Video-mapping over the Alésia ruins, ten days of concerts at Cluny abbey, a medieval castle show: twelve picks this weekend in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.
The weekend of July 18-19 pulls Burgundy-Franche-Comté in two directions at once. In Alise-Sainte-Reine, the ancient site of Alésia glows under video-mapping and electronic music. In Cluny, the abbey that once dominated the monastic West opens ten days of classical concerts and dance. In between, castles come alive with son-et-lumière shows, a six-hundred-strong Morvan village screens short films under the stars, and potters from across France set up their fair in a Puisaye park. Our pick goes to the Festival Image Sonore, a rare match of ancient heritage, live orchestras and cutting-edge technology on the same weekend. Here are twelve picks, spread across the region's eight departments, to fill this Saturday and Sunday.
Festival Image Sonore in Alise-Sainte-Reine: Alésia under video-mapping
On Friday July 17 and Saturday July 18, the Festival Image Sonore unfolds between the MuséoParc Alésia and the Château de Bussy-Rabutin. This internationally minded event blends classical music, electronic music, video-mapping and science culture in the hills of the Côte-d'Or. Staged concerts run each evening, projected onto the facades of exceptional historic monuments: the Gallo-Roman site of Alésia, the Château de Bussy-Rabutin and, on some nights, the Abbaye de Fontenay. A rare format that turns two thousand years of history into a sound-and-light backdrop. Fans of immersive experiences should make the trip from Dijon.
Les Grandes Heures de Cluny: ten days of music in the great abbey
Starting Sunday July 19, Les Grandes Heures de Cluny open this year's edition in the abbey town. Since 1967, the monks' Farinier granary, the church of Saint-Marcel and the Notre-Dame chapel have hosted internationally renowned artists for ten days of concerts, recitals and dance performances. The opening weekend sets the tone for a programme blending classical music, dance and singing across history-steeped venues. A must for the Burgundy summer, best suited to lovers of fine music in an exceptional heritage setting.
Saint-Fargeau Castle Son et Lumière: a thousand years of history on stage
Friday July 17 and Saturday July 18, more than 600 volunteer actors and 50 horse riders bring a thousand years of history back to life in the grounds of Château de Saint-Fargeau, in Puisaye. Equestrian games, medieval re-enactments, the epic of Joan of Arc and scenes from the French Revolution unfold in a night-time fresco set to pyrotechnics and enveloping sound. Considered one of France's largest historical pageants, it rallies a whole community of volunteers around the castle every summer. A spectacular family night to round out the weekend in the Yonne hills.
Brebotte Medieval Days: the Sundgau goes back to the Middle Ages
Through Saturday July 18, the village of Brebotte, in the Sundgau area, brings medieval history back to life at the Brebotte Medieval Days. Running for more than thirty-five years around the Craft Museum, the event gathers more than 100 costumed re-enactors for a night-time son-et-lumière show, a medieval village with a craft market, jousting tournaments and children's workshops. A family favourite on the summer calendar of the Territoire de Belfort, where visitors wander between artisan stalls and displays of chivalry.
Festival Musique et Mémoire: baroque music in the southern Vosges
The Musique et Mémoire festival opens its season on Friday July 17 in Faucogney-et-la-Mer, a national reference for baroque music. Since 1994, chapels, basilicas and open-air museums across the southern Vosges have become settings for concerts of rare intensity, performed by internationally renowned ensembles. The opening weekend kicks off a month of demanding programming, far from the big stages, at the heart of well-preserved natural and religious heritage. An invitation to musical contemplation for music lovers seeking authenticity in Haute-Saône.
Festival Eurocuivres: ten days of brass around Montbéliard
Created in 1998, the Eurocuivres Festival continues this year, through July 26, pairing free concerts with an international academy dedicated to brass instruments. Horns, percussion, trumpets, trombones, tubas and euphoniums resonate across venues in the Montbéliard area, while the academy welcomes more than a hundred enthusiasts, aged 7 to 77, training alongside recognised soloists. A festival unlike any other in France, blending international teaching with free public concerts, to discover this weekend in the Doubs.
Le Hameau Open Air Festival: cabaret and electro on a former beach
Through July 26, Le Hameau Open Air Festival takes over the former beach of Saint-Martin-du-Tertre, on the banks of the Yonne. Born in 2024 through the association La Guinguette des Villages, this multi-disciplinary gathering mixes open-air opera, electro, French chanson and cabaret in a bucolic setting where Johnny Hallyday himself once performed in the 1960s. An eclectic line-up and an unspoiled natural setting set it apart from the region's bigger festivals. Ideal for an original summer weekend, between a swim and unexpected musical discoveries.
Les Impromptus in Tournus: chamber music between abbey and village
From Friday July 17 to Sunday July 19, Les Impromptus settle into the abbey halls of Tournus and the village of Ozenay. Created in 2016, this chamber music festival has quickly become a key player on the music scene of southern Burgundy. Three evenings bring together internationally renowned musicians for concerts of great intimacy, in a human-scale format that pairs artistic ambition with conviviality. A refined interlude for classical music lovers, among Romanesque stone and the vineyards of the Mâconnais-Tournugeois.
Musiques en Haut in Les Rousses: chamber music atop the Jura
The Musiques en Haut festival closes its run on Saturday July 18, between the Fort des Rousses and the resort's churches. Organised by the Amis des Orgues du Haut-Jura, it has offered close to thirty editions of around twenty concerts of baroque, romantic and contemporary music, plus new creations, performed by recognised musicians. The closing weekend often gathers the edition's highlights. A demanding date for lovers of classical music and military heritage, deep in the Haut-Jura.
Partie(s) de Campagne in Ouroux-en-Morvan: short films in a 600-strong village
Through Sunday July 19, Partie(s) de Campagne turns Ouroux-en-Morvan, a small village at the heart of the Morvan regional park, into a short-film gathering. Created in 2008 by the Sceni Qua Non association, the festival offers a short-film competition, cine-concerts, open-air screenings, documentaries and filmmaking workshops. A programme that celebrates independent cinema far from conventional cinemas, run by a small, passionate team. A rare cultural gem in the Nièvre for fans of open-air seventh art.
Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye Potters' Fair: 70 ceramicists in the castle park
On Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, more than 70 professional ceramicists and potters from across France and abroad set up in the castle park for the Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye Potters' Fair. Held since 1982 every third weekend of July, opposite the Musée Colette, it features tableware, sculptures, jewellery and decorative pieces in stoneware, porcelain and earthenware. Entry is free, with free workshops for children. A craft institution in Puisaye, not to be missed by lovers of ceramics and one-of-a-kind pieces.
Château en Fête in Oricourt: Franche-Comté's best-preserved castle opens its gates
On Sunday July 19, Oricourt's fortified castle, considered the best-preserved in Franche-Comté, throws open its gates for Château en Fête. A medieval market, archery and crossbow demonstrations, music and dance performances, a tavern and children's workshops plunge visitors of all ages into the Middle Ages for a day. A human-scale, accessible event to close out the weekend in Haute-Saône, inside one of the region's best-preserved monuments.
Also worth noting
- In Andelnans (90), Live en Stock brings together local musicians and guest artists for open-air concerts on July 17 and 18.
- In Croix (90), the Fête de Croix celebrates the mainland French commune furthest from the sea, on July 18 and 19.
- In Saint-Hippolyte (25), Musiques à Saint-Hipp' wraps up its touring programme in the Pays de Maîche on July 19.
Want to explore festivals in other regions this weekend? Head to our full weekend agenda. Enjoy this cultural getaway across Burgundy-Franche-Comté.
