Rues et Cies turns Épinal into an open-air stage since 1984, Strasbulles takes over Place Kléber with European comics, and Verdun dons its Venetian masks: ten events across the Grand Est this weekend.
The Grand Est has a packed schedule for the weekend of June 13 and 14. The big draw comes from the Vosges, where Rues et Cies has been turning Épinal into a giant outdoor stage for over forty years — France's oldest street performance festival. In Strasbourg, Strasbulles takes over Place Kléber for two days of European comics in the open air. And in the Meuse, Verdun pulls on its Venetian costumes for its annual canal-side carnival. From jazz in Hermonville's private courtyards to medieval pageantry in an Alsatian village and metal in a Haute-Marne military fort, the lineup covers every taste. Here are ten events worth making the trip for.
Rues et Cies in Épinal (88): France's oldest street festival holds its three-day finale
Founded in 1984, Rues et Cies is the oldest street performance festival in France. Through Sunday June 14, the centre of Épinal hosts around forty free shows from some twenty companies from across France. Street theatre, new circus, dance, off-beat brass bands and fairground acts make up the beating heart of the programme. The festival village sets up on Place Georgin, in front of the covered market — an ideal base for catching shows within a few streets of each other. Founded by Vosges enthusiasts committed to free access and shared culture, the event has kept its original spirit: a festival that belongs to the city, not a commercial showcase. The closing weekend traditionally brings out the most eagerly awaited companies. A must-see if you are anywhere in the area, or if you need a reason to cross the Vosges this June.
Strasbulles in Strasbourg (67): European comics spread across Place Kléber
Founded in 2008 by the Alsace Bande Dessinée association, Strasbulles takes over Place Kléber and the streets of central Strasbourg on June 13 and 14. The festival celebrates the full range of contemporary comics: socially engaged strips, new graphic trends, manga, graphic novels and children's albums all share space on the stands. Exhibitions, signing sessions with French and European authors, drawing workshops, talks and screenings fill the two days. Entry is free and the mood is all about direct encounters between readers and creators. Strasbulles remains one of the rare open-air comics festivals in a major French city, and Place Kléber gives it an urban setting to match. A date for comics fans, but equally for curious newcomers who have never opened an album.
Venetian Carnival of Verdun (55): masks and costumes in the Meuse city
Since 2006, the Venetian Carnival of Verdun has transformed the city nicknamed "Little Venice" each June into a parade of sumptuous costumes. Verdun earned the nickname through its five canals and twenty bridges — a geography in perfect keeping with the Venetian spirit. On June 13 and 14, more than 200 participants don elaborate Venetian costumes and masks to parade through the city centre. The Union of Traders organises costumed processions, street shows, musical entertainment and mask-making workshops. Free to attend, open to all. This out-of-season carnival — far from the February crowds of Venice itself — plays on authenticity and local participation. If you have never seen a Venetian procession in the June light of a Lorraine city, it is a pleasantly odd and seductive experience.
Art et Jazz dans ma Cour Festival in Hermonville (51): a Champagne village as open-air arts trail
Biennial and under the radar, the Art et Jazz dans ma Cour festival turns Hermonville, in the Marne, into an open-air arts trail on June 13 and 14. The village streets are closed to traffic — a rare luxury — and welcome jazz concerts and contemporary art exhibitions in the private courtyards and gardens normally kept shut. Founded in 2010 by a group of friends, the event pulls over 6,500 visitors into a village of a few hundred inhabitants each edition. The formula is simple: artists take over the intimate spaces of local residents, the public wanders freely between courtyards. Jazz takes centre stage but not exclusively — photography, sculpture and painting all have their place. As this is a biennial event, the next edition is two years away: this weekend is the one to catch.
Fête des Remparts de Châtenois (67): 500 medieval costumed participants in Alsace
Since 2003, the Fête des Remparts de Châtenois has established itself as one of the largest medieval festivals in Alsace. On this second Sunday of June, more than 500 costumed participants parade through the village in a spectacular medieval procession. A craft market, re-enactment encampments, ancient games, a medieval garden, demonstrations of period trades, street performances, music and medieval food round out the day. Châtenois, an Alsatian village nestled between the vineyards and the Vosges foothills, provides a fitting backdrop: the ramparts mentioned in the festival's name genuinely exist. A family-friendly, immersive event, free to enter, that brings together residents and visitors in a shared moment of collective re-enactment.
