OFF Arles Festival 2026

Summer is here, and for IRK that means a trip to Arles to see both the Rencontres d’Arles and the OFF Arles Festival: Images Beyond the Margins.

Every summer, Arles becomes one of the leading hubs of contemporary photography. While the Rencontres d’Arles draw international attention, the OFF Arles Festival takes over independent galleries, artists’ studios, cafés, community spaces, and temporary venues throughout the city. This is for its third edition under the coordination of La Kabine, an independent space dedicated to contemporary image-based practices. The festival continues to grow. Its program spans more than 150 venues and brings together over 1,000 artists. In addition, it is guided by an open, collective, and accessible vision of artistic creation. The OFF has established itself as a dynamic platform for encounters, discovery, and dialogue within the contemporary photography scene.

The OFF Arles Festival 2026 will take place from July 6 to October 5, 2026, across more than 150 venues throughout Arles. Remaining true to its commitment to accessibility, the entire program is free and open to all. The opening week, running from July 6 to July 10, will set the tone for this third edition. It will feature a rich program of screenings, talks, and events dedicated to contemporary creation. Among the highlights, the Emergence Evening will bring together artists, curators, industry professionals, and partners around the Prix Révélation La Saif x La Kabine. In this case, this award is dedicated to celebrating emerging talents in contemporary photography.

Photography Beyond Borders and Institution

Moreover, this year, the festival is built around a fundamental question: how do we inhabit a world that sometimes seems to slip beyond our grasp? In response to the social, political, and environmental upheavals shaping our time, the OFF Arles Festival creates a space for dialogue. In this space, images become tools for understanding, memory, and connection. Through exhibitions, conversations, and collaborative projects, artists and photographers explore themes of territory, migration, identity, transmission, and resilience.

Among the highlights of this edition is the group exhibition At the Edge of the World, presented at Le Printemps. This exhibition brings together artists from Brazil, Guyane, Espagne, France, Iran, Palestine, Guatemala, and Burkina Faso. It explores the ways individuals and communities navigate territories shaped by ecological, political, and social fractures. Additionally, through documentary photography, intimate narratives, and collective memories, At the Edge of the World creates a sensitive cartography of the contemporary world.

The 2026 edition also marks an important milestone in the festival’s development with its integration into the Réseau LUX and the International Photography Festivals Association (IPFA). These new affiliations strengthen its presence within major contemporary photography networks. Moreover, they pave the way for new international collaborations and opportunities for artistic exchange

In just a few years, the OFF Arles Festival has become an essential part of the city’s summer season. It is more than an alternative to institutional circuits. The festival creates space for encounters, experimentation, and the exchange of ideas. Questions of representation and visibility now occupy a central place in cultural discourse. The festival reminds us that photography does more than document the world. It also allows us to imagine new possibilities within it.

Practical Information

OFF Arles Festival 2026
July 6 – October 5, 2026

Opening Week: July 6 – July 10, 2026

Festival Headquarters: Impasse Balze, Arles

Group Exhibition “At the Edge of the World”:
Le Printemps, 2 Avenue Lafayette, Arles

Admission: Free access to all OFF exhibitions and events

Program Highlights: More than 150 venues, over 1,000 artists, and three months of exhibitions, talks, screenings, and public events.