Festival du Chablisien

The Festival du Chablisien: twenty years of harmony between music and vineyards

Founded in 2004 by Mario Hacquard and Jean-Michel Costal, the Festival du Chablisien was born from an idea that was as simple as it was ambitious: to make great music resonate in the heart of the Burgundy vineyards, in those characteristic villages that the whole world associates with one of France's most famous white wines. Two decades later, this intimate and refined festival has established itself as one of the most endearing cultural events in the Yonne region, driven by the Association Culturelle du Pays Chablisien with the loyal support of the Community of Communes Chablis Villages et Terroirs, the Departmental Council of the Yonne, the Region Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, and the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne.

Affiliated with the Festival Musical des Grands Crus de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté — a network of seven festivals spread across the region's major appellations — the Festival du Chablisien shares the same philosophy with its partners in Cluny, Gevrey-Chambertin, Meursault, Noyers, Morvillars, and other territories: to offer quality music in exceptional settings, and to celebrate the alliance between culture and the art of living.

Heritage sites serving music

One of the festival's hallmarks is its itinerant nature: each edition distributes its concerts in several communes of the Chablisien, transforming the week into a true musical journey through the vineyards. The chosen venues are not accidental. They constitute a tour of Burgundy's architectural heritage in themselves:

• Collégiale Saint-Martin de Chablis — a Romanesque and Gothic building founded in the 12th century, a true jewel of the town, whose nave offers remarkable natural acoustics for chamber music concerts.
• Église Notre-Dame de l'Assomption de Maligny — in the heart of a wine-growing village surrounded by its Premier Cru plots, this Gothic church regularly hosts the festival's instrumental ensembles.
• Église Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Ligny-le-Châtel — built in the 12th-16th centuries on the banks of the Serein, this listed church offers a setting of great architectural beauty.
• Grange de Beauvais à Venouse — a friendly and atypical space, this barn hosts concerts in a warm and relaxed atmosphere, ideal for jazz and world music repertoires.

An eclectic and demanding program

The Festival du Chablisien is distinguished by the claimed eclecticism of its artistic programming. Under the artistic direction of Vincent Figuri, each season offers a musical journey that refuses to be confined by styles: classical and baroque music, ancient and medieval music, jazz, gypsy jazz, world and gypsy music, quality chanson, concert-readings, and family-friendly shows.

This all-encompassing openness is embodied in often daring artistic choices: a gypsy jazz trio follows a wind quartet, a saxophone orchestra plays after a concert-reading about Ravel. The invited ensembles are chosen with care for their excellence and their ability to reach a wide audience, in a spirit of conviviality that characterizes the festival's very identity.

The tasting ritual

After each concert, festival-goers are invited to a Chablis tasting offered free of charge by partner wine estates. This is one of the festival's most appreciated moments: in the soft light of Burgundy summer evenings, under the stars or in the courtyard of a wine estate, with the music still in their ears, spectators chat over a glass with the artists and winemakers. Among the estates that have supported the festival over the years: Domaine Denis Race, Famille Savary, Domaine Oudin, Domaine Agnès et Didier Dauvissat, Domaine du Colombier, and Domaine du Château de Béru.

A festival rooted in its territory

In its twenty years of existence, the Festival du Chablisien has contributed to the cultural and tourist influence of an entire region. Every summer, it welcomes music lovers from the Yonne, Paris, and all over France, as well as foreign tourists attracted by the global prestige of the Chablis appellation. With accessible prices — €18 for a full-price concert, free for under-18s — and an intimate capacity allowing for real proximity to the artists, the festival remains true to its primary mission: to democratize access to quality music in an incomparable setting.

Since its 20th edition celebrated in 2024, the festival has affirmed its artistic maturity while retaining the artisanal and warm spirit that makes it charming. It now represents a successful model of a rural festival, where musical excellence naturally combines with the Burgundian art of living.