Briançon sous les Étoiles

A festival in the heart of the Vauban Citadel

Briançon sous les Étoiles is the major summer cultural event of Briançon, the highest town in France, nestled at an altitude of 1,326 meters in the Hautes-Alpes. Created in 2021 on the initiative of the municipality led by Mayor Arnaud Murgia, this festival aims to showcase the exceptional heritage of the Vauban Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage site, by transforming it into a vast open-air theater throughout the summer.

The musical, the festival's centerpiece

Each edition revolves around an original musical created especially for the site by the company « Tous en scène », under the artistic direction of Jean-Luc Lejeune. Performances take place at the foot of the Porte d'Embrun, at the entrance to the fortified upper town, where the ramparts and the Collégiale serve as a grand backdrop, enhanced by video mapping creations and light shows. A troupe of about twenty artists—musicians, dancers, actors, singers, and circus performers—brings to life shows combining original music, singing, dancing, humor, and acrobatics.

Among the emblematic creations: Cendrillon, Précieuse mais pas Ridicule (2022), blending Perrault and Molière; Qui a peur de Barbe Bleue ? (2023); Aladdin et la Lanterne magique (2024), an adaptation of One Thousand and One Nights; and Oh ! La Fontaine ! le retour... (2025), a reinterpretation of La Fontaine's Fables.

Arty Colors Festival and street performances

Since 2023, the festival has included the Arty Colors Festival, an event combining live concerts, street arts, artistic performances, land art, and scenography in the streets of Briançon and at the Parc de la Schappe. In 2025, this third edition hosted artists such as Deluxe, FFF, Danakil, Emel, and Julien Granel over three days in August. The cobbled alleys, squares, and ramparts of the upper town offer a unique setting for free artistic strolls open to all.

UNESCO heritage enhanced by culture

The Vauban Citadel of Briançon, a city of art and history, is one of the most remarkable sites in Vauban's network of fortifications. The festival highlights this heritage by offering performances that integrate into the very architecture of the place. Spectators wander through the medieval streets and discover the built heritage while attending the shows. This blend of living culture and historical heritage makes Briançon sous les Étoiles a unique event in the festival landscape of the Southern Alps.