Culturissimo Festival

Culturissimo: Culture for All, Everywhere in France

Born in 2014 from the desire of the E.Leclerc movement to democratize access to culture, the Culturissimo festival has established itself in a few years as a must-attend event on the French cultural scene. Supported by E.Leclerc Cultural Spaces and initiated by Michel-Édouard Leclerc, this traveling festival unfolds each spring with an ambitious program in over 70 cities, from major metropolises to rural communities, both in mainland France and overseas.

An Exceptional Multidisciplinary Program

Culturissimo stands out for the richness and diversity of its program. Each edition brings together about fifty leading artists, writers, and musicians in various formats:

• Musical Readings: Renowned actors and musicians bring literary works to life in original creations blending text and music.
• Concerts: Established and emerging artists offer eclectic musical performances, from jazz to French chanson.
• Author Encounters: Major contemporary literature writers come to interact with the public about their works.
• Live Performances: Theater, staged readings, and artistic performances complete the program.

Leading Artists

Over the years, Culturissimo has hosted iconic figures from the French cultural scene: actors Denis Podalydès, Sandrine Bonnaire, Julie Depardieu, Guillaume de Tonquédec, and Nicole Garcia; musicians Manu Katché, Érik Truffaz, Dominique A, and Renan Luce; writers David Foenkinos, Philippe Besson, Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Gaël Faye, Mélissa Da Costa, and Agnès Martin-Lugand. Each edition is sponsored by a personality: Olivia Ruiz in 2023, for the 10th anniversary edition.

Culturissimo in Orléans

In Orléans, the festival takes place at the prestigious Palais des Congrès CO'MET, a modern and spacious venue ideally located in the heart of the Orléans metropolis. The city is one of the major stops on Culturissimo's national tour, hosting musical readings and literary encounters with leading artists each year. In 2025, writer Gaël Faye, winner of the Prix Renaudot for his novel Jacaranda, offered a musical reading accompanied by Samuel Kamanzi.

The "Ateliers du bac": An Educational Commitment

Culturissimo also distinguishes itself through its educational component with the "Ateliers du bac" (formerly "Les écrivains du bac"). This program offers about thirty voice reading sessions led by professional actors, aimed at high school students preparing for the oral French exam of the baccalauréat. This initiative, deployed in many cities including Orléans, fully embodies the festival's cultural transmission mission.

A Free and Committed Festival

One of Culturissimo's strengths lies in its complete freeness. All events are accessible without paid reservation, in line with the festival's founding mission: to remove economic and geographical barriers to access culture. With over 100 events programmed each year and steadily increasing attendance, Culturissimo confirms its status as a major cultural festival in France edition after edition.