Festival Gospel en Bray — Gospel and sacred music encounters in the Pays de Bray
The gospel festival of Normandy, between Forges-les-Eaux and Gournay-en-Bray
2026
About Gospel en Bray
Gospel en Bray — edition 2026
The 17th edition of the Festival Gospel en Bray takes place from November 9th to 29th, 2026, in the Pays de Bray region (Seine-Maritime). The program features a painting exhibition, a film screening and debate, a lecture, a lecture-concert, and three major concerts, including Gospel'Together, the show "144 United Voices for Love," and Nicoletta.
17th Edition — November 9th to 29th, 2026
The Festival Gospel en Bray returns for its 17th edition from November 9th to 29th, 2026, across the towns of Gournay-en-Bray, Ferrières-en-Bray, Forges-les-Eaux, and Hodeng-Hodenger. Organized by the Trait d'Union association, this year's program blends concerts, lectures, film discussions, and art exhibitions, extending its reach into local schools and middle schools throughout the Pays de Bray.
Three Closing Concerts
On Friday, November 27th at 8:00 PM, the church in Ferrières-en-Bray will host Gospel'Together, a gospel choir from Lisieux directed by Céline Rocancourt. The group champions values of sharing, solidarity, and universal brotherhood, while honoring the memory of slavery and victims of oppression. The opening act will be performed by Baptiste Godin's class from the Rollon middle school in Gournay-en-Bray.
On Saturday, November 28th at 8:00 PM, the Gymnase de l'Aulnaie in Gournay-en-Bray presents "144 United Voices for Love," a show created by Emmanuel Pi Djob and directed by Emma Lamadji. This epic production brings together singers, instrumentalists, dancers, performers, and technicians in a celebration of solidarity, tracing the African roots of gospel and its modern evolution. The Chœur Gospel en Bray will join the performance, with local students from Gournay-en-Bray participating in the finale.
On Sunday, November 29th at 4:30 PM, in the same venue, Nicoletta will present her 2026/27 tour, "Les Acoustiques Gospel," featuring a mix of her greatest hits, gospel, and negro spirituals. The Chœur Gospel en Bray will open the show.
Lectures, Cinema, and Exhibitions
The festival kicks off on November 9th, followed on November 12th by a presentation from Anaïs Gernidos and Evelyne Pèlerin Ngo Maa in Gournay-en-Bray schools on the theme "Lyannaj par les femmes." From November 16th to 29th, the association Des Rayons de Couleurs will exhibit paintings at L'Atelier, salle Bernard Laurent. On November 19th, Le Kursaal will screen "Rue Cases-Nègres" by Euzhan Palcy, based on the novel by Joseph Zobel, followed by a film-debate hosted by Les Écrans. On November 20th, historian Éric Saunier will give a lecture in Hodeng-Hodenger titled "Esclaves de la porte du Non-Retour," followed by a dinner buffet with musical entertainment by Gospel'Source. Finally, on November 24th, Didier Likeng will present a lecture-concert at the Théâtre Municipal in Forges-les-Eaux on the evolution of gospel music, preceded by a performance from the CHAM classes of the Saint-Exupéry middle school.
