Festival de l'Arbre Creux

A festival born from a family dream

The Festival de l'Arbre Creux was born in 2015 in Laussonne, a commune in Haute-Loire nestled in a volcanic region, east of the department. The idea came about during a family Christmas dinner in 2014, when Louis Guillot, a lumberjack passionate about music who also worked as a sound engineer, proposed to his cousins that they organize a music festival together. The festival's name is inspired by a childhood memory: a hollow tree near Servissac that served as a rallying point for the Guillot family. This eponymous tree, moved by Louis and Pierre Froment, now stands at the entrance to the site, decorated each year by artists and volunteers with salvaged materials: scrap metal, wood, fabrics, and lights.

An independent and supportive commitment

From its creation, the Festival de l'Arbre Creux was based on three essential founding principles:

• Total financial independence: no sponsors or public subsidies, a budget of approximately 15,000 euros self-financed by ticket sales and volunteering
• Family dimension: a human-sized event with a limited capacity of 500-750 people
• Musical eclecticism: a program mixing local artists, world music, and sonic discoveries

Two complementary associations manage the festival: Wimenon, a family association bringing together the descendants of Louis Guillot (chaired by Florine Guillot), and Le Chant des Sorbiers, an artistic association led by Pierre and Joachim Froment, responsible for the infrastructure and permaculture gardens. Stéphane Chabannes, owner of the Auberge des Planchas, handles the catering and provides the land.

An eclectic program by the Aubépin river

Every third weekend of July, the Les Planchas site, by the Aubépin river, transforms into an open-air celebration. The festival typically features 5 to 6 bands per edition, selected for their diversity: rock, reggae, world music, flamenco, funk, pop, dub, and sound system share the main stage. The bands are paid at solidarity rates and housed by locals, embodying the event's community spirit.

Over its ten editions, the festival has hosted artists such as Samarabalouf, Les Vieilles Valises, Junkyard Crew, Dïak, Boucan, Le Grand Terminus, Sergio Lopez, Jahkasa, Auguste Wood, and Artémis.

Saturday afternoon: a family and cultural moment

Every Saturday afternoon, the festival offers a free family event dedicated to cultural discoveries: activities for children, exhibitions by local artisans (sculpture, engraving, jewelry, textiles), tours of the permaculture gardens maintained year-round by Joachim Froment, and association stands for sharing cultures and global perspectives.

Resilience and legacy

The festival has overcome several significant challenges. In 2016, the death of its founder Louis Guillot deeply affected the team, but they decided to continue the adventure in his honor. In 2018, a violent storm hit the site two hours before opening; volunteers mobilized to clear the damage and keep the festival going. In 2020, despite the health restrictions related to COVID-19, the team adapted the protocol at the last minute and successfully held the edition.

About fifty volunteers get involved each year in setup, reception, security, and services, making this festival a true collective project driven by friendship and solidarity.