Festival en Arc

Festival en Arc: Theater for Everyone in the Heart of the Val de Gray

The Festival en Arc was born in 2011 from the desire of Xavier Coquibus, its founder and first president, to bring live performance to the Val de Gray. Located in Arc-lès-Gray, a small town two kilometers from Gray, the festival found in the Halle Perrey an original and atypical setting to host a program dedicated to the performing arts.

Ten Days of Shows for All Audiences

Every year in September, the Festival en Arc offers about ten days of intense programming mixing theater, comedy, music, conferences, and shows for young audiences. The 2025 edition marked a record with 17 performances, a number never reached in the festival's history. From mainstream comedy to engaged theater, from shows for schoolchildren to evenings of laughter, the programming covers a wide range while maintaining constant artistic quality.

The Halle Perrey: A Venue with Character

The Halle Perrey, located on Rue Louis Chauveau in Arc-lès-Gray, is the beating heart of the festival. This versatile venue with its unique architectural character offers acoustics and a proximity between artists and the public that make the event charming. A ticket and reception chalet is set up in front of the hall for the entire duration of the festival.

A Commitment to Accessibility

The Festival en Arc displays a deliberately accessible pricing policy: 16 EUR for evening shows, 8 EUR on Sunday mornings, and reduced rates for schoolchildren and groups. The objective, supported by the ATFA (Association Théâtre et Fêtes en Arc), is to make live culture accessible to as many people as possible, including in rural areas.

Strong Territorial Roots

Supported by the municipality of Arc-lès-Gray, the Région Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, the Conseil départemental de Haute-Saône, the Val de Gray Community of Communes, the DRAC, and the FDVA, the festival has become a major cultural player in the region. In 2024, it welcomed over 50,000 spectators and 20,000 schoolchildren, remarkable figures for an event run by only 45 volunteers. The 2025 edition, the first without its founder Xavier Coquibus who passed away shortly before, demonstrated the team's strength and resilience.