From Lake Nantua to the Forez hills: our Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes weekend notebook

With twelve departments and 43 active festivals this weekend, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is probably the densest region in France for Pentecost 2026. You tip from the great Villeurbanne student campus (24 Heures de l'INSA) to the tiniest Forez village (Verrières-en-Forez), from the thermal traditional jazz of Châtel-Guyon to the ancestral transhumance of the Cézallier. Our pick goes to the Fête de l'Estive in Allanche: watching 40,000 visitors follow Salers herds through the heart of Cantal is one of those major French heritage gatherings that doesn't get the attention it deserves.

24 Hours of INSA in Villeurbanne: France's largest student festival (Rhône)

The 24 Hours of INSA return May 22-24 to the La Doua campus. Three days, two nights, twenty artists across three stages, 80 free daytime activities, legendary endurance races and a closing fireworks display: it's the major spring student gathering of the Lyon area, attended far beyond INSA itself. Mainstream-friendly but demanding music line-up, electric atmosphere and impeccable student organisation. Affordable pricing, camping option.

Nantua Fest: 15,000 festival-goers by the lake (Ain)

For its 5th edition, the Nantua Fest welcomes Tayc, Josman and other rap, electro, reggae and pop headliners from May 22-24, on the shores of the emerald Nantua lake. Over 15,000 festival-goers expected in a remarkable mountain setting, one hour from Lyon. Full weekend format: camping, food trucks, two stages, young but eclectic programming. One of the region's rising events.

Jazz aux Sources in Châtel-Guyon: 4 days of swing in the thermal town (Puy-de-Dôme)

Founded in 1998, Jazz aux Sources brings together May 22-25 nearly 15,000 spectators and 400 dance-workshop participants in central Châtel-Guyon. Free open-air concerts, dancing evenings, swing and tap workshops, street parades: one of France's last great festivals devoted to traditional jazz and danced swing. Mixed audience, Belle Époque vibe in a restored thermal town.

Festival Paroles & Musiques in Saint-Étienne (Loire)

Founded in 1992 under the patronage of Léo Ferré, the Festival Paroles & Musiques is the unmissable French chanson event in Saint-Étienne. From May 18 to 24, forty artists mix headliners and discoveries, with half the line-up reserved for emerging talent. Multi-venue format in central Saint-Étienne, accessible ticketing. For lovers of demanding author-led songwriting, a French reference point.

Festival des Arts du Récit in Isère: storytelling across the entire department

Founded in 1987, the Festival des Arts du Récit is one of France's major storytelling and oral arts events. From May 20-28, over 60 venues across the department host shows, slam, music, participative creations. Run by the Centre des Arts du Récit (state-recognised national stage), it's a serious, well-supported and deeply rooted festival. Quality shows for adults and children alike — see the detailed programme by venue.

Fête de l'Estive in Allanche: the Cézallier transhumance (Cantal)

The Fête de l'Estive brings together May 23-24 over 40,000 visitors around the ancestral transhumance of Salers herds to high pastures. Cattle parade through the village, large farm market, Sunday climb to the summer pasture: a 22 km walk alongside the breeders, one of inland Auvergne's great heritage gatherings. Free format, ideal for families or curious hikers.

Crest Medieval Festival: under France's tallest keep (Drôme)

Since 2006, the Crest Medieval Festival turns the Drôme town into a medieval village on May 23-24. Artisan market, period camps, street shows, demonstrations of ancestral skills, medieval concerts, banquets: a free event, perfect for families with kids or living-heritage lovers. The Crest keep — France's tallest — serves as a natural backdrop; it would be hard to do better.

Festival Barbara in Saint-Marcellin: the memory of French chanson (Isère)

The Festival Barbara pays tribute each May to the great singer, who took refuge in Saint-Marcellin between 1943 and 1945. From May 20 to 23, concerts by established and emerging artists, a platform for young singer-songwriters, sung tributes: a memorial festival without nostalgia, keeping French chanson alive in a little-known Isère town. Gentle pricing, ticketing on site and online.

Les Montagn'Arts in Valbonnais: Pentecost in southern Isère

Founded in 2001, the Les Montagn'Arts festival is the reference cultural event of the southern Isère valleys. From May 22-24, the Valbonnais lakeside hosts artists, storytellers, street performers, singers, clowns, theatre troupes, circus, dancers and musicians. Multidisciplinary programming, family atmosphere, natural setting at 700 m altitude at the foot of the Taillefer massif. Mostly free format.

Loire en Couleur in Saint-Jean-Saint-Maurice: painters in the medieval village

Founded in 2004, Loire en Couleur brings together on May 23-24 some fifty painters in the medieval village of Saint-Jean-Saint-Maurice-sur-Loire, on the banks of the Loire. Artists paint in the open air, in dialogue with the alleys, ramparts and Loire landscape. A unique format in the Roannais, entirely free, ideal for those who like to watch painters at work in an untouched heritage setting.

Festival Avatarium in Saint-Étienne: music inside the mine (Loire)

Founded in 1999, the Festival Avatarium takes over May 21-23 the Puits Couriot site — listed Mine Park-Museum of Saint-Étienne. Three days of concerts, workshops, talks and performances in a striking industrial heritage setting. Multidisciplinary programming anchored in the Saint-Étienne working-class memory, intimate format and radically rooted in its territory. For those wanting to stray off the beaten musical paths.

Also worth a look this weekend in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

• Buena Onda Festival in Sanssac-l'Église, Haute-Loire (May 22-23), offers two days of rock, reggae, funk and Latin music in a country setting.
• Marché des Potiers in Bort-l'Étang gathers some thirty ceramicists on May 23-24, in the footsteps of a 2,000-year-old pottery tradition.

For more regional weekend picks, head to our national agenda. Happy Pentecost to all.