From the opening of Jazz à Vienne to Aluna's finale on the banks of the Ardèche, twelve outings for the June 27-28 weekend, between Roman theatres, high pastures and circus under the stars.
The last weekend of June truly marks the start of the big summer festival season. Across the region, two music machines are running flat out: the Roman Theatre of Vienne reopens its tiers for Jazz à Vienne, and Clermont-Ferrand wraps up three days of European stages with Europavox. Meanwhile, Annecy lives the grand finale of its animation film festival and the Ardèche closes Aluna's electric edition by the river. Our pick: Jazz à Vienne — hearing a trumpeter at sunset in a first-century Roman amphitheatre is one of the finest curtain-raisers the French summer has to offer.
Twelve dates, eight departments, from the banks of the Rhône to the high pastures of the Cantal: this weekend of June 27-28, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes blends jazz, European pop, cinema, circus, mountain cultures and village rock nights. Here is our selection.
Jazz à Vienne: a European giant opens at the Roman Theatre (38)
From 25 June to 11 July, Jazz à Vienne stages one of Europe's greatest jazz festivals at the Roman Theatre of Vienne, in Isère. Created in 1981 by Jean-Paul Boutellier, the event draws more than 200,000 festival-goers each summer around 250 concerts and a thousand artists, on the stone tiers of a venue built in the first century.
This first weekend launches the two-week run: evenings at the Roman Theatre alternate jazz legends with crossovers into soul, blues and world music, while the Club de Minuit and the free stages of the Cybèle park carry the party late into the night. Arrive early for the view over the Rhône valley from the top of the tiers, and mind the tickets: headline nights sell out fast.
Europavox: three days of European stages in Clermont-Ferrand (63)
From 26 to 28 June, the Place du 1er Mai in Clermont-Ferrand hosts Europavox, the festival that bets on the continent's musical diversity. Created in 2006, it has programmed more than 500 bands from across Europe and gathered 160,000 festival-goers over its editions, favouring discovery over established names.
Sunday 28 closes this urban, trailblazing edition, where you move from Scandinavian pop to Central European electro in a few steps. It's the ideal format for anyone who wants to hear tomorrow's European scene in a city-centre atmosphere, without the excess of the very biggest festivals. Check the line-up by stage to slot your favourites between two discoveries.
Ardèche Aluna Festival: the electric finale by the river (07)
Until Saturday 27 June, the Ardèche Aluna Festival gathers nearly 55,000 festival-goers at Ruoms, in the south of the Ardèche. Created in 2008, this contemporary music festival set in the open air by the river blends pop, rock, electro, rap and French chanson in a natural setting that has become one of the region's most sought-after.
The closing night of the 27th concentrates the headliners and the energy of a site bathed by the Ardèche, where you string concerts together almost feet-in-the-water. Family-friendly by day, more electric by night, Aluna plays the card of a sun-drenched southern Ardèche: plan for a swim and some shade before the evening shows.
Annecy International Animation Film Festival: the grand finale (74)
Until Saturday 27 June, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival lives its final days, often the most intense. Founded in 1960, the world's most prestigious animation gathering brings together more than 16,000 professionals and 160,000 festival-goers in the Haute-Savoie capital, extended by the Mifa, the sector's leading international market.
The closing weekend is that of the awards and the last open-air screenings on the giant Pâquier screen, by the lake. Even without accreditation, the whole town buzzes: free sessions, exhibitions and costumed strolls turn Annecy into an open-air celebration of animation. An interlude worth experiencing at least once to grasp the sheer scale of the event.
Festival des Hautes Terres: mountain cultures in Saint-Flour (15)
From Friday 26 to Sunday 28 June, the historic centre of Saint-Flour, in the Cantal, hosts the Festival des Hautes Terres, a free gathering devoted to mountain cultures. For three days, the upper town hums with open-air concerts, dances, street activities, a market of flavours and crafts, and a space dedicated to luthiers.
The festival draws lovers of traditional music and highland terroirs in the setting of a medieval town perched on its basalt rock. Between two concerts, mountain literature and the produce of the Cantal plateau give the event a particular flavour. A fine excuse to discover one of the most beautiful towns of Haute-Auvergne in full summer swing.
Grenoble Open-Air Short Film Festival: France's oldest (38)
Until Saturday 27 June, the Grenoble Open-Air Short Film Festival screens its last programmes at the Jardin de Ville. Created in 1978 by the Cinémathèque de Grenoble, it is France's oldest short-film festival: fiction, documentary, animation and experimental work meet in an international competition known for its high standards.
