[2] The first festival was held in 1984 in the town of Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle (Senpere in Basque) on the banks of the Lac de Sain-Pée .

The small town has come to be renowned for its regular Herri Urrats celebration, which remains one of the largest of its kind.

[4] Herri Urrats consists basically of a walk around the Saint-Pée lake.

[4] The circuit laid out around an artificial lake is dotted with food stands and entertainment all along.

Herri Urrats is celebrated in many major cities the world over, including Buenos Aires, Argentina,[5] Paris and London.