Music-festival weekend in the Pays de la Loire: Hellfest closes in Clisson as summer begins

What's on in the Pays de la Loire this weekend of June 20 and 21? The solstice lands squarely on the Fête de la Musique, and the whole region starts to play: Nantes opens its streets to musicians, Clisson absorbs the last blasts of Hellfest, and from Saumur to the Vendée, theatre, equestrian art and photography take over. Our favourite isn't the loudest one: between the first classical notes in the Savennières vineyards, a night at Puy du Fou and a medieval encampment in the Mayenne, the weekend offers plenty of ways out, far from the crowds. Here's the lay of the land, from extreme metal to the Cadre Noir's riding hall.

Hellfest in Clisson (44): the edition's final blast

France's largest extreme-music festival wraps its edition on Sunday June 21 in Clisson. Created in 2006, Hellfest gathers more than 60,000 festival-goers a day on a 21-hectare site, with a programme spread across six stages that sweeps the full spectrum of heavy music, from hard rock to extreme metal by way of punk and hardcore. This Sunday closes four days of relentless intensity: it's the moment of the headliners and the most anticipated sets. If a weekend ticket is hard to come by, the atmosphere spilling well into the town is reason enough for the trip into the Nantes vineyards. An institution to experience at least once, earplugs or not.

Fête de la Musique in Nantes (44): the city turns into an open-air stage

On Sunday June 21, Nantes celebrates the Fête de la Musique: amateur musicians, music-school students and professional artists play for free in the streets, on the squares and along the banks of the Loire. Run by Nantes Métropole, the day is entirely free and open to all, with no distinction of genre or skill. It's the simplest outing of the weekend: you drift from an impromptu stage to a neighbourhood concert, following the music wherever it leads. For anyone wanting to take the city's pulse at the start of summer, it's hard to find anything more spontaneous. Best to get around on foot or by tram, as the centre is largely given over to pedestrians.

SoFilm Summercamp in Nantes (44): Cannes cinema under the stars

SoFilm magazine's festival wraps its cinephile summer camp on Saturday June 20 in Nantes, on the site of the former shipyards. Born in 2015, the SoFilm Summercamp offers open-air and indoor screenings each June, with a clear leaning towards the films that made a mark at the Cannes Festival the month before, often shown as previews and in the presence of the crews. This final day is a chance to catch a screening under the stars in a singular industrial setting, a stone's throw from the Machines de l'île. A welcome alternative to the musical stages for anyone who prefers the screen to the guitar. Check the programme and times on site, as closing screenings are often popular.

Festival d'Anjou in Angers (49): France's second-oldest theatre festival

Still on the bill through June 26, the Festival d'Anjou is, after Avignon, the oldest theatre festival in the country. Founded in 1950, it stages around twenty classical and contemporary plays each June across heritage venues in Maine-et-Loire: the Plessis-Macé castle, the Grand-Théâtre in Angers, the Dôme in Saumur, the Bouvet Ladubay theatre. This weekend the performances are in full swing, showing the full measure of an edition that mixes big stage names with new work. It's the ideal chance to pair an evening of theatre with the discovery of a monument, in settings you don't get to visit every night. Booking is advised for weekend dates.

Galas du Cadre Noir in Saumur (49): UNESCO-listed equestrian art

In Saumur, the Galas du Cadre Noir continue at the historic Terrefort site, with performances scheduled through October 18. Heir to a tradition born in 1815 and inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, the Cadre Noir presents haute école figures, school jumps and long-rein work in galas choreographed to music. Watching the riders and their mounts move through the great riding hall is as much theatre as it is a display of rare expertise. For anyone passing through the Saumur area this weekend, it's an outing utterly different from the usual stages, best paired with a tour of the town and its troglodyte cellars. An elegant, unexpected pause in a very musical weekend.

Musique dans les Vignes in Savennières (49): classical music among the vines

The Musique dans les Vignes festival opens its edition on Saturday June 20 at Château de Chamboureau, in Savennières. Created in 2017 by the Société des Concerts Populaires d'Angers, it unfolds a nine-day journey through the vineyards each late June: twenty-four chamber-music concerts take up residence in prestigious wine estates, from L'Aiglerie to the Coulée de Serrant. The opening evening sets the tone for an intimate programme where music converses with the terroir, often followed by a tasting of the estate's wines. For lovers of strings and dry whites, it's the perfect antithesis to the weekend's din: a quiet concert, glass in hand, in one of the Loire's finest vineyards.

