Festivals and cultural events Languedoc Roussillon

Voix d'Etoiles is unique: it is the only festival that values and rewards the voices of animated cinema! This cultural event is based on several activities: screenings of short and feature films, TV series, meetings, workshops to discover the secrets of voices and sounds... The festival is particularly aimed at families with children. They will receive a small passport with questionnaires, games and a book of dedications on arrival. A magical place.

Jazz à Sète is one of the most awaited festivals of the summer by music lovers. It welcomes prestigious and even mythical artists and music lovers from all over the world. The ingredients for its success are simple: a thousand shades of jazz, a beautiful conviviality and a magical setting with the Mediterranean as a backdrop. Every summer at the Théâtre de la Mer, the legends of the genre are honored; their notes intertwine and intertwine to offer the public unforgettable musical stops.

Since 1997, this small Gard village has been the setting for a film festival like no other. The program includes street events, exhibitions, photo competitions and, of course, film screenings on subjects closely related to the festival theme. Aficionados can have the joy or the emotion of rediscovering a race, a final, a gold medal, etc., as well as discovering testimonies, news reports and more. They can also discover testimonies, reports on the life of a manade, village festivals... A real pleasure.

A true institution in this pottery village, this artistic event is awaited by all craftsmen, amateurs and enthusiasts of ceramic art and contemporary creation. In the heart of the village, an initiatory and artistic path invites you to discover, in unusual, unusual and private places, the surprising creations of about twenty European ceramic artists. This festival is also an opportunity to take advantage of participative workshops and to learn about pottery!

Since 1994, the Festival International des Arts du Verre has brought together renowned exhibitors and artists in picturesque premises in the old village, with an emphasis on glassblowing techniques and contemporary creations. Exhibitions, initiations and demonstrations by internationally renowned master glassmakers enliven the heart of the village. All forms of glass art are represented, to introduce the general public to this special art in all its forms.

For years, the Family Piknik has been a local festival of electronic and underground music that is internationally renowned. On stage, the best DJs succeed one another at the turntables to make thousands of people dance on a life-size dancefloor . Young and old alike meet there and let off steam in rhythm for a moment of pure sharing and conviviality. House, Techno, Deep, Indie, Micro... There is for all the tastes! We have fun in the open air and we can take advantage of the shade of the trees to take a break.

The conservatory of music and drama named Manitas de Plata opened in 2020. This new building with a sober and refined design is over 6,400^m2. Built on the Quai des Moulins, it contains a 400-seat auditorium that hosts events specific to the conservatory, but also cultural events. There is also a restaurant area, rehearsal rooms and two large patios. Concerts and performances are filled with discoveries.

On June 15, 16 and 17, 2018, Gonzai and the producer "Voulez-vous Danser" took over the Cosmos square in La Grande-Motte, 300 metres from the beaches, for the first edition of the Pyramid Festival dedicated to synthetic music. On the program, the "cream" of French artists in the genre.

This colorful and convivial festival pays tribute to the most famous child of the country: Georges Brassens, who wanted to be buried on the beach of Sète... The Cap Brassens association organizes this event from October 22, day of the birth of the composer-poet. It takes place in the whole Revolution district and starts from his birth house with a whole lot of concerts, meetings and other exhibitions. It is a week of celebrations, joys and discoveries. A cultural action around poetry, generosity and commitment.

Since 1988, this literary festival is very popular and its godmother is none other than the famous Fred Vargas. This year, the theme "Adventure is adventure" will bring together nearly 35 novelists (literature, youth and comics) of 10 different nationalities for meetings and signings around epics, travels and castles in Spain, quests and escapes, escapes and disappearances. Passionate and curious people will meet great authors of the black novel.

The Emmuscades is a series of open-air cinema sessions that take place in the heart of sublime wine estates. This event is organized by the association Hallu'cinés, passionate about cinema, rare and independent films. A little gem, it is a very friendly meeting. Before the projection, the spectators will be able to taste a plate of mussels with a glass of Muscat for the aperitif. The evening can continue around the food-trucks or picnics drawn from the bag. At nightfall, you can sit in front of the screen, under the stars.

