Festivals and cultural events Normandy

The festival takes its name from the wave that travels up the Seine and Risle rivers to Pont-Audemer. For two to three weeks, concerts, hot-air ballooning, torchlight descents, street art, sports and leisure activities follow one another around town, not forgetting the children's Mascaret, all free of charge and attracting thousands of spectators. A grand concert and fireworks display closes the Mascarets festival, combining regional discoveries and internationally acclaimed artists on the weekend of July 14.

A scenography enhances 2.5 kilometres of seaside, along the largest artificial harbour in the world, with a view of the seawall and its forts. 15 enamelled lava sequences on the parapet and 15 multimedia interpretations, completed with digital tools, tell in text and image 150 years of transatlantic epic. To do this, you will need to pick up the appropriate tools at the tourist office - don't be afraid, they are very easy to use!

It is an event that has been cherbourgeois since the mid s. Open Scene, organised by the Maison des Jeunes et de la Culture de la Ville, allows young local groups, which mainly distil rock or its shades, to take place on the green beach for a long, eagerly awaited musical evening. Many young people have used to go there but, as the music is to be universal, every generation is represented!

The Fantastic Film Festival program is divided between two activities: Fantastic Conventions and screenings of old horror films. During the conventions, which open at 10am and close at 6pm, festival-goers can listen to lectures, enjoy a variety of activities, chat with authors at book signings, take part in cosplay contests or a zombie parade. Don't be afraid to be scared... this original festival gives you the creeps, but in a friendly atmosphere.

There are more and more of them staggering through the streets of Rouen every year. They only come out one day a year and so much the better, because they are frightening to see! Scarred, dying, with their entrails in the air, they appear morbid and bloody. But who are they? The creatures of the Zombie Walk, of course! Every year in November, fans of gore and horror, or those who simply like to dress up, go to the town hall square to start a long and slow walk along our streets..

In July, the Cotentin region is alive with the sounds of chamber music. The Les Fieffés Musiciens festival takes place at various venues throughout the region, offering a rich program based on three principles: firstly, to invite only ensembles that are already established, so that the musicians are close enough to each other to give a gentle impression of complicity; secondly, to highlight the local heritage by staging the concerts in attractive venues; and thirdly, to organize a coherent program around a theme.

For five weeks, the Seine-Maritime region offers a playful and popular approach to literature. We meet the great names of international and local literature and culture, which are mixed in an interdisciplinary program. In addition to the many public readings, you can enjoy theatre, cinema, music and a whole educational section with courses, workshops and study days. A rich program!

It's a festival like no other, and a growing success: every year at the end of November, the Égaluantes is the place to be for films connected with the Cotentin region and, more broadly, Normandy. Three cultural venues in Carentan-les-Marais (including the Cotentin theater and cinema) host screenings, meetings (the line-up of guests is always top-notch) and a variety of events where festival-goers can meet the guests. All in all, a convivial family event.

It's a vast and beautiful hall located on the heights of the town. The town's many associations regularly use this unrivalled venue for their events. For many young people in the region, the Agora is also a meeting place for urban and musical cultures. Thanks to the many modular spaces that make it a concert hall with excellent acoustics, the Agora regularly plays host to French and international stars, whether musical, traditional or humorous.

Each year, the Salon des livres organized by the city of Caen provides an opportunity to meet about a hundred authors. Each year, Epoch offers readings, signings, workshops and conferences. The event knows how to bring together all audiences, from fans of detective novels to comic books. The youngest are not forgotten with a space for children. The festival, which claims to want to be one of the fairs that enlighten our time, should once again fulfill its promise this year.

The association La Mancha lives up to its name: it is, literally, the Norman friendship movement for Spanish-American culture. Since 1982, the association has organized the annual Cinemovida festival. It is an event dedicated to Hispanic audiovisual culture. Every year, the association, in coordination with the Odeon cinema, the city, the Regional Council and the association Atout Lire, organizes screenings to introduce Hispanic-American cinema, but also conferences, meetings, exhibitions and concerts.

Festival of current music which takes place on the main square of Montfort.

Thirty years old in 2018, the Sable Show festival has established itself in the Villers-based landscape as much for its longevity as for its demanding but mainstream programming choices. The spectators participate in this programming! Every year, Sable Show offers to vote for their two favorite concerts. The elected representatives are invited back the following year.

The adventure of the Solo Festival "Tout Seul Devant Tout le Monde" begins in 2011. The principle is simple: only one artist on stage! Every year, in the garden of the mill in Blangy-le-Château, the public gathers to share the emotions, anecdotes and first times of the artist who performs with an open heart, but also moments of music and dance, for a weekend of creation and exchanges. One of the main qualities of this festival is undoubtedly the simplicity and family spirit that reign there.

The Moulin, an area of artistic creation and dissemination created by the town of Louviers, offers all year-round (from September to June), both the technical trays dedicated to associations and companies in residence, a multi-purpose concert hall, where the music, dance and theatre are programmed (in partnership with the national Evreux-Louviers scene), as well as a cellar that is a part of the process. allows more intimate encounters between the public and artists (jazz, and scenes discovered in particular young talents).

