From 19 to 21 June 2026, the French Microlight Federation will organise a new event in Blois, designed to be a gathering for microlight pilots. Saturday will be dedicated to welcoming the general public, who will have the chance to discover the world of microlights.

The microlight community was accustomed to the Mondial de l’ULM (MULM), historically held every year for the past 45 years at the Blois-Le-Breuil airfield. Gradually, as FFPLUM member pilots themselves observed, this event had become increasingly commercial. “So to speak, they no longer felt fully at home at this event, which had become a trade fair,” explains Laura Mac Donald, FFPLUM vice-president in charge of events.

These changes led many of the federation’s member pilots to stop attending the show, although visitor numbers remained high. In light of this, the board of directors decided to reinvent the event in 2026 by organising an event designed to bring people together, first and foremost for the pilots. From this year onwards, the traditional MULM will become a biennial event, making way for FESTI’ULM every other year.

This new microlight festival aims to offer three days of aviation activities, centred on practical flying. As was already the case with the MULM, it will be possible to travel to the venue by air. To this end, the Blois-Le-Breuil control tower will allocate slots to participants for arrivals and departures. On site, a wide range of activities will be offered to aviators to provide the broadest possible experience free of charge, with workshops on mechanics, flight safety, regulatory aspects and navigation, etc. “In practical terms, we expect our partners not only to display aircraft, but also to offer activities related to our sport,” emphasises Laura Mac Donald, co-organiser of FESTI’ULM.