The Marseille Santon Fair

Two centuries, several addresses

The Marseille fair began in 1803, and that tells you most of what you need to know about its importance. It’s older than most of the workshops that sell there, and it has survived two centuries of moves, wars and changing tastes.

It started in 1803 on the cours Saint-Louis, spent a long time on the allées de Meilhan at the top of the Canebière, Marseille’s main street, then moved down to the lower Canebière before settling on the quai du Port. The fair’s website has the full history (in French).

All those years have shaped the tradition more than you might think. A fair that lasts two hundred years helps set the customs: popular santon sizes, the names of the characters and trades, and the habit of building a nativity one santon at a time instead of buying it all at once. Much of what this site calls “the tradition” took shape here, from one address to the next, because buyers came back every year and compared.

The opening and the santon makers’ Mass

The fair opens on Saturday, November 14, but the official opening is the next day, Sunday, November 15, 2026. It starts at 10:30 a.m. with the santon makers’ Mass, said in Provençal, at the church of Saint-Ferréol les Augustins, a short walk from the Old Port. Around noon, the ribbon is cut at the entrance to the fair, and the mayor and city officials tour the booths with Provençal folk dancers.

It’s the best day to see what the fair owes to the nativity: the people who make the santons begin their season in church before they begin it at their booths. The Mass is open to everyone. For what the nativity means to Christians, see the nativity and the Church.

What you’ll find, and when to go

Santon makers set up in little wooden booths, most of them long-established Provençal workshops. Over seven weeks, the fair changes. In November, people come to shop seriously, talk with the makers and order a missing piece. From mid-December on, the Old Port is packed and it turns into more of a leisurely stroll.

Prices aren’t posted the same way at every booth, and there’s no reason they should be: a santon hand-painted in a ten-person workshop doesn’t cost the same as a mass-produced one. Our page on where to buy santons explains how to tell the difference on the spot, in a few seconds, without offending anyone.

One useful thing to look for: the Union’s exhibitors sign a “Fabrication Provence” (made in Provence) charter. They promise to make their whole range, santons and nativity accessories, in their own Provençal workshop, to display the association’s label at their booth, and not to mix their pieces with anyone else’s. A workshop that breaks the charter is expelled from the association.

Things to see and do

• The santon workshop: demonstrations of how santons are made, and children’s workshops on Wednesdays at 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
• Provençal music and dancing: folk groups every Wednesday and every weekend.
• Santa’s mailbox, where children can write their letter to Santa and mail it on the spot.
• Marcel Pagnol comic books, in French and in Provençal, with book signings.

The detailed schedule is on the fair’s events page (in French).

Who sells there

Most of the workshops come from Marseille and Aubagne, with a few from Aix-en-Provence, Roquevaire, Simiane-Collongue and Gréoux-les-Bains. Many of them are in our santon makers directory, with their address and website: Arterra, Santons Campana, Marcel Carbonel, Santons Daniel Coulomb, Santons Didier, Santons Escoffier, L’Atelier de Fanny, Santons Flore, Santon Gateau et Fils, Santons Gonzague, Santons Magali, Maryse Di Landro, Santons Truffier-Douzon, L’Atelier de Vicken, Santons Vouriot-Beaumond.

The full 2026 list of exhibitors is on the fair’s website.

Getting there

The quai du Port runs along the north side of the Old Port, between the Hôtel de Ville (city hall) and the place des Huiles. Take Metro line 1 to the Vieux-Port – Hôtel de Ville stop, which comes out right there. The Vieux-Port and Hôtel de Ville parking garages are closest, but in December they fill up on Saturday afternoons.

The fair is outdoors. The booths are covered but the sidewalk isn’t, and when the mistral (Provence’s strong north wind) blows, the waterfront turns into a wind tunnel. Dress warmly, especially if you plan to stay more than an hour.

The season’s other fairs

Marseille isn’t the only one in the area: Aubagne holds its santon and pottery market on almost the same dates, Arles kicks off the season in late October, and Tarascon, Châteaurenard, Fuveau, Martigues, Fontvieille, Châteauneuf-les-Martigues and La Fare-les-Oliviers each have their own.

The full 2026 santon fair calendar lists the whole season, from September 19 to January 3, and you can sort it by month and by area.

Information checked on October 4, 2026, on the fair’s website, run by the Union of Santon Makers of Provence. We can’t guarantee dates or hours: a fair can be moved or canceled, and the organizer’s information is what counts. Confirm before you go.