Escales Curieuses
Cultural festival by the canal in Guipel
2026
About Escales Curieuses
Les Escales Curieuses is an annual festival held every September by the Art Campo association at the Plousière site, along the Ille-et-Rance canal in Guipel, Ille-et-Vilaine. Enjoy three days of concerts, live performances—including theater, clowning, circus acts, and puppetry—and workshops, all on a pay-what-you-wish basis.
Escales Curieuses — edition 2026
Escales Curieuses returns from Friday, September 18 to Sunday, September 20, 2026, at the Plousière site, along the Ille-et-Rance canal in Guipel. Enjoy two evenings and a full Sunday with pay-what-you-want entry: clowning and theater on Friday with Germaine & Germaine and FIDJI, four concerts on Saturday featuring Youthie, Toxic Frogs, Cumbia Boom Box, and VanEs-Z-Kä, plus puppetry, circus, and workshops on Sunday.
2026 Edition
The official lineup features three days at La Plousière, from September 18 to 20, 2026. Friday and Saturday are evening events, with doors opening at 6:30 PM and 6:00 PM respectively. Sunday kicks off at 11:30 AM with a roast chicken and fries lunch, followed by three afternoon workshops and a brass band finale.
Entry is pay-what-you-want. The festival is organized by the Art Campo association, supported by seven year-round volunteers and over twenty during the event, with backing from the town of Guipel, the Val d'Ille-Aubigné community of communes, the Brittany Region, and the Ille-et-Vilaine department.
Highlights Escales Curieuses 2026
- Four concerts on Saturday the 19th: Youthie, Toxic Frogs, Cumbia Boom Box, and VanEs-Z-Kä
- Germaine & Germaine, a clown duo from Cie Quand les moules auront des dents, on Friday the 18th
- Sunday daytime: puppetry at 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM, circus at 3:00 PM, plus screen printing and engraving workshops from 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM
- Pay-what-you-want entry, on-site camping, and a closing performance by the PPTT brass band
Programme Escales Curieuses 2026
Friday, September 18, 2026
Doors open at 6:30 PM.
- Surprise act — announced by the organizer with no further details
- Germaine & Germaine — Cie Quand les moules auront des dents · a clownish, physical comedy duo featuring two grandmas and their bench · all ages · 45 min · Audience Award at the Mimos Off Festival 2016
- FIDJI — Cie La Depliante · a one-person show blending stand-up, storytelling, and circus, where Starsky searches for his cat · not recommended for children under 10
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Doors open at 6:00 PM. Four concerts are scheduled; performance times have not been released.
- Youthie
- Toxic Frogs · celtic punk rock
- Cumbia Boom Box · electrochica cumbia
- VanEs-Z-Kä
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Site opens at 11:30 AM, with roast chicken and fries served at lunch.
- 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM — Simone is not dead · puppetry · 50 min · ages 7 and up (requires focus) · two performances
- 3:00 PM — De Ziste et de Geste · burlesque acrobatic circus · all ages
- BARILS / Bagolo Fô · time TBD
- Festival closing with music from the PPTT brass band
Workshops, from 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM:
- Screen printing with Lilian Porchon
- Engraving "Tam-Tam Gravouille" with Anne Des Prairies
- Shadow photobooth, by the ladies of Silhouette
Throughout the three days
- On-site dining: Manger!, Pidzouille
- Camping available on-site
The "2026 Program" page on the official website lists slightly different opening times than the individual daily pages: 5:30 PM on Friday and 1:00 PM on Sunday.
Prices Escales Curieuses 2026
Practical information — Escales Curieuses
Practical Information
Location
La Plousière site, along the Ille-et-Rance canal, Guipel (35440), Ille-et-Vilaine.
Access
La Plousière is 26 km north of Rennes. The site is accessible by bike or boat via the canal; the nearest train station is Montreuil-sur-Ille. A free drink is offered to anyone arriving via sustainable transport.
Pricing
Pay-what-you-wish admission.
On-site
Food and drinks available (Manger!, Pidzouille), Sunday lunch featuring chicken and chips, and on-site camping.
Contact
Official website: www.escalescurieuses.com
Email: [email protected]
Les Escales Curieuses in Guipel
The festival takes place in a beautiful natural setting by the Ille-et-Rance canal at La Plousière in Guipel (Ille-et-Vilaine), just 26 km north of Rennes. The site is easily accessible by bike or boat via the canal, and by train via the Montreuil-sur-Ille station.
A volunteer-run association
The festival is organized by the Art Campo association, which relies on seven year-round volunteers for programming and logistics, joined by over twenty more during the event. Their mission is to bring culture to the countryside through a diverse program of shows, concerts, and activities.
Pay-what-you-wish
Admission is based on a "conscious" pay-what-you-wish model: everyone contributes what they can, helping to cover festival costs and artist fees. As a bonus, a free drink is offered to anyone arriving by bike, boat, or train.
Support
The festival is supported by the municipality of Guipel, the Val d'Ille-Aubigné community of communes, the Brittany Region, and the Ille-et-Vilaine department.
Where does it take place — Escales Curieuses
Escales Curieuses in brief
Other festivals near Guipel
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