Festival des 7 Collines
Circus, dance and music in Saint-Étienne
About 7 Collines
The Festival des 7 Collines: Contemporary Creation at the Heart of Saint-Étienne
Since 1995, the Festival des 7 Collines has established itself as a must-attend event for contemporary creation in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Located in Saint-Étienne, the city of seven hills, this multidisciplinary festival celebrates the performing arts in all their diversity each summer: contemporary circus, dance, performance, and music.
A Strong Artistic Identity
Under the artistic direction of Jean-Philippe Mirandon, the Festival des 7 Collines focuses its programming choices on innovative creators and projects that question our perception of art and the contemporary world. The festival favors a subtle balance between international artists and regional talents from Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with around ten new creations each year. The programming gives pride of place to contemporary circus and dance, with proposals that push the boundaries between disciplines.
Iconic Venues of the Saint-Étienne Metropolitan Area
The festival takes over the major cultural venues of Saint-Étienne and its metropolitan area: the Opéra-Théâtre for large-scale productions, the Comédie de Saint-Étienne for theater and indoor circus, Le Fil (a contemporary music venue), the Parc François Mitterrand for shows under a big top and outdoors, the Cité du Design, and the Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain. The festival also extends its reach beyond Saint-Étienne to the towns of the agglomeration: Saint-Chamond, Firminy, Sorbiers, Andrézieux-Bouthéon, and La Talaudière.
Commitment to Artistic and Cultural Education
The Festival des 7 Collines pays particular attention to cultural outreach and making art accessible to the widest possible audience. The Cirqu'au Collège program, in partnership with the Alta Gama company, introduces middle school students to circus arts. Outreach workshops are led by invited companies in various neighborhoods of Saint-Étienne. The Jeunesse au Cirque day, organized at Parc François Mitterrand, offers free introductions to circus arts for young audiences.
A Networked Festival
The Festival des 7 Collines is a member of three major professional networks: the ONDA (Office National de Diffusion Artistique), Territoires de cirque (the national network dedicated to contemporary circus, of which it has been a member since 2015), and Cirq'AURA (the regional circus network in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). These affiliations attest to the festival's recognition by cultural institutions and its role in the dissemination and support of contemporary creation.
7 Collines — edition 2026
The 32nd edition of the Festival des 7 Collines takes place from June 22 to July 8, 2026, in Saint-Étienne and the municipalities of the Saint-Étienne metropolitan area. This year, the festival places creation at the heart of the experience, with a program of contemporary circus, dance, performance, and music, mixing national and international companies — Circus I Love You, Circus Baobab, Zip Zap Circus (South Africa), Gravity & Other Myths (Australia), and the Saint-Étienne-based company Dyptik.
32nd Edition — June 22 to July 8, 2026
The Festival des 7 Collines returns for its 32nd edition, from June 22 to July 8, 2026, in Saint-Étienne and its metropolitan area. True to its artistic identity, the festival offers more than two weeks of contemporary circus, dance, performance, and music shows in the city's and agglomeration's major cultural venues.
For this edition, the festival places creation at the heart of the experience: freshly imagined works and artistic universes to discover, presented by companies from France and around the world.
Program Highlights
The company Circus I Love You makes its grand return with a brand new creation, Fun N°1, under a big top at Parc François-Mitterrand. The Guinean company Circus Baobab takes over La Comédie de Saint-Étienne with Yongoyély, while the South African company Zip Zap Circus transforms the Opéra with Moya. The Australian company Gravity & Other Myths presents its acclaimed show Ten Thousand Hours in Saint-Chamond, and the Saint-Étienne-based company Dyptik closes the festival with its dance creation Amin.
Performance Venues
The festival takes over Parc François-Mitterrand (big tops and open air), the Opéra de Saint-Étienne, La Comédie de Saint-Étienne, Le Fil (contemporary music venue), as well as venues in the metropolitan area, notably Saint-Chamond.
Cultural Initiatives
As every year, the festival renews its commitment to artistic education and cultural accessibility: mediation in neighborhoods and actions targeting young audiences accompany the program.
