Festival de Rocamadour

The Rocamadour Festival: Two Decades of Sacred Music

Born in 2006 under the name Cantica Sacra, the festival was created at the initiative of music lovers passionate about the history of Rocamadour and its medieval musical heritage, but also by the visit of composer Francis Poulenc in 1936, whose Litanies à la Vierge noire were inspired by the fervor of the sanctuary. Renamed Rocamadour Festival in 2013, the event has continuously grown to become the essential cultural event of the Dordogne Valley and the Occitanie region.

A Visionary Artistic Director

Under the direction of Emmeran Rollin, general and artistic director, the festival has successfully woven a common thread between sacred heritage and contemporary creation. Each edition offers a unique theme – "Chemin d'Éternité" (Path of Eternity) in 2025, "Dialogue des Mondes" (Dialogue of Worlds) in 2026 – which permeates the entire program and offers spectators a coherent and moving musical journey.

Exceptional Venues for Music

The Rocamadour Festival is distinguished by the incomparable beauty of its concert venues. The Saint-Sauveur Basilica, a 13th-century Romanesque building and UNESCO World Heritage site, offers remarkable acoustics for major works of the sacred repertoire. The Alzou Valley, at the foot of the Marian city, hosts open-air concerts in a spectacular natural setting. "Off-site" concerts are also organized in the castles and abbeys of the region, notably at the Château de la Treyne and the Sainte-Marie Abbey Church of Souillac.

The Grand Organ of Rocamadour

In 2009, the festival launched an ambitious project: the construction of a Grand Organ for the Saint-Sauveur Basilica. Funded exclusively by private donations, this instrument is a unique work of art, fully integrated into the musical and spiritual history of the city. Inaugurated after four years of work, it now enriches the festival's program with organ recitals and the "Organ Tuesdays" offered throughout the summer.

A Program Between Tradition and Audacity

The Rocamadour Festival's program encompasses seven centuries of music, from Gregorian chant to contemporary creation. Major works of the sacred repertoire – Bach's Mass in B minor, Mozart's Requiem, Poulenc's Stabat Mater, Rachmaninoff's Vespers – are presented alongside more daring proposals blending world music, new creations, and innovative interpretations.

The festival annually hosts leading artists and ensembles: Renaud Capuçon, a loyal participant since 2019, Roberto Alagna, David Fray, Sandrine Piau, Nikolaï Lugansky, the Orchestre symphonique de la Garde républicaine, Vox Luminis, Tenebrae Choir, Ensemble Correspondances, La Tempête by Simon-Pierre Bestion, and the Ensemble la Sportelle, the festival's resident ensemble.

The Rocamadour Foundation – Sacred Music

The Cantica Sacra association, which supports the festival, extends its activities far beyond the twelve days in August. It offers a concert season throughout the year, choral singing training activities, the creation of the Rocamadour record label, and the management of Ensemble la Sportelle, a resident vocal and instrumental ensemble. The Rocamadour Foundation – Sacred Music supports these initiatives and contributes to the influence of sacred music from this major pilgrimage site.