Festival à Vif
Live performance and creation festival at Le Préau, Centre Dramatique National de Normandie
About À Vif
A Creation Festival at Le Préau CDN
The Festival à Vif is the annual highlight of Le Préau, Centre Dramatique National de Normandie in Vire. Initially launched as the "Ados" festival by Pauline Sales and Vincent Garanger, the event was renamed "À Vif" by Lucie Berelowitsch, who expanded its programming beyond just a young audience to offer encounters between adults and teenagers, with shows for all audiences.
Five Shows, One Theme
Each edition of the festival is built around a unifying theme. In 2024, the theme was "Battle Chants", exploring the songs we carry within us and the battles we fight to build ourselves. In 2025, the theme "Surprising" questioned our ability to transform ourselves and reinvent our lives together. Five shows with varied aesthetics—documentary theater, dance, intimate storytelling, musical stand-up, participatory creation—make up the program.
A Creation Laboratory
Beyond the performances, the Festival à Vif is a unique moment for meetings and exchanges where artists and spectators interact in a friendly atmosphere. For ten days, the Théâtre du Préau becomes a true creation laboratory, open to amateurs and professionals alike. Participatory creations involving professional artists, local residents, and teenagers are a highlight of the festival.
Le Préau, CDN of Normandy
Le Préau is one of France's National Dramatic Centers, accredited by the Ministry of Culture. Located in Vire Normandie, it develops a demanding program combining contemporary creation, national tours, and cultural mediation actions in the bocage normand region.
À Vif — edition 2026
The Festival à Vif 2026 took place from May 19 to 23, 2026, at Le Préau, Centre Dramatique National de Normandie in Vire, as well as in several locations in the Bocage. This edition offered six days of shows, meetings, and festive moments open to all — theatre, dance, object theatre, music, and puppetry — with a single ticket price of 5 € to promote access for the greatest number.
An edition focused on youth and plural voices
The Festival à Vif 2026, which took place from Tuesday, May 19 to Saturday, May 23, 2026, brought together teenagers, adults, and professionals around a multidisciplinary program: documentary theatre, contemporary dance, object theatre, musical creation, and participatory forms. The festival took over Le Préau theatre, the Halle Michel Drucker, the Lycée Mermoz in Vire, as well as several venues in the Norman Bocage.
Five striking creations
The 2026 edition presented five shows: Le Scarabée et l'Océan by the Birgit Ensemble (Julie Bertin and Jade Herbulot), a creation on the deconstruction of norms; Histoire(s) Décoloniale(s) | #Emma et #Mulunesh by Betty Tchomanga, a dance piece that rewrites world history; La Folie Elisa, a theatrical and musical solo by Léopoldine HH; Coucoù by Kristel Largis-Diaz, extended on tour in the Bocage until May 28; and Ma Part d'Ombre, which was ultimately cancelled. The opening show Le Scarabée et l'Océan was preceded by an opening ceremony on the theatre's forecourt, with speeches by teenagers, concerts, and workshop presentations.
Times for meetings and celebration
Beyond the performances, the festival offered a round table at the Halle Michel Drucker, a Teen Village set up on the forecourt of Le Préau, and a big Bal Pop' on Wednesday evening with a red and glitter dress code. These convivial moments extended the dimension of a creation laboratory carried by Le Préau CDN, a meeting space open to amateurs and professionals alike.
Single price 5 €
As every year, the festival maintained a single price of 5 € per show, accessible to all audiences, in line with the accessibility policy of Le Préau, Centre Dramatique National de Normandie.
Programme À Vif 2026
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 — Opening
- 6:30 PM — Festival opening on the forecourt of Le Préau: speeches by teenagers, concerts, workshop presentations
- 8:30 PM — Le Scarabée et l'Océan · Le Birgit Ensemble (Julie Bertin & Jade Herbulot) · Le Préau
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Histoire(s) Décoloniale(s) | #Emma et #Mulunesh · Betty Tchomanga · Halle Michel Drucker
- 2:00 PM — Round table · Halle Michel Drucker
- 4:00 PM — Teen Village · forecourt of Le Préau
- 6:00 PM — Bal Pop' · Le Préau (dress code: red & glitter)
Thursday, May 21, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Histoire(s) Décoloniale(s) · Betty Tchomanga · Halle Michel Drucker
- 2:00 PM — Le Scarabée et l'Océan · Le Birgit Ensemble · Le Préau
- 8:30 PM — Histoire(s) Décoloniale(s) · Betty Tchomanga · Halle Michel Drucker
Friday, May 22, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Histoire(s) Décoloniale(s) · Betty Tchomanga · Halle Michel Drucker
- 2:00 PM — Le Scarabée et l'Océan · Le Birgit Ensemble · Le Préau
- 8:30 PM — La Folie Elisa · Léopoldine HH · Lycée Mermoz
Saturday, May 23, 2026 — Closing
- 6:00 PM — La Folie Elisa · Léopoldine HH · Lycée Mermoz
Bocage Extension (off-site)
- May 21 & 22 — Coucoù · Kristel Largis-Diaz · Lycée Mermoz
- May 28 — Coucoù · Passais-la-Conception
Note: The show « Ma Part d'Ombre », initially scheduled, has been cancelled.
Highlights À Vif 2026
- Single ticket price of 5 € for all shows
- Opening show Le Scarabée et l'Océan by the Birgit Ensemble on Tuesday, May 19 at 8:30 PM
- Bal Pop' on Wednesday, May 20 at Le Préau with a red and glitter dress code
- Dance piece Histoire(s) Décoloniale(s) by Betty Tchomanga at the Halle Michel Drucker
- Musical creation La Folie Elisa by Léopoldine HH at Lycée Mermoz
- Teen Village on the forecourt of Le Préau and a round table dedicated to adolescent voices
- Off-site extension in the Bocage with Coucoù until May 28
Prices À Vif 2026
Practical information — À Vif
Practical Information
Location
Le Préau — CDN de Normandie, Place Castel, Vire Normandie (14500), Calvados.
Access
- By car: From Caen (60 km), N174 then D577. From Paris (280 km), A13 then A84 towards Rennes, exit Vire.
- By bus: Nomad lines from Caen and Flers.
- Parking: Free parking in Vire town center.
Prices
- Full price: from €5 to €15 depending on the show
- Reduced price: available (youth, job seekers, etc.)
- Season subscription: preferential rates for the Le Préau season
Ticketing
Bookings on the Le Préau website: www.lepreaucdn.fr
Contact
- Website: www.lepreaucdn.fr
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Where does it take place — À Vif
Le Préau — Centre Dramatique National de Normandie
Place Castel, 14500 Vire Normandie