Every year, in early October, the Via Aeterna festival takes place in the unique setting of Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay. Dedicated to classical and sacred music, it features some thirty concerts, bringing together 200 renowned artists: musical solos, groups and ensembles, choirs and vocal ensembles. Le Mont Abbey is one of the venues for these concerts, but many of them also take place in other magical places: the Lucerne Abbey or the Christian Dior house in Granville, for example.

It's one of the most important underground electro music festivals in western France! Launched in 2017, Dox'Art is indeed the must-attend event in this field: several stages, renowned artists, numerous events, all in a festive atmosphere full of good vibes. But don't be fooled by the term underground: the program is not elitist, and remains widely accessible, even to novices. Don't forget to buy your tickets in advance, available on the website.

In the magical setting of Barfleur harbour, the Musikensaire festival has become, over the years, one of the leading events dedicated to contemporary music in Normandy. For three days, around the last weekend in August, the festival features both established and emerging talents, in a lively, convivial atmosphere. Managed by a team of volunteers, the festival has all the hallmarks of a major event, with impeccable organisation. Throughout the rest of the year, the "escales", variations on the festival, bring the region to life, as we await the summer.

Every year, Cherbourg hosts the Children's Book and Comics Festival. Most often held on the Plage Verte, this event features several distinct areas. In addition to themed exhibitions, various events, areas dedicated to young children and opportunities to meet with publishers are all traditional, and important, parts of the festival. The event generally opens on Thursday, with a day dedicated to schoolchildren.

Les Pluies de Juillet is a must-attend summer event in the Manche region, and its positioning is original to say the least: in a festive atmosphere featuring eco-citizen concerts, Les Pluies de Juillet aims to respond to the ecological emergency. Awareness-raising workshops, activities for youngsters and a committed village echo the musical notes of the often well-known headliners over three days. A festival like no other.

The union makes the force! This could be the motto of the cultural structures of Cherbourg who got together to set up the new edition of the winter escapades. Thus, the Scène Nationale, the Brèche, the Pôle des Arts du Cirque and the espace culturel Buisson have worked hard to make this event possible. The Place Jacques Demy, an ideal place if there is one, is generally invested by one or several companies, for the greatest pleasure of all, young and old.

As summer approaches, the streets of Saint-Lô come alive with a festival that has become a highlight of the local cultural season: Les Hétéroclites. Hosted by Art Plume, a dynamic association, the event offers a range of possibilities: concerts in bars, workshops for youngsters, street art performances during the festival and, to round off the three days, a concert on the association's premises. All in all, an ultra-convivial event not to be missed.

Every summer, this festival takes place in the magical setting of the Abbey Sainte-Trinité de la Lucerne, a historic monument founded in the ^12th century. Organized by the dynamic Amis de l'Abbaye association (along with the Amis de la Cathédrale de Coutances), the festival features classical, vocal and chamber music from the Middle Ages to the present day. Spread over two months, the program is attended by initiates and novices alike, forming a musical highlight of the summer in the Manche region.

In summer, the Manoir du Tourp beats to the rhythm of street performances. It is indeed in a rural setting that the festival, which gives pride of place to the street arts, will take place. Acrobatics, music (percussion), fairground shows, clown theater, new circus, street theater and burlesque. Performances, in the open air or under a big top, during three days of celebration! As everything is well thought out, you can stroll among the artists and eat! In addition to the Manor, the animations also take place at the cultural space of the Hague.

The festival has been a staple of Equeurdreville-Hainneville for almost a quarter of a century, and rightly so: every year, it brings together dozens of artists, from storytellers to theater companies and other talents from other worlds, to provide a unique opportunity for young and old alike to marvel at the magic! Listen to stories, dream, discover and get away from it all for two weeks. Events take place at l'Agora, or at l'espace Buisson, located in Tourlaville.

Created some thirty years ago on the initiative of the Conseil Départemental, the Traversées Tatihou festival takes place on both the island and the mainland, and showcases traditional music from here and abroad. Rhythmed by the tides, Tatihou becomes the beating heart of a federative and original event which, beyond the music, offers dance workshops, film screenings and other timeless moments. A festival that's going from strength to strength.

In partnership with many cultural structures in the region, the National Center for Circus Arts in Cherbourg, called La Brèche, offers Spring, an incredible festival dedicated to new forms of circus, every year in March. Dozens of performances, in theaters, cultural spaces or dedicated halls, punctuate the cultural life of the city and the region. Mostly performed in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, the shows are as diverse as they are surprising: clowning, acrobatics, juggling, cabaret, music...

The Green River Festival takes place at the well-known Cara-Meuh farm, which sells butter, cheese, and even sweets. With its commitment to solidarity, the festival offers a range of activities: music - with a ska, reggae, and ragga flavour - as well as numerous meetings and conferences on ethical themes such as environmental conservation. A new feature of the festival is a series of stand-up comedy shows.