Festival de la Guinguette de Blois

La Guinguette de Blois: When the Loire Starts Dancing

Since its creation, the Festival de la Guinguette de Blois has established itself as one of the highlights of the Blois summer. Organized by the City of Blois and the Maison de Bégon as part of the "Des Lyres d'été" festival, this event transforms the Port de la Creusille, on the banks of the Loire, into an open-air guinguette for four evenings of free concerts by the water.

An Eclectic and World-Open Program

The Guinguette de Blois stands out for the richness and diversity of its musical program. Each evening features artists and groups from different backgrounds, offering a musical journey that crosses continents and genres: world music, French chanson, gypsy jazz, reggae, cumbia, afrobeat, funk, and festive rhythms follow one another on the stage by the Loire. The ambition is to introduce the Blois public to varied musical styles, presented by quality professional artists in an informal and warm setting.

The program is renewed each year and selected for its infectious energy and its ability to bring together a large, intergenerational audience. Concerts begin in the late afternoon and continue into the gentle summer evenings, with the Loire as a backdrop and the city lights as a setting.

Le Port de la Creusille: A Natural Setting in the Heart of Blois

The Port de la Creusille, located below the Royal Château of Blois on the right bank of the Loire, offers an exceptional setting for this open-air festival. This landscaped natural area by the river, lined with large trees and accessible on foot from the city center, is the ideal location for a popular guinguette. Visitors can sit on the grass or on the natural banks to enjoy the concerts with their feet in the grass, facing the royal river.

Food and Camaraderie

In keeping with the guinguette tradition, the event offers a varied food service with food trucks, international cuisine stalls, and a bar. The organizers specify that outside food and drinks are not allowed on the festival site, but numerous culinary options are available on-site to satisfy all tastes. The atmosphere is resolutely friendly, family-oriented, and popular, in the festive spirit of the guinguettes that have made the Loire banks famous.

An Event Rooted in Blois's Cultural Dynamics

The Festival de la Guinguette is part of the summer cultural program of the City of Blois, alongside other events of the "Des Lyres d'été" festival, which enlivens the royal city from July to the end of August with balls, concerts, exhibitions, street performances, and workshops. The Maison de Bégon, a Blois cultural association, is responsible for the artistic programming and management of the guinguette, in conjunction with the city's cultural services.