Festival Fanfares !
The festival of fanfares between Brest and Ouessant
2026
About Festival Fanfares
Festival Fanfares — edition 2026
2026 edition of the Festival Fanfares ! in Brest and on the island of Ouessant, from Thursday, May 14 to Saturday, May 16, 2026 (Ascension weekend). Nine brass bands from all over France — De si d'Eusa (Ouessant), Fanfarnaüm (Brest), Fanfare de l'Ours (Béarn), Hej da Ru (Sizun), Mudanza (Salon-de-Provence), Skroks (Angers), Simili Cuivres (Brest), Tractopelle (Lille) and Fanfare Zébaliz (Brest) — approximately 200 musicians in total, make their brass instruments resonate between the island and the mainland. Most events are free in the streets, on the quays, and in the squares of both towns.
Three days of brass bands between Ouessant and Brest
The 2026 edition of Festival Fanfares ! takes place from Thursday, May 14 to Saturday, May 16, 2026, during Ascension weekend. The festival maintains its emblematic itinerant format: departure on Thursday by boat for the island of Ouessant, return on Friday to Brest, and the grand finale on Saturday on the mainland.
Nine invited brass bands, approximately 200 musicians
This year, the organizers bring together nine brass bands from all over France: De si d'Eusa (Ouessant), Fanfarnaüm (Brest), Fanfare de l'Ours (Béarn), Hej da Ru (Sizun), Mudanza (Salon-de-Provence), Skroks (Angers), Simili Cuivres (Brest), Tractopelle (Lille) and Fanfare Zébaliz (Brest). Nearly 200 musicians from Brest, Béarn, the Loire Valley, the North, and Salon-de-Provence make their brass instruments resonate between the island and the mainland.
Strengthened collective organization
The 2026 edition is collectively organized by the brass band Zébaliz, Fanfarnaüm, Simili Cuivres, De si d'Eusa and the association Ouessant Sports Loisirs (OSL), with the support of the cities of Brest and Ouessant. This collaboration allows for an expanded format with street concerts and events under marquees in both cities.
Program and information being finalized
The detailed hour-by-hour program was still being finalized at the time of this page's update (May 2026). For the most up-to-date schedule, consult the official website or the Facebook page of Fanfare Zébaliz.
Highlights Festival Fanfares 2026
- Nine invited brass bands, approximately 200 musicians from all over France
- Emblematic itinerant format: departure on Thursday, May 14 by boat for Ouessant, return on Friday, May 15 to Brest
- Free events on the quays of the port of Brest on Friday evening until midnight
- Grand finale on Saturday, May 16: flea market at Place Guérin, stroll to Square Mathon, brass band competition and closing evening at Port de Commerce
- Edition collectively organized by Zébaliz, Fanfarnaüm, Simili Cuivres, De si d'Eusa and OSL with the support of the cities of Brest and Ouessant
Programme Festival Fanfares 2026
Saturday, May 10, 2026 — Preview in Brest
- 11:00 AM · Opening events at Marché Saint-Louis, Brest · Free
Thursday, May 14, 2026 — Departure for Ouessant
- 2:00 PM · Embarkation of brass bands for Ouessant — Penn ar Bed boat (ticket to be purchased from the company)
- Concerts and strolls on the island of Ouessant (paths, villages, port) with the nine invited brass bands
Friday, May 15, 2026 — Ouessant then return to Brest
- Morning and early afternoon: continuation of events in Ouessant
- 5:00 PM · Return of musicians to Brest — Penn ar Bed boat
- Evening until midnight · Events on the quays of the port of Brest · Free
Saturday, May 16, 2026 — Grand Finale in Brest
- Participation of brass bands in the flea market at Place Guérin
- Stroll towards Square Mathon
- Brass band competition between the nine invited groups
- Closing evening at the Port de Commerce in Brest · Free
Detailed hour-by-hour program being finalized by the organization. Updates on fanfare-zebaliz.com and the official Facebook page.
Prices Festival Fanfares 2026
To plan for: Penn ar Bed boat ticket to reach Ouessant (round trip, to be purchased from the company: https://pennarbed.breizhgo.bzh/).
Accommodation on the island: the municipal campsite of Ouessant welcomes festival-goers (paid). Bookings should be anticipated, as accommodations fill up quickly.
Organization contact: [email protected]
Official website: https://fanfare-zebaliz.com/index.php/festival-fanfares/
Festival Fanfares — 2027 edition
The 2026 edition was held from 14 May to 16 May 2026. The dates for the 2027 edition have not been announced yet. This page will be updated as soon as the official programme is published.
Practical information — Festival Fanfares
Access and venues
The festival takes place between Brest and the island of Ouessant. Concerts and parades take place in the streets, squares, and ports of both locations.
Ouessant is accessible by boat from Le Conquet or Brest (Penn Ar Bed company).
Prices
The festival is mostly free (street concerts and parades). Some events may be ticketed.
Contact
- Email : [email protected]
- Website : fanfare-zebaliz.com
- Facebook : facebook.com/fanfarezebaliz
Brass instruments make Brest and Ouessant vibrate
The Festival Fanfares ! is a festive and popular event that transforms Brest and the island of Ouessant into a huge open-air concert every year. Since 2005, during the Ascension weekend, about ten fanfares from all over France gather to make their brass instruments resonate in the streets, on the quays, in the ports, and on the squares of both cities.
A traveling festival between island and continent
The originality of the Festival Fanfares ! lies in its traveling format between Brest and Ouessant. The fanfares board the ferry to reach the island, where they parade along the paths and through the villages before returning to liven up the streets of Brest. This musical journey between sea and land gives the festival a unique dimension, blending the urban energy of Brest with the island magic of Ouessant.
Improvised concerts and festive parades
The festival favors street music forms: improvised concerts on street corners, festive parades through the city, fanfare aperitifs on terraces, and friendly jousts between groups. The fanfares, with their varied styles — brass band, street fanfare, funk fanfare, Balkan fanfare — draw the public into a permanent and communicative celebration. The spirit of conviviality and improvisation makes each edition a unique and unpredictable moment.
The Fanfare Zébaliz, creator of the festival
The Festival Fanfares ! was born from the initiative of the Fanfare Zébaliz, a Brest-based fanfare created over 40 years ago. Driven by passionate musicians and inexhaustible energy, Zébaliz imagined this festival to bring together fanfares from France and elsewhere in a spirit of celebration, sharing, and musical fraternity. The festival is supported by Le Quartz, the City of Brest, the municipality of Ouessant, and the association Ouessant Sports Loisirs.
An unmissable event of the Breton summer
In twenty years of existence, the Festival Fanfares ! has become an unmissable event of the Breton summer. Each edition attracts a loyal and enthusiastic audience, seduced by the unique atmosphere of this street festival where music is everywhere, for everyone, and at all hours. The festival helps to keep the fanfare tradition alive while renewing it through contemporary and festive forms.
Where does it take place — Festival Fanfares
Festival Fanfares in brief
History of Festival Fanfares
Edition 2025 May 2025Other festivals near Brest
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