Festival de la Vézère
Classical music and opera festival in the heritage sites of Corrèze
About Festival de la Vézère
A traveling classical music festival in Corrèze
The Festival de la Vézère is a major cultural event in Corrèze, created in 1981 by Guy du Saillant. Every summer, from early July to mid-August, the festival transforms the most remarkable heritage sites in the department into exceptional musical stages. Abbeys, castles, Romanesque churches, and historic gardens host classical music concerts, recitals, and opera performances, offering the public a unique artistic experience, combining musical excellence and architectural beauty.
Exceptional venues for a prestigious program
The festival unfolds in about ten emblematic sites in Corrèze: the Abbaye d'Aubazine, the Château de Turenne, the Jardins de Sothys, the Jardins de Colette, the Église d'Uzerche, and many other historic places. This traveling nature allows the festival to reach across the entire territory and offer residents of small rural communities access to a high-level program. Concerts generally take place in the evening, at 9:00 PM, creating a magical atmosphere under the stars or in the dim light of Romanesque buildings.
An eclectic and demanding program
The Festival de la Vézère offers a program combining classical repertoire (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin), chamber music, piano and violin recitals, symphonic concerts, and operas. The festival hosts renowned international artists (orchestras, soloists, opera singers) as well as young talents at the beginning of their careers. This diversity allows it to reach a wide audience, from seasoned music lovers to newcomers eager to discover classical music in a privileged setting.
Valuing heritage through culture
The Festival de la Vézère is part of a process of enhancing the architectural and landscape heritage of Corrèze. By investing in sometimes little-known or difficult-to-access places, the festival contributes to their highlighting and preservation. The concerts allow spectators to (re)discover these heritage gems from a new perspective, creating a fruitful dialogue between visual and sound arts, between history and contemporary creation.
A festival rooted in the territory
For over 40 years, the Festival de la Vézère has been an integral part of the summer cultural life in Corrèze. It attracts several thousand spectators each year, including tourists and locals, contributing to the tourist attractiveness of the department and the economic dynamism of rural areas. The festival is supported by local authorities, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, and the State, demonstrating its importance in the regional cultural landscape.
Festival de la Vézère — edition 2026
45th edition of the Festival de la Vézère, from July 7th to August 11th, 2026, on the theme of "the taste for transmission". For five weeks, classical music and opera will take over the most beautiful heritage sites in Corrèze, from Brive-la-Gaillarde to Collonges-la-Rouge, passing through the abbeys of Vigeois and Aubazine. On the program: violin, piano, cello, guitar, and organ recitals, a symphonic concert by the Orchestre National d'Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, two lyrical productions by Diva Opéra (Puccini's La Bohème, Rossini's La Cenerentola), and transmission at the heart of the project with the ten years of SING'IN Corrèze.
45th Festival de la Vézère 2026 — "the taste for transmission"
The 45th edition of the Festival de la Vézère takes place from July 7th to August 11th, 2026, celebrating 45 years of cultural presence in Corrèze (1981-2026). This edition is themed around "the taste for transmission", featuring established great performers, young talents, and transmission to the youngest generation.
As every summer, concerts will take place in about fifteen emblematic heritage sites of the department: the chapel and barn of the Château du Saillant, the Théâtre de Brive, the Jardins de Colette in Varetz, the church of Saint-Ybard, the abbey church of Vigeois, the Pans de Travassac in Donzenac, the Auditorium Sophie-Dessus in Uzerche, Turenne, the Domaine de Sédières in Clergoux, and the abbey church of Aubazine.
The 2026 program features a dialogue between chamber music, recitals, and lyrical works: a string trio with Pierre Fouchenneret, Manuel Vioque-Judde, and François Salque, the Orchestre National d'Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes conducted by Thomas Zehetmair, a recital by Jean-François Zygel, mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel, guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre, tubist Thomas Leleu, actor Denis Podalydès, and two operas by Diva Opéra directed by Bryan Evans (Puccini's La Bohème, Rossini's La Cenerentola).
