Festival du Chant de Marin

The world's largest sea shanty festival

The Paimpol Festival du Chant de Marin was born in 1989 from the initiative of ADEPAR (Association for the Development of Paimpol and its Region) to revive the maritime heritage of this coastal town in Côtes-d'Armor, famous for its fishing expeditions to Iceland and Newfoundland. After an interruption between 1991 and 1997, the festival was relaunched with growing success, attracting over 60,000 spectators upon its return. It is now held every two years, in odd-numbered years, on the port of Paimpol.

Seven stages, 160 groups, artists from around the world

The festival's programming is resolutely international and eclectic. Seven stages host over 160 groups from around the world: traditional sea shanties, Celtic music, world music, maritime rock, festoù-noz, African, Latin American, and Nordic music. Bagadoù, batucadas, and brass bands animate the quays and streets, while free and paid concerts follow one another from Friday to Sunday.

200 heritage boats

One of the festival's major attractions is the gathering of around 200 heritage maritime boats in the port of Paimpol. Schooners, ketches, traditional sailboats, and historic fishing boats, of Breton, French, Dutch, or British origin, form a spectacular and lively backdrop. These vessels are both actors and the setting for the festival, with some hosting concerts on board.

A festival powered by 2,000 volunteers

Each edition, the Festival du Chant de Marin mobilizes around 2,000 volunteers divided into multiple teams: setup, catering, public relations, artist reception, maritime coordination, and logistics. This massive commitment testifies to the festival's deep roots in the social and associative fabric of the Bay of Paimpol.