All Access

All Access: When Urban Cultures Invade Étampes

Since 2008, the All Access festival has transformed the Étampes leisure center into a huge urban culture village every spring. Organized by the Saskwash association, located in the south of Essonne, this festival has established itself in less than ten years as one of the most popular and eclectic events in the department, attracting an ever-larger and younger audience.

Its name is a manifesto: "All Access." No segregation, no hierarchy between disciplines or audiences. Here, everyone has a place—whether you're a fan of conscious rap or ragga dancehall, a breakdance expert, or simply curious to discover graffiti culture, a resident of Étampes or a festival-goer from all over the Île-de-France region. This philosophy of radical openness is at the heart of the festival's success and longevity.

A Comprehensive Program of Urban Cultures

All Access covers the entire spectrum of hip-hop and urban cultures in all their diversity: music, dance, visual arts, and urban sports coexist in the same festive and open space.

The musical program features artists from rap, reggae, dancehall, and slam, with a focus on both emerging artists from the region and more established names on the national scene. Showcases take place on several stages, allowing the public to discover new talents throughout the day.

Battles: An Institution of the Festival

Battles are at the core of All Access's identity. The festival offers competitions in several disciplines:

• Breakdance: hip-hop dance battles of all categories, from 1 vs 1 to crew versus crew
• BMX: freestyle demonstrations and battles on modules specially set up for the occasion
• MC battle: verbal jousts between improvising rappers
• Skateboard and parkour: figure and course competitions within the leisure center grounds

These artistic and sporting competitions create an intense and participatory spectacle, where the audience is often invited to join in the encouragement and voting. The spirit of the battle, central to hip-hop culture, finds a complete and festive expression here.

Workshops: Sharing Knowledge

Beyond concerts and battles, All Access offers artistic practice workshops allowing everyone to get started in hip-hop disciplines:

• Breakdance workshop: introduction to the fundamentals of hip-hop dance with professional dancers
• Slam workshop: writing and performance with experienced slam poets
• Scratch workshop: introduction to DJing and turntable techniques
• Graffiti demonstrations: live mural creation by artists

These workshops are aimed at beginners as well as more advanced practitioners, in a spirit of intergenerational transmission faithful to the original values of hip-hop culture.

Étampes, a Town in Southern Essonne, Capital for a Day

By choosing Étampes as its playground, All Access has taken a gamble on cultural decentralization. Far from the Parisian stages and usual commercial circuits, the festival is set up in this historic town in southern Essonne, which is not spontaneously associated with urban cultures. This geographical boldness is one of the festival's strengths, proving that hip-hop cultures belong to the entire territory and not just to major metropolises.

The leisure center, with its green spaces, play areas, and outdoor capacity, offers a unique setting for a festival that aims to be festive above all. The low ticket price and free entry for children under 11 reflect the organizers' desire to make the event accessible to the greatest number.