Celtomania — Breton and Celtic Cultural Festival of Loire-Atlantique

Celtomania: Breton and Celtic Culture Celebrated in Loire-Atlantique

Created in 1989 by Christophe Lelu, from the ashes of the former Nantes Celtic Fortnight which disappeared after many editions, the Celtomania festival was born in Nantes, Orvault, and Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire with about ten cultural events. As early as 1991, the event moved to the beginning of autumn and incorporated Saint-Herblain, before gradually expanding to the entire Loire-Atlantique department.

A Traveling Festival Across the Territory

Celtomania is a traveling festival that unfolds each year in 20 to 25 municipalities in Loire-Atlantique during October and November, offering about fifty events. Its principle is based on federating associations, local authorities, and cultural spaces around Breton and Celtic creation. The association Les Celtomania coordinates the programming across the territory, while municipal cultural services or local associations ensure the execution and financing of each event.

A Rich and Multidisciplinary Program

The festival presents all possible artistic aesthetics: music (concerts, fest-noz, fest-deiz, traditional sessions, café-concerts), dance (shows and folk dances), cinema, storytelling, exhibitions (painting, sculpture, photography), literature, conferences, theater, comedy, Breton and Celtic traditional sports, and sometimes even gastronomy. Invited artists come from Upper and Lower Brittany as well as from other Celtic countries — Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Wales, Cornwall, Asturias, Galicia — and the festival also welcomes artists from Acadia, Quebec, and other European regions offering shows around Celtic traditions.

Les Celtomania: An Association Serving Culture

The association Les Celtomania, chaired by Luc Brossier and coordinated by Marie Roullier (director and general coordinator), is the driving force behind the festival. With professional coordination since 2019, it ensures the networking of partners, shared communication, and consistency of programming across the territory. The association's headquarters are located at 9, Le Tail in Gétigné (44190).

Strong Territorial Roots

Among the regular partner municipalities are Nantes, Orvault, Saint-Herblain, La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Sucé-sur-Erdre, Nort-sur-Erdre, Treillières, Héric, Pornic, Clisson, Gétigné, Bouvron, Cordemais, Saint-Étienne-de-Montluc, Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau, Batz-sur-Mer, Saint-Lyphard, La Chapelle-des-Marais, La Chapelle-Launay, Le Bignon, Blain, Trignac, Grandchamp-des-Fontaines, Casson, and Gorges, as well as the Community of Communes Erdre et Gesvres. The festival benefits from the support of the Department of Loire-Atlantique, the administrative Region of Brittany, and private partners.