La Cinéscénie at Puy du Fou, Les Épesses (85): the largest night in the countryside

On Saturday June 20, La Cinéscénie du Puy du Fou gives one of its performances at Les Épesses. Created in 1978 by Philippe de Villiers, it is the largest night-time show in the world: on a 23-hectare stage, 2,400 volunteer actors, the Puyfolais, retrace seven centuries of Vendée history through the sweeping saga of the Maupillier family. Fireworks, water jets, laser projections, video mapping and 360-degree spatial sound carry this outsized spectacle through to September 12. June evenings are in high demand, so it's wise to book and arrive early, as site access is managed ahead of time. Worth seeing at least once to grasp the sheer scale of what unfolds in the Vendée countryside.

Festival de Terre-Neuve in Fontenay-le-Comte (85): theatre in a Renaissance courtyard

In Fontenay-le-Comte, the Festival de Terre-Neuve takes over the Renaissance courtyard of Château de Terre-Neuve through June 26. Since 2002, this summer fixture has offered around ten open-air theatre evenings in which leading French actors perform classics and contemporary creations, from Anouilh to Feydeau by way of Shakespeare and Gogol. The setting does much of the work: performing in the courtyard of a sixteenth-century château lends the plays a particular intensity as night falls. This weekend marks the heart of the edition, with performances scheduled on both evenings. For theatre lovers seeking a more intimate setting than Angers, it's a discovery in southern Vendée not to be overlooked. Booking strongly advised.

Festival Photo à Ciel Ouvert in L'Île-d'Olonne (85): large-format photography across the marshes

On the Vendée coast, the Festival Photo à Ciel Ouvert turns the village and salt marshes of L'Île-d'Olonne into an open-air gallery, through November 1. This weekend the 1.5-kilometre trail is in place: large-format photographs installed on low walls, façades and the paths leading to the marshes. Organised by the L'OEil association and its volunteers, the event is entirely free and explored on foot, at walking pace. It's a fine alternative to the weekend's musical stages, pairing the discovery of images with the exploration of a marsh landscape that's stunning in early summer. Combine it with an end of day over towards nearby Les Sables-d'Olonne, for culture and coastline in one go.

Les Féodales de Clairbois in Sainte-Suzanne (53): a weekend in the Middle Ages

In the Mayenne, the Féodales de Clairbois recreate the life of a thirteenth-century fortified farm at the Domaine de Clairbois, in Sainte-Suzanne-et-Chammes. Organised by the La Mesnie de la Ferté-Clairbois association, these medieval displays take place on the second weekend of each month from April to August, with encampments, equestrian games, historical vignettes and craft demonstrations. You wander between tents, forge and armoured combat in one of France's prettiest villages. It's an ideal family outing, halfway between live performance and a life-size history lesson. The setting, dominated by the keep of Sainte-Suzanne, adds a touch of authenticity that few re-enactments can match.

Bilurfest' in Bouloire (72): the Fête de la Musique, theatre-courtyard style

In the Sarthe, Bilurfest' celebrates music on Saturday June 20 from 6.30pm in the courtyard of the Épidaure theatre, in Bouloire. Live concerts, tattoo, barber and hairdressing stalls, food and a bar: the evening goes for a laid-back, down-to-earth village atmosphere. Free and convivial, it's aimed at those who prefer a human-scale Fête de la Musique to the big urban stages. It's exactly the kind of local gathering where you run into the whole neighbourhood and discover the local lineup without fuss. A good pick for a no-budget Saturday night, east of Le Mans.

Worth a mention too

• Journée Peintres dans la Rue in Parné-sur-Roc (53): on Sunday June 21, amateur and seasoned painters create in the open air in the streets of this Petite Cité de Caractère, with a makers' market and workshops for children. Free.

To explore other regions this weekend, head to our full weekend agenda. Enjoy your time in the Pays de la Loire.