Champs Libres
Multidisciplinary Ascension festival in the Dreux Agglomeration, spectacular by nature
About Champs Libres
Spectacular by nature
Champs Libres was born in 2023 from the desire to create a territorial festival rooted in the landscapes and heritage of the Pays de Dreux. Subtitled “Spectacular by nature,” this multidisciplinary festival offers a chance to rediscover sometimes little-known places — gardens, waterways, plant heritage, remarkable sites — through the prism of the performing arts. L'Atelier à Spectacle, a designated stage in Vernouillet, orchestrates the entire program with the support of elected officials, residents, and artists.
Four days of outdoor performances
During the Ascension weekend, about thirty artistic companies simultaneously take over several towns in the Dreux Agglomeration. Street arts, circus, music, dance, itinerant theater, and performance forms unfold in natural and heritage settings: parks, riverbanks, village squares, farmyards, and historical sites. The artistic proposals are designed to integrate into the landscape, creating unique and ephemeral experiences.
A festival that unleashes the elements
The second edition in 2024 took place from May 9 to 12, with a rich and eclectic program spread across eight towns. More than thirty performances were presented by companies from all over France, offering joyful, inventive, and sometimes quirky formats. The third edition in 2025, from May 29 to June 1, brought together more than 28 artistic teams in nine towns, confirming the growing momentum of this event which has become a must-see in the cultural landscape of Eure-et-Loir.
A free and participatory festival
Champs Libres is a free festival open to all. This freeness is a strong choice that reflects the desire to make culture accessible to the greatest number of people and to remove barriers to entry. The outdoor performances allow everyone to stop, watch, and participate as they wish. The festival fosters encounters between artists and residents, creating moments of sharing and conviviality in the heart of the territory.
A project co-created with residents
The originality of Champs Libres lies in its co-creation with local stakeholders. Elected officials, residents, associations, teachers, and artists participate in the conception and realization of the festival. Participatory workshops before the event allow residents to get involved in artistic creation, prepare set elements, or take part in collective performances. This participatory approach makes Champs Libres a true citizen festival, imagined by and for the residents of the Dreux Agglomeration.
Champs Libres — edition 2026
Fourth edition of the Champs Libres festival, from May 14 to 17, 2026 during the Ascension weekend. 27 free open-air shows — street arts, contemporary circus, music, dance, and itinerant theater — spread across six municipalities of the Agglo du Pays de Dreux: Abondant, Louÿe, Marchezais, La Chaussée-d'Ivry, Écluzelles, and the Mézières-en-Drouais nautical base. Programming supported by L'Atelier à spectacle, a national interest venue.
A 4th nomadic edition across six municipalities
For its 2026 edition, from May 14 to 17, Champs Libres will take over six municipalities of the Agglo du Pays de Dreux following a nomadic route: Abondant (Thursday), Louÿe (Friday), Marchezais and La Chaussée-d'Ivry (Saturday), Écluzelles and the Mézières-en-Drouais nautical base (Sunday). Four days, 27 shows, about fifteen companies — all proposals are free and open-air.
Contemporary circus, street arts, music and dance
The festival's aesthetic favors street arts and contemporary circus, complemented by brass bands, dance, aquatic shows, and participatory forms. Among the invited companies: Cie Transe Express, Cie Em.Portés, Cirque Oxymore, Le Nouveau Cirque d'Avant, Cie Sapage Nocturne, Les Potes au Feu, Cie Ten, Claire Ducreux, Cirkatomik, Cie Astor et La Patronne, Cie Presque Siamoises, Le Piano du Lac, Cie TADA CHÉRIE, Paul Molina, Cie Les Sanglés & En Corps En L'Air, Cie Remue Ménage, Björn Gottschall, Cie Après l'Orage, Cie des Frères Georges, Cie Furinkaï, Théâtre de l'Entrouvert, Cie Benoît Charpe, Collectif Points de Suspension.
Remarkable locations and participatory projects
True to its subtitle « Spectacular by nature », the 2026 edition takes over landscape and heritage sites: banks of the Vesgre in La Chaussée-d'Ivry, Maison des Espaces Naturels in Écluzelles, nautical base in Mézières-en-Drouais, village squares, and schoolyards. Three participatory projects involve about thirty amateur residents alongside professional companies. L'Atelier à spectacle, a national interest venue, is simultaneously preparing for its Scène nationale label in 2028 and will work off-site during the 2026-2027 season (renovation of the Vernouillet hall).