The event's magic lies in its free screenings at nightfall, in the heart of the city, against a backdrop of Alpine massifs. The final weekend reveals the awards and offers the last open-air sessions, extended at the Cinéma Juliet Berto. Bring a blanket: you settle on the grass of the Jardin de Ville for an evening of open-air cinema, free and friendly.
Festival Entre Rhône et Saône: Lyon celebrates its two rivers (69)
From 26 to 28 June, the Festival Entre Rhône et Saône rolls out more than 200 free activities along the Lyon riverbanks. Created in 2022 by the City of Lyon, this eco-friendly event invites residents to celebrate, discover and protect their two rivers over one festive, family weekend.
Concerts, shows, workshops, talks, exhibitions and sporting activities follow one another along the water, in an urban riverside-café atmosphere. Sunday 28 closes the edition by the Rhône and the Saône, where Lyon is arguably at its most pleasant in summer. An ideal event for a family day out, on foot or by bike, between two bridges.
Festival Tous Dehors: Albertville's big musical plunge (73)
On Friday 26 and Saturday 27 June, the heart of Albertville, in Savoie, hosts the Festival Tous Dehors, heir to the Albertville Jazz Festival. Free and deeply rooted in its territory, it offers two days of concerts and street shows for all audiences, in the convivial atmosphere of Square Soutiras.
Saturday 27 marks the high point of this popular edition, where the music scene dialogues with street arts at the foot of the Savoy Alps. It's the perfect stop for anyone crossing the Tarentaise or heading for the mountain valleys: a festive, generous and accessible halt that gives the Olympic town the air of a great neighbourhood party.
Belledonne en Cirque: an open-air big top at Lake Freydières (38)
On Friday 26 and Saturday 27 June, the Belledonne en Cirque festival takes over the shores of Lake Freydières, at Revel, in the heart of the Belledonne massif. Since 2017, this gathering has turned a high-altitude natural site into an open-air circus over two festive, popular days.
Contemporary circus, a circus cabaret, concerts, beginner workshops for all ages and botanical walks make up a programme that blends live performance with the great outdoors. The setting — a mountain lake facing the Belledonne peaks — makes the event far more than a simple festival: a full day in nature, twenty minutes from Grenoble. Pack good shoes and a picnic.
Samoëns American Festival: a corner of America in the Alps (74)
Until Sunday 28 June, the Samoëns American Festival turns the village of Samoëns, in Haute-Savoie, into a small town of the American West. For more than fifteen years, this Alpine resort has run on country time for four days: concerts, line-dancing classes, equestrian shows, a far-west village and gatherings of American vehicles.
The closing weekend concentrates the concerts and dance demonstrations, in a mountain setting that cheerfully contrasts with the checked shirts and cowboy hats. Family-friendly, exotic and good-natured, the event appeals as much to country music fans as to walkers exploring the Haut-Giffre. An offbeat gem, to discover over an Alpine weekend.
Char en Son: the rock that launches summer in the Beaujolais (69)
On Friday 26 and Saturday 27 June, the Ancien Barrage site, at Dracé in the Rhône, hosts Char en Son, the contemporary music festival that opens the season in the Beaujolais. By the Saône, two evenings of rock, folk, blues and punk concerts follow one another in a convivial, village atmosphere.
On-site catering, a bar, local brewers and winemakers round out the line-up of a human-scale event, driven by local enthusiasts. Saturday 27 closes these two waterside evenings in a village-fête spirit where the music matters more than the trappings. A summer gem for anyone after honest rock far from the big stages, at the gateway to the Beaujolais vineyards.
Also worth a look this weekend
- Rétro Folies in Bourg-en-Bresse (01): a vintage festival from the 1930s to the 1980s, with concerts, pin-ups and classic vehicles, 27-28 June at Ainterexpo
- Printemps de Pérouges (01): open-air concerts at the château of Saint-Maurice-de-Rémens, until 28 June
- Les Nuits de Fourvière (69): Lyon's grand season at the Roman theatre continues all weekend
Looking ahead
Summer is settling in for good: Jazz à Vienne runs until mid-July, village festivals multiply and open-air evenings become the norm across the region. This weekend of June 27-28 opens the densest stretch of the season, between major urban gatherings and mountain gems the mainstream circuits rarely flag. For the full rundown of what's on right now, see our this weekend's agenda.
