Crussol comes back, Fourvière in full swing: the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes weekend

The first weekend of June ushers in the region's full cultural season. In Ardèche, the Crussol Festival reopens after a blank year, beneath the ruins of a castle perched above the Rhône valley; in Lyon, the Roman amphitheatres of Fourvière line up their evenings; in Grenoble, the city walls keep filling with monumental murals. Around them, southern Ardèche plays the open-air art card — fine-art photography in Le Teil, comics in Viviers, secret gardens in Rochemaure — while the Drôme celebrates the flocks heading up to the Vercors high pastures. Our pick: the resurrection of the Crussol Festival — watching this open-air theatre fill again after a year's pause is the highlight of the week.

Eleven dates, seven departments crossed, from the middle Rhône valley to the Diois pastures: this weekend the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes palette blends Roman heritage, contemporary creation, mountain traditions and gastronomy.

Crussol Festival: the return beneath the castle, in Saint-Péray (07)

From Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 June, the Crussol Festival makes its big comeback at the open-air theatre of the Château de Crussol, in Saint-Péray, facing the Rhône valley. Created in 2017 on the initiative of singer Zaz, the festival paused in 2025; this new edition relaunches a line-up blending pop, rock, French chanson, reggae and world music, in a rare Natura 2000-listed site.

The Saturday 6 June evening closes the edition: that's when the sunset over the medieval ruins gives the venue its full dimension. Plan a walk up from the village and arrive early to enjoy the panorama before the concerts. A much-awaited comeback on the Ardèche side, ten minutes from Valence.

Les Nuits de Fourvière: Lyon's grand season in the Roman amphitheatre (69)

Launched in late May, Les Nuits de Fourvière runs at full tilt this weekend. Since 1946, the festival has taken over the Roman amphitheatres on Fourvière hill, listed as UNESCO World Heritage, each summer for more than 60 shows of music, theatre, dance, circus and opera. With over 130,000 spectators a year, it's one of the three or four most respected summer events in France.

By early June the programming is already dense, and the stone tiers facing sunset offer a setting few festivals can match. Plan a gentle climb from Vieux-Lyon (funicular or sturdy shoes) and arrive early for the parvis and the panoramic view. Several dates are sold out, check ticketing before heading up.

Street Art Fest Grenoble-Alpes: monumental murals in progress (38)

The Street Art Fest Grenoble-Alpes, Europe's largest street art festival, runs until 28 June. Over five weeks, artists from around the world take over the walls of greater Grenoble to create new monumental works. With more than 470 murals produced since 2015 by the Spacejunk association, the city has become an open-air museum toured on foot, by bike or via guided walks.

The weekend of 6-7 June is still in the active phase: artists are on their lifts, cans in hand. Spot ongoing sites on the official map, watch the painters at work and chat with them between passes — that's the festival's appeal, this direct contact between street, artwork and passer-by. An experience no museum can offer.

Présence(s) Photographie: fine-art images in Le Teil (07)

Until 21 June, Présence(s) Photographie spreads its exhibitions between Le Teil, Montélimar and Viviers, in the middle Rhône valley. Founded in 2014, the festival installs fine-art photography in remarkable heritage venues: restored chapels, public gardens, art centres and galleries. An immersion in contemporary photographic creation, far from the major circuits.

The weekend of 6-7 June is ideal for touring the whole trail at your own pace: most exhibitions are free to enter, and the contrast between the images and their heritage settings is the heart of the event. A still-confidential gathering of real ambition, best combined with a stop in nearby Viviers, an episcopal town.

Vivier(s) de BD: comics in Viviers (07)

On Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, the Town Hall Gardens of Viviers host Vivier(s) de BD, a comic book festival born in 2021 in this episcopal town of southern Ardèche. On the programme: author signings, exhibitions, drawing workshops, drawn concerts, escape games, musical readings and a festive guinguette.

Free and open to all, the event stands out for its intimate format and heritage setting — comics dialogue with the medieval lanes and the gardens of the old centre. An excellent entry point for families and casual readers, a world away from the bustle of Angoulême or Lyon BD. Worth combining with the Présence(s) photo trail, which also passes through Viviers.

Art et Jardins: contemporary art in the secret gardens of Rochemaure (07)

On Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, the village of Rochemaure opens its secret gardens and private homes for Art et Jardins, a contemporary art festival tucked into the historic heart of the village. Visitors wander from courtyard to courtyard, work to work, between architectural heritage and current creation.

