Events - We Maje Days Summer Edition 2026: Parthenay’s International Game Festival Celebrates 40 Years of Passion for Gaming

By Mulder, Paris, Le Loft, 10 june 2026

Among the many highlights presented at the first edition of the We Maje Days Summer Edition 2026, organized by Anthony Mazelly and the WE MAJE teams, one of the most exciting for fans of board games, video games, and family entertainment was undoubtedly the spotlight on the Parthenay International Games Festival, better known by its acronym FLIP. Since its inception in 1986, this event has established itself as a true institution in the French and European gaming landscape, to the point where it is now recognized as one of the largest outdoor game festivals in the world. From July 8 to 19, 2026, the medieval town of Parthenay will celebrate the 40th edition of this extraordinary event, which transforms its entire downtown into a massive playground open to everyone free of charge every summer.

FLIP’s presence at the We Maje Days Summer Edition was no coincidence. The event held in Paris was specifically designed to highlight the family-friendly, cultural, and recreational experiences that will define the coming months. In this context, the Parthenay festival stands as a perfect illustration of this commitment to bringing together multiple generations around a shared passion. The materials presented at the event also highlighted that FLIP welcomes nearly 200,000 visitors and players each year, spread across more than 45,000 square meters of activities right in the heart of the city. An impressive scale that far exceeds the scope of a traditional trade show or convention, which explains why many game publishers now consider the festival a strategic event for presenting their new releases to the general public.

What particularly sets FLIP apart from other European gaming events is its ability to bring an entire city to life through the rhythm of play. For twelve days, the streets, squares, gardens, and historic monuments of Parthenay become spaces dedicated to discovery. Modern board games, traditional games, video games, role-playing games, escape games, sports games, independent creations, and prototypes all coexist in a particularly friendly atmosphere. The organizers regularly emphasize that the festival is as much a vacation destination as it is a cultural event—a philosophy that shines through perfectly in the visuals presented during the We Maje Days Summer Edition. There, you’ll find entire families settled under the festival tents, children testing the latest game creations, and enthusiasts chatting directly with the authors and publishers on site.

The 2026 edition is obviously of special significance, as it marks the festival’s 40th anniversary.
 To celebrate this anniversary, the organizers have devised several new activities. Among them is Wooplady Wooplada, a group game specially designed for this anniversary edition. Inspired by the iconic character Woopy, the festival’s historic mascot, this project emphasizes collective participation, interaction among players, and the joy of playing together in public spaces. This initiative perfectly illustrates the DNA of FLIP, which has always prioritized sharing and conviviality over the mere consumption of new games.

Another particularly interesting element revealed in the dossier presented during the We Maje Days Summer Edition: the creation of a veritable anniversary village set up on the Place du Château. This iconic location will bring together twelve experiences presented as “playful Proustian madeleines,” highlighting games that have marked the festival’s history over the decades. Visitors will also be able to explore a major retrospective exhibition tracing the evolution of FLIP since its inception. This serves as a reminder of just how closely the festival has accompanied the transformations in the gaming sector, from the golden age of traditional board games to the current boom in modern board games and hybrid experiences blending physical and digital elements.

The scale of this anniversary edition is also evident in the figures announced by the organizers. More than 4,000 games and toys will be available for free play, spread across various themed villages covering the entire spectrum of gaming worlds. More than 350 facilitators will be on hand to guide visitors as they explore, while the traditional Creators’ Awards, Publishers’ Awards, and Video Game Awards will continue to highlight the innovation and creativity that define the industry. This professional dimension remains one of FLIP’s major strengths, allowing many independent creators each year to present their prototypes directly to the public and industry professionals.

What stands out particularly from the presentation given during the We Maje Days Summer Edition is the alignment between the philosophy of WE MAJE and that of the festival. In his editorial, Anthony Mazelly discusses the need to create experiences capable of generating emotion, discovery, and sharing. These three concepts could just as easily serve as FLIP’s slogan. For forty years, the festival has demonstrated that a simple game can become a powerful vehicle for connection, learning, and intergenerational exchange. In an era where leisure is often fragmented across screens, platforms, and individual experiences, seeing an entire city transform for nearly two weeks into a vast collective play space remains particularly fascinating.

At a time when major brands in the sector are constantly seeking to strengthen the connection between their products and their communities, FLIP remains one of the best examples of what a large-scale immersive experience can achieve. The festival’s presence at the We Maje Days Summer Edition 2026 also serves as a reminder that gaming is no longer just a market or an industry: it has become a true cultural phenomenon capable of bringing together hundreds of thousands of people around a shared passion. Forty years after its inception, the Festival Ludique International de Parthenay continues to prove that it remains one of the finest celebrations of gaming in Europe, and likely one of the must-attend events of summer 2026 for all families seeking new discoveries and moments of togetherness

(Source: press release)