Festival de Sablé
Baroque in motion in Sablé-sur-Sarthe
About Festival de Sablé
The Festival de Sablé: cradle of the baroque revival in France
Founded in the late 1970s under the direction of Jean-Bernard Meunier, the Festival de Sablé has become over the decades one of the most important baroque music events in France. Born from the movement to rediscover ancient instruments and historically informed performance, it has accompanied the rise of the greatest French and European baroque ensembles.
A program between tradition and renewal
For four days, Sablé-sur-Sarthe and its region vibrate to the rhythm of intimate recitals and masterful concerts led by leading performers. The artistic orientation of the festival is structured around three axes: positioning itself at the heart of baroque creation by hosting, co-directing, and co-producing innovative projects; promoting the emergence of young artists; and opening baroque art to the widest possible audience with accessible and free offerings.
Exceptional artists
Over the years, the festival has hosted the biggest names in baroque and early music. The 2025 edition, dedicated to Jean-Sébastien Bach, brought together choreographer Béatrice Massin, countertenor Carlo Vistoli, viol player Salomé Gasselin, violinist Louise Ayrton, flutist Héloïse Gaillard, and harpsichordist Bertrand Cuiller.
Heritage sites at the heart of the festival
Concerts take place in several emblematic locations in Sablé-sur-Sarthe and its surroundings: churches, chapels, heritage halls, and outdoor spaces. Place Dom Guéranger hosts free outdoor concerts, convivial moments where baroque music meets a large and curious audience.
Alice Orange and Laure Baert at the helm
Since 2012, Alice Orange has directed L'Entracte and has infused new dynamism into the festival. Laure Baert has been responsible for the artistic programming since 2022, continuing the work of openness and renewal that is the strength of the Festival de Sablé. Together, they champion a vision of living, moving baroque that blends aesthetics and repertoires, mixing vocal and instrumental forms, sacred and profane, small and large ensembles.
A festival rooted in its territory
Supported by L'Entracte, a convention-supported venue in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, the Festival de Sablé is an essential cultural player in the south of Sarthe. It unites a network of passionate volunteers and is part of a territorial dynamic that enriches local cultural life throughout the year.
Festival de Sablé — edition 2026
The 48th edition of the Sablé Festival – Baroque Arts takes place from August 19 to 22, 2026 in Sablé-sur-Sarthe and in the partner communes of the Vallée de la Sarthe. Under the sign of the stars ("Closer to the Stars"), this edition offers four days of baroque music, dance, and performances, featuring both international big names and emerging young artists.
48th Edition — Closer to the Stars (August 19-22, 2026)
For its 48th edition, the Sablé Festival invites the public to look up and listen differently, to experience a living, audacious, and profoundly contemporary baroque. For four days, concerts, performances, creations, meetings, workshops, and heritage discoveries will unfold in Sablé-sur-Sarthe and in the churches and heritage sites of the surrounding communes (Brûlon, Auvers-le-Hamon, Le Bailleul, La Chapelle-du-Chêne…).
The festival brings together big names from the international baroque scene and promising young artists, and affirms its territorial roots and its openness to all audiences, notably thanks to free public performances.
Programme Festival de Sablé 2026
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Nemanja Radulović & Double Sens, « Vivaldi & Bach » (violin concertos) · Scène Joël Le Theule, Sablé-sur-Sarthe
Thursday, August 20, 2026
- 3:00 PM — a nocte temporis, « Oh, ma belle brunette » (serious airs, drinking and dancing songs) · Église Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, Brûlon
- 6:00 PM — Zutano BaZar, « Welcome » (performance, free with reservation) · Scène Joël Le Theule, Sablé-sur-Sarthe
- 8:30 PM — Les Argonautes, « Dixit Dominus » (sacred music) · Église Notre-Dame, Sablé-sur-Sarthe
Friday, August 21, 2026
- 11:00 AM — Cappella Mediterranea (festival patron), « Alfonsina », with soprano Mariana Flores (tribute to Latin American women) · Scène Joël Le Theule, Sablé-sur-Sarthe
- 3:00 PM — William Shelton, Alice Trocellier & Léo Brunet, « Une vénitienne à Paris » · Basilique Notre-Dame du Chêne, La Chapelle-du-Chêne
- 8:30 PM — Benjamin Narvey – Ensemble Jupiter, « Luth & archiluth » · Scène Joël Le Theule, Sablé-sur-Sarthe
Saturday, August 22, 2026
- 10:30 AM — Jean Rondeau, « Louis Couperin » (harpsichord recital) · Église Saint-Pierre, Auvers-le-Hamon
- 3:00 PM — Ensemble Jacques Moderne, « La Stella » (sacred music) · Église Saint-Pierre, Le Bailleul
- 6:00 PM — Christian-Pierre La Marca & Link Le Neil, « Cello 360 Break » (cello & hip-hop dance, free) · Place Dom Guéranger, Sablé-sur-Sarthe
- 8:30 PM — Aedes, « Madrigaux pour Ariane » (baroque & contemporary music) · Scène Joël Le Theule, Sablé-sur-Sarthe
Continuously from August 19 to 22: « Baroque & Numérique » exhibition (Micro-Folie) and « Terroir & Patrimoine » trail.
Highlights Festival de Sablé 2026
- Exceptional opening with violinist Nemanja Radulović and his ensemble Double Sens (Vivaldi & Bach)
- Cappella Mediterranea, festival patron since 2024, with « Alfonsina » featuring soprano Mariana Flores
- Harpsichord recital by Jean Rondeau (Louis Couperin)
- Free public performances: « Welcome » (Zutano BaZar) and « Cello 360 Break » (cello & breakdance)
Prices Festival de Sablé 2026
Practical information — Festival de Sablé
Practical Information
Access
By car: Sablé-sur-Sarthe is located 50 km southwest of Le Mans, at the crossroads of the Le Mans-Angers and Laval-Tours routes. Access via the A11 (Sablé-sur-Sarthe exit) or the N157.
By train: Sablé-sur-Sarthe station, served by TER Pays de la Loire from Le Mans (25 min) and Angers (30 min). Le Mans TGV is 25 minutes away by TER connection.
Prices
Prices range from 5 to 38 EUR depending on the concert. Free outdoor concerts on Place Dom Guéranger.
Ticketing
Bookings with L'Entracte by phone at 02 43 62 22 22 or by email at [email protected].
Contact
L'Entracte — Scène conventionnée
16 rue Saint-Denis, 72300 Sablé-sur-Sarthe
Tel. ticketing: 02 43 62 22 22
Tel. administration: 02 43 62 22 20
Email: [email protected]
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Where does it take place — Festival de Sablé
L'Entracte — Scène conventionnée et lieux patrimoniaux de Sablé-sur-Sarthe
16 rue Saint-Denis, 72300 Sablé-sur-Sarthe