and music jams, and the Courir de Festival 5K and much more.
The festival date has since moved to the last weekend in April, when the weather is more cooperative—thankfully, balmy days with cool nights—and to coincide with the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, allowing international musicians to book both events. And there is never an admission fee.
What you’ll find
The 40th annual Festival International de Louisiane will take place Wednesday through Sunday, April 22-26, 2026, and will feature music on several stages, a wide variety of food vendors, Louisiana artists, and the world markets Marché des Arts spotlighting artwork and Marché des Monde featuring commercial and handcrafted items.
Children will be entertained by musicians, performers, and craft events at Scène des Jeunes on Saturday and Sunday of the festival. The children’s area occurs within the safe confines of the Cathedral Carmel School campus and features a Zone Détante, a sensory-friendly space for children—and parents—to relax and refresh. Each weekend afternoon, a parade rolls through the festival featuring the incredible French stiltwalkers.
Every year, the festival chooses an artist to create the official poster and related merchandise. For the 40th anniversary event, Festival International de Louisiane chose Lafayette artist Francis Pavy as the Official Visual Artist for Festival 2026, with Annabelle Pavy of Pavy Studio designing the merchandise. Dubbed the “Picasso of Zydeco” by Rolling Stone, Francis Pavy creates vibrant, evocative paintings that blend history, mysticism, and memory into striking, narrative-driven compositions. Pavy’s work has graced album covers and is on exhibit in major museums and homes of celebrities.
For ideas on how best to plan a visit to Festival International de Louisiane, click here.
Don’t miss
A special commemorative coffee table book has been published to celebrate the festival’s 40-year milestone. Many of the festival founders and longtime reporters and photographers contributed to the 200-page, bilingual, hardcover, limited-edition book that tells the festival’s history and its impact on the community. The purchase of the book, in addition to pins, posters, and other festival merchandise, helps keep the festival running as a free community event.