Transmission is at the heart of this edition with the SING'IN Corrèze project, celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2026: over 500 children from the region participate in choral singing workshops led by Paul Smith and his team.
Programme Festival de la Vézère 2026
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
- 5:00 PM — Pierre Fouchenneret (violin) & François Salque (cello), chamber music · Chapelle du Saillant
- 8:00 PM — Pierre Fouchenneret (violin), Manuel Vioque-Judde (viola), François Salque (cello), string trio · Grange du Château du Saillant
Thursday, July 9, 2026
- 8:00 PM — Orchestre National d'Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, conducted by Thomas Zehetmair · Théâtre de Brive
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
- 8:00 PM — Jean-François Zygel, piano recital · Jardins de Colette, Varetz
Monday, July 20, 2026
- 8:00 PM — Sophie de Bardonnèche (violin) & Quentin du Verdier (organ) · Église de Saint-Ybard
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
- 8:00 PM — Axelle Saint-Cirel (mezzo-soprano), Julien Beautemps (accordion), Sotiris Athanasiou (guitar) · Abbatiale de Vigeois
Thursday, July 23, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Raphaël Feuillâtre, guitar recital · Pans de Travassac, Donzenac
- 11:00 AM — Aurélien Pascal, cello recital · Pans de Travassac, Donzenac
Monday, August 3, 2026
- 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM — Denis Podalydès (actor) & Jodyline Gallavardin (piano) · Auditorium Sophie-Dessus, Uzerche
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
- 7:00 PM — Thomas Leleu, tuba recital · Esplanade de la Grange Rouge, Turenne
Friday, August 7, 2026
- 8:00 PM — Diva Opéra: La Bohème (Puccini), directed by Bryan Evans · Grange du Château du Saillant
Saturday, August 8, 2026
- 8:00 PM — Diva Opéra: La Cenerentola (Rossini), directed by Bryan Evans · Grange du Château du Saillant
Sunday, August 9, 2026
- 6:00 PM — Diva Opéra: La Bohème (Puccini), directed by Bryan Evans · Domaine de Sédières, Clergoux
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
- 8:00 PM — Ensemble Vocal EVNA, conducted by Paul Smith (closing) · Abbatiale d'Aubazine
Partial program: other concerts will complete the lineup between late July and early August. Full program and reservations on festival-vezere.com.
Highlights Festival de la Vézère 2026
- 45th anniversary edition (1981-2026), theme "the taste for transmission"
- Itinerant festival across about fifteen heritage sites in Corrèze
- Two operas by Diva Opéra: La Bohème (Puccini) and La Cenerentola (Rossini), directed by Bryan Evans
- Orchestre National d'Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes conducted by Thomas Zehetmair
- Jean-François Zygel, Axelle Saint-Cirel, Raphaël Feuillâtre, Thomas Leleu, Denis Podalydès
- Ten years of the SING'IN Corrèze project (over 500 children, dir. Paul Smith)
Prices Festival de la Vézère 2026
Practical information — Festival de la Vézère
Practical Information
Access
The festival takes place in about ten heritage sites in Corrèze: Abbaye d'Aubazine, Château de Turenne, Jardins de Sothys, Jardins de Colette, Église d'Uzerche, etc.
- By car: The sites are accessible from Brive-la-Gaillarde, Tulle, and Ussel. Free parking near the concert venues.
- By train: SNCF stations in Brive-la-Gaillarde, Tulle, and Ussel.
Dates
- From July 7 to August 12 (2026 edition)
Times
- Concerts generally at 9:00 PM
Prices
- Vary depending on the concert (from approximately 10 to 30 euros)
- Reduced rates for students and job seekers
- Festival pass available
Contact
- Website: www.festival-vezere.com
- Phone: 05 55 73 28 62
- Online ticketing available
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Where does it take place — Festival de la Vézère
Sites patrimoniaux de Corrèze
10 boulevard du Salan, 19100 Brive-la-Gaillarde, 19000 Corrèze