Programme 7 Collines 2026
Monday, June 22, 2026
- 19h30 — Let's Groove · Cie Stylistik (dance)
Tuesday, June 23 → Thursday, June 25, 2026
- 20h00 (on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th) — Yongoyély · Circus Baobab (circus) · La Comédie de Saint-Étienne
- 20h30 (on the 24th) — Belle à mourir · Les Enfants Sérieux (circus)
- 20h30 (on the 25th) — Fun N°1 · Circus I Love You (circus) · Parc François-Mitterrand
Friday, June 26, 2026
- 20h30 — Concert evening: Ecloh + Kutu (music)
- 20h30 — Influence · Les Invendus (circus)
Saturday, June 27, 2026
- 17h30 — Hot and Cold · Wise Fools (circus)
- 20h00 — Moya · Zip Zap Circus, South Africa (circus) · Opéra de Saint-Étienne
Sunday, June 28, 2026
- 16h30 — Frigo [Opus 2] · Dis Bonjour à la Dame (clown)
- 18h30 — Hot and Cold · Wise Fools (circus)
- 20h30 — Fun N°1 · Circus I Love You (circus) · Parc François-Mitterrand
Monday, June 29, 2026
- 20h00 — Petit Frère · T'es rien sans la Terre (circus)
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
- 20h00 — La Vie de ma mère · Cie d'un Ours (circus)
- 20h30 — Fun N°1 · Circus I Love You (circus) · Parc François-Mitterrand
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
- 20h00 — Ten Thousand Hours · Gravity & Other Myths, Australia (circus) · Saint-Chamond
- 20h30 — Fun N°1 · Circus I Love You (circus) · Parc François-Mitterrand
Thursday, July 2, 2026
- 20h00 — Le Théorème de Claude · Les Triphasés (circus)
- 20h30 — Fun N°1 · Circus I Love You (circus) · Parc François-Mitterrand
Friday, July 3, 2026
- 18h30 — La Promesse du vide · Avis de Tempête (circus)
- 20h30 — Fun N°1 · Circus I Love You (circus) · Parc François-Mitterrand
Saturday, July 4, 2026
- 18h00 — Mon Royaume · Les P'tits Bras (circus)
- 20h30 — Fun N°1 · Circus I Love You (circus) · Parc François-Mitterrand
Sunday, July 5, 2026
- 16h30 — Mon Royaume · Les P'tits Bras (circus)
- 18h30 — La Promesse du vide · Avis de Tempête (circus)
- 20h00 — Les Grandes Eaux · ALS (dance)
Monday, July 6, 2026
- 14h00 — P.A.M.M. · Cie Zec avec Duo Fire Acrobats (circus)
Tuesday, July 7 → Wednesday, July 8, 2026
- 20h00 (on the 7th and 8th) — Amin · Cie Dyptik (dance)
- 15h00 (on the 8th) — La Pause · Kilombo (circus)
Highlights 7 Collines 2026
- 32nd edition from June 22 to July 8, 2026, in Saint-Étienne and the metropolitan area
- Around twenty contemporary circus, dance, performance, and music shows
- International headliners: Circus I Love You, Circus Baobab, Zip Zap Circus (South Africa), Gravity & Other Myths (Australia)
- Closing with the creation Amin by the Saint-Étienne-based company Dyptik
- Online ticketing at festivaldes7collines.mapado.com
Prices 7 Collines 2026
Practical information — 7 Collines
Practical Information
Access and Transport
By car: Saint-Étienne is accessible via the A72 motorway from Lyon (approx. 1h) and via the A75 from Clermont-Ferrand (approx. 2h). François-Mitterrand Park and the city centre performance venues have nearby parking.
By train: Saint-Étienne-Châteaucreux station is served by TGV from Paris (approx. 3h), by TER from Lyon (approx. 50 min) and Clermont-Ferrand. Performance venues are accessible by tram from the station.
By tram: The STAS network serves all festival venues. The "Jean Jaurès" stop is the most central.
Ticketing
Prices:
- Full price: 20 €
- Reduced price / Pass 7 Collines: 16 € (for a minimum of 3 different shows)
- Youth price (up to and including 16 years old): 12 €
- Some shows are free
Reduced price applicable for: under 25s, students under 30, people with disabilities and their companions, job seekers.
Points of sale:
- Festival Office: 6, rue François Gillet, 42000 Saint-Étienne — Monday to Friday, 10h-12h30 and 14h-17h — Tel.: 04 77 21 90 44 — Email: [email protected]
- Librairie Lune et l'Autre: 19, rue Pierre Bérard, Saint-Étienne — Monday 14h-19h, Tuesday-Saturday 9h30-19h
- Online: festivaldes7collines.mapado.com
Holiday vouchers, UP culture vouchers, Pass'Région and Pass Culture are accepted only at the Festival Office.
Contact
Festival des 7 Collines
6, rue François Gillet — 42000 Saint-Étienne
Phone: 04 77 21 90 44
Email: [email protected]
Ticketing: [email protected]
Press: [email protected]
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Where does it take place — 7 Collines
Divers lieux de Saint-Étienne et de la métropole
6, rue François Gillet, 42000 Saint-Étienne