From Rencontres et Racines in Audincourt to the hot-air balloons of Chalon-sur-Saône and the Catalpa Festival in Auxerre, eleven outings to close out June in style.
What's on in Burgundy-Franche-Comté on the weekend of June 27 and 28? The region wraps up the month with an eclectic finale: world music in the Pays de Montbéliard, hot-air balloons above the Saône, free concerts in Auxerre and cherry festivals in the orchards of the Doubs and the Yonne. Our pick goes to Rencontres et Racines in Audincourt, the elder statesman of eastern France's intercultural festivals, now celebrating its 36th edition. Between big crowd-pleasing stages and village gems, here are eleven outings to enjoy under the late-June sun, from the Doubs to the Côte-d'Or.
Festival Rencontres et Racines in Audincourt (25): 36 years of world music at Parc Japy
From Friday June 26 to Sunday June 28, the Rencontres et Racines festival takes over Parc Japy in Audincourt, in the Pays de Montbéliard. Born in 1990, this intercultural gathering blends reggae, dub, hip-hop, chanson, world music and fusion on its stages, around a large associative village bringing together more than 70 cultural and charitable groups. It's one of the region's oldest activist festivals, where celebration comes with a message of solidarity and openness. The easy-going mood, the mix of audiences and the rich line-up make it a sure bet for the last weekend of June for anyone who loves crossover sounds and causes that bring people together.
Catalpa Festival in Auxerre (89): two free nights at Parc de l'Arbre Sec
On Friday June 26 and Saturday June 27, the Catalpa Festival takes over Parc de l'Arbre Sec in Auxerre with two entirely free nights of concerts. Run by Le Silex, the Yonne's contemporary music venue, this must-see event blends rap, rock, metal, electro and world music in a demanding yet accessible line-up. It draws up to 40,000 spectators in the heart of the Yonne city, in the mood of a great popular festival. The complete free admission, rare for a bill of this calibre, makes it one of the highlights of the Burgundian summer. Perfect for a Saturday night out with friends, at no cost, just steps from Auxerre's historic centre.
Les Montgolfiades in Chalon-sur-Saône (71): the sky fills with balloons
From Friday June 26 to Sunday June 28, the Prairie Saint-Nicolas hosts Les Montgolfiades de Chalon-sur-Saône et de la Côte Chalonnaise, the largest gathering of hot-air balloons in Burgundy. Over three days, dozens of balloons from across Europe rise above the Saône for spectacular launches at dawn and dusk, when the low light sets the colourful envelopes aglow. Tethered flights, sporting events, family activities and concerts round out this aerial programme. It's a free, photogenic spectacle to enjoy with the family along the riverbanks, turning the capital of the Chalonnais into a celestial theatre for a weekend.
Festival Musique & Vin au Clos Vougeot in Vougeot (21): the season's final concerts
The Festival Musique & Vin au Clos Vougeot closes its season this weekend, through Sunday June 28, at the Château du Clos de Vougeot and across the heritage sites of the Côte-d'Or. Founded in 2009, this classical music festival gathers internationally renowned soloists in a 12th-century setting, in the heart of the Côte de Nuits vineyards. Its signature: a rare fusion of top performers and Burgundian winemakers, with each concert often followed by a tasting of grand crus. The closing dates are the ideal occasion to pair musical emotion with the pleasures of wine, in one of the great wine-heritage sites listed by UNESCO.
Festival Chants Libres in Autun (71): choral singing fills the city of Augustodunum
From Friday June 26 to Sunday June 28, the Chants Libres festival fills Autun, around the Saint-Lazare cathedral, with more than seventy concerts and musical moments. Backed by the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation in partnership with the city, this free national festival celebrates choral singing in all its forms: prestigious vocal ensembles, amateur choirs and children's choir schools take over the churches, squares and heritage sites of the former Gallo-Roman city. The density of the programming and the free admission make it a rare interlude for lovers of the human voice. Best experienced by strolling through a history-laden ancient town, following the songs that drift from its buildings.