The idea is simple: push open usually closed doors to discover installations in green settings. A free, poetic stroll on a village scale, turning a walk into an artistic trail. All this in a site dominated by the castle ruins and the Himalayan footbridge spanning the Rhône — enough to extend the day with a fine walk.

Jazz à Barraux: jazz in a Grésivaudan fortress (38)

Until 7 June, Jazz à Barraux takes over the majestic setting of Fort Barraux, a historic fortress of the Grésivaudan, in Isère. Created in 2018 by the Itinéraire Bis association, this fully volunteer-run festival offers a week of jazz concerts, vocal workshops, family musical walks and shows for young audiences.

Sunday 7 June closes the edition in a 16th-century fort whose acoustics and panorama over the valley are uncommon. Accessible prices, free entry to some events, a friendly atmosphere: this is one of those human-scale jazz festivals where you cross paths with the musicians between sets. Ideal for a weekend's end at the foot of the Chartreuse.

Festiv'Ain: classical music between Nantua and Péronnas (01)

From Friday 5 to Tuesday 9 June, Festiv'Ain brings classical music to picturesque venues across the Ain. Born in 2011 and run by the Le Val d'Orphée association, the festival welcomes international artists at the Péronnas Auditorium and the Granges Chapel in Matafelon-Granges — a building erected in 1325.

The weekend of 6-7 June offers the edition's first concerts, in a declared aim of democratising classical music. The heritage setting and the proximity of Lake Genin and the Haut-Bugey mountains make this musical getaway a lovely alternative to big urban halls. Book ahead — capacities stay modest.

Fête de la Transhumance et de la Clairette: the climb to the pastures in the Diois (26)

From Friday 5 to Sunday 21 June, the Fête de la Transhumance et de la Clairette celebrates the flocks' departure for the Vercors pastures and the AOC wines of the Diois. Created in 1991, it unfolds between Châtillon-en-Diois, the Moutière pastures and the Col de Rousset, with wool workshops, sheepdog demonstrations and Clairette de Die tastings.

The opening weekend brings the village highlights, ahead of the great transhumance itself: farmers' markets, pastoral activities and a dance are on the bill. An event that speaks volumes about the farming and winemaking identity of the Diois, to be discovered in a still-preserved southern Vercors. Perfect for pairing terroir, hiking and heritage.

Festibière: craft beers at the gates of Clermont-Ferrand (63)

On Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June, the Paul Bourzac Complex in Aubière hosts Festibière, the gathering of craft beer lovers in the Clermont metropolitan area. Since 2019, the festival has brought together brewers from all over France for a weekend of tastings, encounters and conviviality.

Saturday evening is the highlight: pint tastings, food trucks and concerts accompany the discovery of independent breweries still little distributed. An accessible dive into the French brewing scene, a stone's throw from Clermont-Ferrand. Moderation is in order, festive atmosphere guaranteed — plan your way home.

Festival du Cinéma Français & Gastronomie: final day in Aix-les-Bains (73)

Saturday 6 June closes the Festival du Cinéma Français & Gastronomie in Aix-les-Bains, a one-of-a-kind French event created in 2022. Over several days, it brings together French cinema figures and Michelin-starred chefs around screenings, talks, masterclasses and dinners crossing film and culinary art.

This final day often concentrates the highlights: premieres, awards and closing dinners in the Belle Époque setting of the spa town. A hybrid, refined format that finds in Aix-les-Bains a perfect showcase between Lake Bourget and the historic casino. Booking essential for screenings and tables.

Also worth a look this weekend

• Foire de la Saint-Mary in Mauriac (15): a traditional cherry and horse fair established in 1472, on Sunday 7 June
• Aurillac en Scène (15): open-air contemporary music on the Prisme car park, Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June
• Pulse Arzon Festival in Craponne-sur-Arzon (43): electronic and alternative music at the Parc des Étoiles, on Saturday 6 June

Looking ahead

June will roll out the rest of the regional season: the Nuits de Fourvière ramping up, Jazz à Vienne opening, the Estivales du Parc in Châtel-Guyon and countless village festivals. This first weekend remains ideal, though, for exploring a less mapped territory — the Ardèche Rhône valley, the Haut-Bugey or the Diois offer here cultural gateways the mainstream circuits rarely flag. For the full rundown of what's on right now, see our this weekend's agenda.