Festival BD de Malbrouck in Manderen-Ritzing (57): the château becomes a comics gallery
The Festival BD de Malbrouck takes over the Château de Malbrouck in Manderen-Ritzing, Moselle, on June 13 and 14. The medieval fortress hosts some twenty authors and manga artists for signing sessions, creative workshops, round tables and immersive exhibitions. Each edition spotlights a particular comics universe or work, making the château a meeting point between artists and enthusiasts. The setting is exceptional: the Château de Malbrouck, restored in the 2000s, commands sweeping views over the Moselle and surrounding hills from its medieval ramparts. The contrast between the architectural rigour of the fortress and the imaginative world of comics creates a distinctive atmosphere. Particularly recommended for manga readers and graphic novel fans who want to meet creators in an unexpected setting.
La Belle Saison in Nancy (54): first nights of the son et lumière on Place Stanislas
June 12 marks the opening of La Belle Saison, the free nightly sound-and-light show projected each summer evening onto the facades of Place Stanislas in Nancy, an 18th-century masterpiece on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since 2007, the event has drawn over 7.5 million spectators. This weekend of June 13 and 14, the first sessions of the 2026 season unfold on a square that rediscovers every year the effect of digital creation projected onto its own architecture. The show runs about twenty minutes, with multiple sessions each evening. Free access, no ticket needed, on one of the finest squares in Europe. The cool early June evenings, before the July crowds arrive, are the best time to catch La Belle Saison in good conditions.
Nuits des Forêts at the Parc national de forêts (52): nocturnal walks in Champagne woodland
The Nuits des Forêts runs from June 11 to 14 around Auberive, in Haute-Marne, inside the Parc national de forêts created in 2019. The final two nights of the festival offer immersive forest experiences: twilight walks tuned to the sounds of nocturnal wildlife, storytelling under the stars, open-air short film screenings, participatory workshops and stargazing sessions. Everything is free. The festival aims to reconnect people with the forests of Haute-Marne and Côte-d'Or by treating them as spaces for culture and sensitivity, not just walks. The Auberive gateway, the main entry point into the heart of the park, serves as headquarters for this weekend. A genuinely rare proposition, quite unlike anything else in the regional festival landscape.
La Bullecyclette in Avize (51): vintage cycling and champagne on the Côte des Blancs
On Saturday June 13, La Bullecyclette sets off from Avize for a 22-km vintage bicycle ride through the heart of the Côte des Blancs. The idea: period costumes inspired by the 1950s and 60s, retro bikes, four stops featuring swing music and champagne tastings in the villages of Oger, Vertus and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Created in 2024 by enthusiastic winegrowers, the event combines heritage, gastronomy and conviviality against a backdrop of UNESCO-listed vineyards. The ride is open to all levels — 22 km on flat or gently rolling terrain — and vintage bike hire is organised on site for those without their own. It is exactly the kind of local gem that nobody in Paris has heard of and that Grand Est residents are lucky to have within easy reach.
Fort Metal Fest in Chalindrey (52): a full day of metal in a military fort
On Saturday June 13, the Fort Metal Fest takes over the Fort du Cognelot in Chalindrey, on the Langres plateau in Haute-Marne, for a full day of extreme music. The Haute-Marne's Metal Heads (HMMH) association has run this metal festival — heavy, death, thrash, black — since 2018, set inside a 19th-century military fort. The setting is pitch-perfect: stone walls, dry moats and cannon emplacements make a naturally dramatic backdrop for a metal concert. Several bands perform throughout the day, from emerging local acts to more established names. A strong sense of community among dedicated fans, bar on site. For the uninitiated, it is also a chance to explore a largely unknown military monument on the Langres plateau in an atmosphere they would never have predicted.
Worth a mention too
- Fête du Kougelhopf de Ribeauvillé (68): Sunday June 14, Ribeauvillé celebrates its emblematic cake since 1972 — best kougelhopf competition, Alsatian folk groups in traditional dress and the Brotherhood of the Magi at the Jardin de Ville.
- Festi'Buz (08): June 12-13, this rock and contemporary music festival founded in 2019 brings together a dozen acts at the Buzancy stadium in the Ardennes, with free camping on site.
- Fontaines Dansantes de Metz (57): the 2026 season opens this weekend at the Lac aux Cygnes — coloured water jets, music and light every evening through September.
For events across the rest of the country this weekend, see the full weekend agenda. Have a great time in the Grand Est.
