Festival des Légendes - Roches Celtiques
Celtic music and dances, storytelling and entertainment, heritage and discovery
About Festival des Légendes
The Festival Les Roches Celtiques was created in 1998. It is a free festival of Celtic music and dances, storytelling, and medieval entertainment that takes place every summer between Saint-Victor-sur-Loire, Rochetaillée, and the city center of Saint-Étienne. For three days, concerts by Irish, Scottish, Breton, and European groups, storytelling walks, a medieval village, introductions to Irish dances, ancient crafts, archery, and fest noz transform these heritage sites of the Loire into Celtic lands. Organized by the City of Saint-Étienne under the artistic direction of Djamel O'Touïl, the festival offers a free and family-friendly immersion into the world of Celtic music and dances from around the globe.
Festival Les Roches Celtiques
The Festival Les Roches Celtiques is a festival of Celtic music and dances created in 1998 by an association from Saint-Genest-Lerpt. After several editions in the Village of Rochetyaillée, from which it draws its name, it then moved to Les Condamines, on a Natura 2000 site in Saint-Victor-sur-Loire. Over the years, this event has hosted more than 500 concerts and has become an unmissable summer event in the Saint-Étienne region.
Three sites, three atmospheres
The festival unfolds across three emblematic sites in the Saint-Étienne area, each offering a unique atmosphere:
- Le Puit Couriot (former mine of Saint-Étienne) hosts an Irish and/or Breton Fest-Noz ball in partnership with the association 'Les Before de Couriot'.
- Saint-Victor-sur-Loire, with its castle and medieval village nestled in the gorges of the Loire, comes alive with musical strolls and demonstrations, a grand concert at the castle's open-air theater, and guided heritage tours.
- Rochetaillée, at the foot of its feudal castle, hosts the main stage with its international dance and music groups on the first Saturday of July, introductions to medieval, Breton, Scottish, and Irish dances, the lively medieval village, storytelling walks, Celtic makeup, original kraft hats, and the closing fireworks display.
A Celtic and European program
Each year, the festival invites groups from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Argentina, and Austria, offering a vibrant and eclectic panorama of traditional and contemporary Celtic music. Concerts feature formations ranging from intimate acoustic trios to Celtic rock, folk metal, pipes rock, and fest noz bands. A folk ball or an Irish dance evening at Parc Couriot completes the musical program each year, preceded by Irish dance masterclasses open to all.
Storytelling, medieval, and family entertainment
Beyond music, the Festival Les Roches Celtiques offers a true immersion in the Celtic universe. Storytelling companies offer guided walks through medieval alleys and forest paths, bringing local legends and tales from Celtic tradition back to life. The medieval village of Rochetaillée offers demonstrations of ancient crafts, introductions to archery, candle making, medieval dances, as well as creative workshops for children: elf makeup, magical hat making, board games, and treasure hunts. Guided heritage tours, literary and botanical encounters, and discoveries of local fauna and flora complete this rich and varied program.
A free, family-friendly, and accessible festival
Since its creation, the Festival Les Roches Celtiques has been entirely free and open to all audiences. Free shuttles are provided from the Zénith parking lot and Parc de l'Europe to reach Rochetaillée, which is closed to car traffic on Saturday. The festival gathers approximately 4000 spectators per evening in a friendly and family atmosphere, amidst festive music, medieval enchantment, and Ligurian heritage.
Festival des Légendes — edition 2026
2026 edition of the Les Roches Celtiques Festival in Saint-Étienne, Saint-Victor-sur-Loire, and Rochetaillée. Three days of Celtic music and dances, storytelling, and entertainment planned from July 02 to 04. As every year, the festival will feature a folk dance from Haute Bretagne at Parc Couriot, musical strolls and a concert at the Château de Saint-Victor-sur-Loire, followed by a major program on Saturday in Rochetaillée with concerts on the main stage, a medieval village, storytelling walks, a botanical walk, and a closing fireworks display. Entirely free festival.
Legends Festival 2026: see you early July
The Les Roches Celtiques Festival returns for a new edition from Thursday, July 02 to Saturday, July 04, 2026, once again taking over the three emblematic festival sites: Puit Couriot Saint-Étienne, Saint-Victor-sur-Loire, and Rochetaillée.
True to its proven formula, the festival will offer three days of Celtic music and dances with groups from all over Europe and beyond, storytelling and botanical walks through medieval streets and forest paths, a lively medieval village with crafts, archery, creative workshops, and entertainment for the whole family, as well as a folk dance from Haute Bretagne and a closing fireworks display.
The full music program, with artist names and detailed schedules, will be announced in early June 2026 on the City of Saint-Étienne website. The festival remains entirely free and accessible to all, with free shuttles from the Zénith parking lot and Parc de l'Europe to reach Rochetaillée on Saturday.
Programme Festival des Légendes 2026
2026 Program
The program for the 2026 edition is currently being developed. As every year, the festival will offer:
- Thursday, July 2: Breton dance masterclass at La Comète and folk dance at Parc Couriot
- Friday, July 3: Musical demonstrations and concert at the Château de Saint-Victor-sur-Loire
- Saturday, July 4: The main event in Rochetaillée — large concert stage, medieval village, storytelling walks, family entertainment, and closing fireworks display
The full program will be unveiled on saint-etienne.fr in spring 2026.
Highlights Festival des Légendes 2026
- Three days of Celtic music, storytelling, dance introductions, and entertainment
- Breton folk dance at Parc Couriot with dance masterclass
- Musical demonstrations in the Château de Saint-Victor-sur-Loire
- Festive Saturday in Rochetaillée with concerts and Irish tap dance show on the main stage
- Lively medieval village: crafts, archery, creative workshops
- Storytelling walks for the whole family
- Closing fireworks display
- Completely free festival with shuttles
- Full program to be announced early June 2026
Prices Festival des Légendes 2026
Practical information — Festival des Légendes
Practical Information
Festival Locations
The Festival Les Roches Celtiques takes place across three sites:
- La Comète and Parc Couriot, 3 boulevard Franchet d'Espérey, 42000 Saint-Étienne — Irish dance workshop and folk ball (Thursday).
- Château de Saint-Victor-sur-Loire, Le Bourg, 42230 Saint-Victor-sur-Loire — Musical strolls and demonstrations, and concert at the open-air theater (Friday).
- Rochetaillée, Route des Écheneaux, 42100 Saint-Étienne — Main stage, medieval village, storytelling walks, concerts, and fireworks (Saturday and Sunday).
Prices
The festival is entirely free.
Access and Shuttles
On Saturdays, Rochetaillée is closed to car traffic from 3 PM to 3 AM (except for residents and people with reduced mobility). Free shuttles are available from the Zénith parking lot and Parc de l'Europe starting at 4 PM. The festival encourages travel by public transport and bicycle.
Indicative Schedule
- Thursday: Dance workshop from 5 PM, Trad Fest-Noz ball at 8:30 PM at Parc Couriot.
- Friday: Musical demonstrations at 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM, concert at 8:30 PM in Saint-Victor-sur-Loire.
- Saturday: Activities from 3 PM, evening concerts on the main stage in Rochetaillée. Fireworks at 10:45 PM.
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Where does it take place — Festival des Légendes
Saint-Étienne, Saint-Victor-sur-Loire et Rochetaillée
Rochetaillée, Route des Écheneaux, 42100 Saint-Étienne