K-Live is the very first festival of the summer. Dedicated to urban cultures, it invites street-artists to color the walls of the city with their murals, under the amazed eyes of onlookers. The works enrich the Open Sky Museum (MACO). The program is also open to children who wish to discover street art under the guidance of young artists of the genre. During the festival, you can also meet on the beach, in the city center or at the theater of the sea to party to the sound of the joyful turntables of carefully selected DJs.

Created by enthusiasts of the seventh art, this Festival is dedicated to audiovisual art. It offers the screening of many carefully selected films, often little known to the general public, but also workshops, meetings, street art... In theaters, on the beach, outdoors, you will discover films but also series, clips, homage to a filmmaker, previews, bridges between the world of rap and cinema: this very rich event honors various artistic forms and allows you to admire beautiful nuggets.

Come and discover the spirit of the troubadours through this original festival! From April to October, some 50 concerts take place in the 13 departments of the Occitanie region, with artists from all over the world reinterpreting the songs of Romanesque art. This itinerant festival takes place in places representative of Occitan medieval history, such as Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert Abbey, Notre-Dame de Flaran Abbey and Saint-Lizier Cathedral.

The greatest names in classical and baroque music from all over the world have been gathering in July in Uzès for over fifty years. In the courtyards of the duchy and the bishop's palace, in the cathedral of Saint-Théodorit, the church of Saint-Étienne, the temple or the auditorium of L'Ombrière, symphonies and concertos enchant the ducal city during two weeks. The festival is gradually opening up to other musical genres, notably jazz, in order to reach a wider audience. A charming meeting, loved as much by the musicians as by the spectators.

The first edition of the festival Festa Majorca was a great success! With an eclectic program implemented by Catalan producers with the support of the department, it is in the heart of Perpignan, in the sumptuous palace of the kings of Majorca, that festival-goers can enjoy two enchanted days: traditional wooden games for young and old, sound baths with local tunes, old-fashioned circus, dance and rock scenes, electro as well as sound system... It is about sixty Catalan artists who meet during this beautiful local event.

The Festival du Roman Noir in Frontignan, with its program of local and international authors and a growing Occitan approach, is a must this summer. For 3 days, enjoy some twenty literary encounters, exhibitions, readings in unusual locations (a boat or even a telephone booth!), literary workshops, book signings and numerous games, competitions and events... And don't forget the 3 evenings of festive entertainment!

With tunes from America and South Africa to Europe, you can enjoy world music concerts, street entertainment, parades and various workshops on the folk arts and traditions of the invited countries. In recent years, however, local and regional culture has taken center stage, with exhibitions on the musical instruments of the cobla, and the culinary and folk traditions that make up the cultural richness of the Catalan region.

The Sant Jordi festival in Perpignan is a not-to-be-missed event in the literary world. For 10 days, books are in the spotlight with an attractive program including conferences, exhibitions, shows, book fairs and signings, writing workshops, tributes, film screenings and the Mediterranean prize-giving ceremony... A colorful line-up of events, with a special focus on local figures. The full program is available online.

3 days of traditional Catalan dance in Céret! This dance holds a special place in the hearts of all Roussillon residents. During the festival, you'll be able to meet "colles" (groups of dancers) from the 4 corners of the department and Spanish Catalonia. To the sound of coblas (sardana orchestras), try your hand at this dance or enjoy the music in the streets and squares of the village! The event closes with the "Germanor", a sardana fraternity gathering up to 500 dancers.

Organized by Le Fil Production, the Trad'session is a touring season of traditional music in music venues across the Occitanie region. Each session is a new call to share and celebrate for fans of traditional music and dance. The events not only showcase traditional music, but also introduce a new audience to a musical aesthetic that is rarely represented in contemporary music venues. Make a note of these winter events in your diary!

As part of Total Festum and the promotion of Occitan culture, the Rencontres de Salinelles is a cultural event focusing on Oc literature and creations. The program includes exhibitions and conferences on a wide range of Occitan cultural themes, "poetic siestas", local music concerts, an Occitan book fair and storytelling for children. Free cultural days for young and old!

Every year, for the past 59 years, the town of Pézenas has hosted a festival dedicated to the cinematographic universe of a country. Organized by the Federation of Mediterranean Film Clubs (FCCM), the event has already included feature films, shorts, documentaries and tributes from Belgium, England, Scandinavia and many other countries! Punctuated by moments of exchange and discovery, the festival brings together the public around a variety of activities: screenings of some fifty projects, exhibitions, film-concerts, meetings with actors and directors...