Les Musicaves in Givry (71): three days of concerts at Domaine Thénard
From Thursday June 25 to Saturday June 27, Les Musicaves bring Domaine Thénard in Givry, in the Côte chalonnaise, to life. This eclectic, intergenerational festival celebrates musical diversity while honouring the Burgundian terroir, with three days of concerts, discoveries and tastings of the Givry appellation wines. The warm, friendly atmosphere, in a renowned wine estate, makes it an ideal outing for anyone who likes to pair music with wine heritage. Saturday night, the final stretch of the edition, often concentrates the headliners. A festive, foodie gem on a human scale, in the heart of the Chalonnais vineyards.
Festival Chamboultou in Blanzy (71): reggae on Saturday, rock all around
From Friday June 26 to Sunday June 28, the Festival Chamboultou shakes the Guillaume Warmuz stadium in Blanzy, in Saône-et-Loire. Born in 2020, it has become in just a few editions a must for reggae and rock fans of the former mining basin: roots reggae on Friday, fiery rock on Saturday, and a free, family-friendly Sunday to close. The warm, convivial atmosphere, driven by a team of volunteers, makes it a human-scale festival people return to year after year. A fine alternative to the big stages, to end June to the rhythm of bass and guitars, with family or friends.
Festival des Musiques du Haut-Doubs in Maîche (25): 500 musicians in full swing
On Saturday June 27 and Sunday June 28, the Festival des Musiques du Haut-Doubs sets up its music stands in Maîche, in the Doubs. This travelling event, which moves to a different town each year, gathers around a dozen wind bands and nearly 500 musicians from the area for a day of concerts and conviviality. On the programme: a shared lunch at midday, a parade of the bands and open-air concerts, in the tradition of the great amateur-musician festivals. It's a gathering deeply rooted in the local life of the Haut-Doubs, where a passion for brass and woodwind passes from one generation to the next. An authentic popular fête, ideal for discovering the musical soul of this corner of Franche-Comté.
Cherry Festival in Fougerolles-Saint-Valbert (70): the king fruit of kirsch country
On Saturday June 27, Fougerolles-Saint-Valbert celebrates its emblematic fruit at the Fête des Cerises, faithful to a tradition more than fifty years old. In the heart of AOC kirsch country, in Haute-Saône, this fête brings together locals and visitors around a market of local producers, a guided walk through the meadow-orchards, the election of Miss Cerises and evening concerts. It's a foodie, village gem, perfect for a Saturday in the countryside, that says a lot about the region's fruit-growing and distilling identity. The Comtois terroir is savoured here without fuss, between tradition, gastronomy and conviviality right by the orchards.
Summer shows of Baume-les-Messieurs (39): the season opens at the Imperial Abbey
From Friday June 26, and through July 2, the Summer shows of Baume-les-Messieurs launch their cultural season in the exceptional setting of the Imperial Abbey, in the heart of one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France. Classical, baroque and contemporary concerts, circus shows, theatre and performances fill the spaces of the Jura village, nestled in a spectacular blind valley. The opening weekend sets the tone for a summer rich in events, in a backdrop of cliffs and ancient stone. It's a timeless interlude, ideal for combining heritage discovery and artistic emotion far from the bustle of the big summer stages.
Cherry Fair in Escolives-Sainte-Camille (89): bargain-hunting and tasting on a Gallo-Roman site
On Sunday June 28, Escolives-Sainte-Camille holds its Cherry Fair on the village's Gallo-Roman archaeological site, in the Auxerre area. On the programme: a giant car-boot sale, tastings of local cherries — including the famous Marmotte, born in the region after phylloxera — and on-site catering around grilled boudin and a refreshment stand. This popular, foodie fête weds ancient heritage and fruit-growing traditions in a country atmosphere typical of the Yonne. It's a lovely idea for a Sunday out for bargain-hunters and fans of local produce, a few kilometres from Auxerre, gently rounding off this festive late-June weekend.
To explore other regions this weekend, head to our full weekend agenda. Enjoy June's final weekend in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.