Programme Champs Libres 2026
Thursday, May 14, 2026 — Abondant (schoolyard)
- 6:00 PM — Cie Em.Portés, opening brass band
- 6:15 PM — Cie Em.Portés, Tous en selle — bicycle circus, journey through the history of the bicycle
- 7:00 PM — Cie du Deuxième, Animaniversaire — animal birthday comedy
- 7:15 PM — Inaugural speech by elected officials in the schoolyard
- 8:00 PM — Le Nouveau Cirque d'Avant, Branle Bas de Combat — open-air circus
- 9:00 PM — Cie Sapage Nocturne, Le Bal des Oiseaux — immersive costumed ball with exotica music
Also wandering: Cie Transe Express (Les Pervenches) and Les Potes au Feu.
Friday, May 15, 2026 — Louÿe (Château square and surroundings)
- 3:00 PM — CDN Orléans — Émilie Rousset, Alouettes (field play, documentary theater on agriculture)
- 3:30 PM — Cie Ten — Johanna Levy, Un autre jasmin — participatory choreography
- 4:15 PM — Claire Ducreux, Fleurir les abîmes (rue des Champs Filasse) — dance-mime around the tree
- 6:30 PM — Dance initiation (preparation for the ball, 1h)
- 7:30 PM — Cie Astor et La Patronne, En Bal et Vous ! (square Jacques Gastelais, rue du Château) — festive and quirky contemporary ball, electrified orchestra on a mobile stage
Also present: Cirkatomik, Cie Transe Express, Les Potes au Feu.
Saturday, May 16, 2026 — Afternoon in Marchezais (town hall)
- 3:00 PM — Le Piano du Lac, Le Piano-Manège (musical carousel, piano 4m high, continuous)
- 3:00 PM — Cie Presque Siamoises, Carry-On — choreographic sketch with 10 parent-child pairs from the region
- 3:30 PM and 6:30 PM — Collectif Points de Suspension, La Kermesse Bim Bam Boum — sound journey and interactive installations
- 3:45 PM — Cie TADA CHÉRIE, Yellow Balloon — musical dance performance
- 4:30 PM — Paul Molina, Mouton Noir — theater, dance, and acrobatics around freestyle football
- 5:30 PM — Cies Les Sanglés & En Corps En L'Air, Gagarine is not dead — aerial acrobatic street theater
Saturday, May 16, 2026 — Evening in La Chaussée-d'Ivry (banks of the Vesgre)
- 8:00 PM — Cie Les Potes au Feu — fiery promenade by pyrotechnic artists along the river
- 8:30 PM — Cie Transe Express, Les Pervenches — itinerant female brass band
- 10:00 PM — Cie Remue Ménage, La Belle Illusion — pyrotechnic acrobatic ballet inspired by the Belle Époque (evening closing)
Sunday, May 17, 2026 — Morning in Écluzelles (Maison des Espaces Naturels)
- From 10:00 AM — Cie Après l'Orage and Björn Gottschall — cyclist pianist composing pieces along the route, miniature funfair for the youngest, mix of dance, theater, and circus in a natural setting
- Also: Slow Park
Sunday, May 17, 2026 — Afternoon at the Mézières-en-Drouais Nautical Base (closing)
- From 2:00 PM — Cie des Frères Georges, Le Bato — aquatic theater
- 3:00 PM — Cie Furinkaï & Théâtre de l'Entrouvert, Mizu
- 4:15 PM — Cie Benoît Charpe — trampoline acrobatics
- Evening (around 8:30 PM) — Collectif du Plateau / Moustache Production — sung and burlesque closing around the « search for the best audience in the world »
Highlights Champs Libres 2026
- 4th nomadic edition across 6 municipalities during Ascension
- 27 free open-air shows
- About fifteen professional companies + 3 participatory projects with residents
- Contemporary circus, street arts, music, dance, aquatic theater
- Opening on Thursday, May 14 in Abondant, closing on Sunday, May 17 at the Mézières-en-Drouais nautical base
- Headliners: Cie Transe Express, Cie Remue Ménage, Le Piano du Lac, Claire Ducreux, Cie Astor et La Patronne
Prices Champs Libres 2026
Practical information — Champs Libres
Access
- Locations: Several towns in the Dreux Agglomeration (Dreux, Vernouillet, and surrounding towns)
- By car: From Paris (approx. 1h15), take the N12 towards Dreux. Free parking in the towns.
- By train: Dreux station (Paris-Montparnasse line), then shuttle buses or local buses to performance venues.
Schedules
- Thursday to Sunday: performances during the day and in the evening, times vary depending on the program
Prices
- Admission: free for all performances
Contact
- Website: www.latelier-a-spectacle.com/festival-champs-libres
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Where does it take place — Champs Libres
Communes de l'Agglo du Pays de Dreux
L'Atelier à spectacle — 51A rue de Torçay, 28500 Vernouillet (siège de l'organisateur). Spectacles répartis dans 6 communes de l'Agglo du Pays de Dreux., 28100 Dreux