An essential image of Catalan identity, a symbol of peace and friendship, a festive and popular dance par excellence, the sardana (in Catalan sardana) is danced in the public squares of the Pyrénées-Orientales and South Catalonia. The sardana is danced in a closed circle alternating, in principle, a man and a woman. During the Francoist period, the sardana was banned in South Catalonia, but as a bravado against the dictatorship, it was still danced until it reached the square in front of Barcelona Cathedral. The sardana was known outside Catalonia thanks to Pablo Casals' "L'oratorio" and Charles Trenet's song "La jolie sardane" composed to music reminiscent of Catalan dance. Finally, it should be noted that Perpignan is in 2019 the international capital of the Sardana.

The Correfocs, literally "the fire runners", are an opportunity to see an unusual facet of Catalonia. At nightfall, the "devil's glue" (groups disguised as devils, demons and witches) run past with spinning Bengal fires planted on spikes, dancing around people to the sound of percussion. Another representation of good versus evil, noise and fire being supposed to drive away demons (found in northern and southern Catalonia from spring to October).

From one end of the book chain to the other, there is the author and the bookseller. The first one invents stories, while the second, in his shop, sells what has already been read. This is why organizing the Salon du Livre des Auteurs Indépendants in the heart of the village of Montolieu, where about fifteen second-hand booksellers are installed, is to establish a link, a bridge that connects the same passion: the book.

Music lovers and artists from all over the world will make the annual pilgrimage to Chalabre, in the Cathar country. Throughout the week, professional singers will perform in the streets and parks, the theater and bars. They will sing on stage, by the lake, at the foot of the castle... The major event will be held under the hall in the heart of the village. This year again, artists, two Masterclasses (one on Spanish music and the other on how to sing), and animations, a market of creators, catering...

Over the years, the Festival de Thau, created in 2015, continues to grow especially with jazz fans. In places as varied as the Valmagne Abbey, scenes set up in Bouzigues, Frontignan or Mèze, it offers in the last two weeks of July countless concerts of quality. In 2017, for example, we saw Emma Ndobo, Betty Argo, Soyuzz, the White Lady and many others. Names that may not appeal to you, but which fans of jazz and mixed music or Latin rhythms are familiar with. It should also be noted that the Jazzàmèze association, on the initiative of the project, is composed entirely of volunteers. A dancing festival with hot rhythms, in short, perfect for summer. It is attracting more and more people. Will this small festival become a big one? Given the quality of the programming, it's highly possible!

Born in Pézenas, Boby Lapointe was nicknamed "the king of puns". A talented artist, he marked the history of French chanson with his astonishing lyrics (Le Poisson Fa, Ta Katie T'a Quitté...). Every year, for more than 20 years, his hometown has paid tribute to him during a friendly event. During the Printival festival, authors, composers and songwriters perpetuate her spirit. On this occasion, the town centre of Pézenas is used as a stage for confirmed and young talented singers, shows for young audiences, offbeat exhibitions and events.

For four days, the emblematic places of the city of Uzès will dance; at the Ombrière, the Duchy park, the Temple garden, the courtyard of the Town Hall, the old wash house, the Eure valley or the Marronniers promenade. The Uzès Danse festival is a highlight of the season and allows us to put forward choreographers who are little known in France. You will be able to discover new forms and experimental approaches of dance, but also to take part in workshops of choreographic practice proposed by the artists of the festival.

The new children's festival circulates throughout the department with its panoply of shows in the Spring. In 15 communes are proposed about thirty performances: theatre, storytelling, music or sports activities. The tour starts at the Domaine départemental de Bayssan in Béziers, which hosts the festival for a weekend in a convivial setting with its gardens, its big top or the Saint-Félix church.

Created in 2012 by two musicians in love with the medieval site of Malzieu, the festival offers every year an eclectic program of music of all styles, from baroque to jazz, in church or outdoor. At concerts and musical theater performances in the evening, all public workshops are added to savor more knowledge of the festival's flagship concerts and to exchange between professionals and music lovers.