Highlights Gospel en Bray 2026
- 17th edition, from November 9th to 29th, 2026
- Nicoletta in concert on November 29th — "Les Acoustiques Gospel" tour
- "144 United Voices for Love," a show created by Emmanuel Pi Djob
- Gospel'Together at the church of Ferrières-en-Bray
- Film-debate, lecture, and painting exhibition
- Seated concerts, free for children under 15
Programme Gospel en Bray 2026
Monday, November 9th
- Festival opening
Thursday, November 12th
- Presentation in Gournay-en-Bray schools by Anaïs Gernidos and Evelyne Pèlerin Ngo Maa on the theme "Lyannaj par les femmes"
November 16th to 29th
- Painting exhibition by Des Rayons de Couleurs — L'Atelier, salle Bernard Laurent, 44 avenue du Général Leclerc, Gournay-en-Bray
Thursday, November 19th — 8:00 PM
- Film-debate: "Rue Cases-Nègres" by Euzhan Palcy, based on the novel by Joseph Zobel, with Garry Cadenat, Darling Legitimus, and Douta Seck — Le Kursaal, Gournay-en-Bray (with Les Écrans)
Friday, November 20th — 7:00 PM
- Lecture by Éric Saunier, "Esclaves de la porte du Non-Retour," followed by a dinner buffet with entertainment by Gospel'Source — Salle des fêtes, Hodeng-Hodenger. Free admission
Tuesday, November 24th — 8:00 PM
- Lecture-concert by Didier Likeng, "Evolution of Gospel Music" — Théâtre Municipal, 6 place des Pavillons, Forges-les-Eaux. Opening act: CHAM classes of Sylvain Langlois from Saint-Exupéry middle school, Forges-les-Eaux. €10, free for under 15s
Friday, November 27th — 8:00 PM
- Concert: Gospel'Together, choir directed by Céline Rocancourt — Church of Ferrières-en-Bray. Opening act: Baptiste Godin's class from Rollon middle school, Gournay-en-Bray. €20, free for under 15s
Saturday, November 28th — 8:00 PM
- Concert: "144 United Voices for Love," created by Emmanuel Pi Djob and directed by Emma Lamadji — Gymnase de l'Aulnaie, Gournay-en-Bray. Featuring the Chœur Gospel en Bray and a finale with local students. €20, free for under 15s
Sunday, November 29th — 4:30 PM
- Concert: Nicoletta, "Les Acoustiques Gospel" 2026/27 tour — Gymnase de l'Aulnaie, Gournay-en-Bray. Opening act: Chœur Gospel en Bray. €25, free for under 15s
Prices Gospel en Bray 2026
Practical information — Gospel en Bray
Practical Information
Venues for the 17th Edition (2026)
- Gymnase de l'Aulnaie — Gournay-en-Bray (concerts on November 28th and 29th)
- Église de Ferrières-en-Bray (concert on November 27th)
- Théâtre Municipal, 6 place des Pavillons — Forges-les-Eaux (lecture-concert on November 24th)
- Salle des fêtes d'Hodeng-Hodenger (lecture on November 20th)
- Le Kursaal — Gournay-en-Bray (film screening and discussion on November 19th)
- L'Atelier, salle Bernard Laurent, 44 avenue du Général Leclerc — Gournay-en-Bray (painting exhibition)
Getting There
- By car: Forges-les-Eaux is a 45-minute drive from Rouen via the N31. Gournay-en-Bray is 15 minutes from Forges-les-Eaux via the D915.
- By train: Serqueux station (Paris-Dieppe line), 10 minutes from Forges-les-Eaux.
2026 Ticket Prices
All concerts are seated. Tickets are €10 for the lecture-concert on November 24th, €20 for the concerts on November 27th and 28th, and €25 for the Nicoletta concert on November 29th. Admission is free for children under 15. The lecture on November 20th in Hodeng-Hodenger is free of charge.
Tickets and Contact
- Organizer: Trait d'Union Gournay association
- Online ticketing: HelloAsso
- Reservations: Gournay-en-Bray and Forges-les-Eaux tourist offices
- Information: [email protected] — 06 82 55 11 41 / 06 11 13 40 17
A gospel festival born in the Norman Pays de Bray
In 2009, the association Trait d'Union Gournay launched the first Festival Gospel en Bray with a clear ambition: to make gospel music resonate in the countryside of Pays de Bray, a rural area in the northeast of Seine-Maritime. This cultural bet, unusual in a region better known for its Neufchâtel cheeses than its spirituals, has proven to be a remarkable success.
Sixteen editions later, the festival has become a major event in the Norman music scene and one of the few festivals entirely dedicated to gospel in France. Its roots in the Pays de Bray, between the spa towns of Forges-les-Eaux and the market town of Gournay-en-Bray, give it a unique identity, at the crossroads of Norman rurality and the universality of gospel music.
A prestigious and accessible program
The Festival Gospel en Bray stands out for the quality of its programming, which brings together internationally renowned artists and regional ensembles each year. Over the editions, the festival has hosted living legends of gospel such as The Golden Gate Quartet, who celebrated their 90th anniversary in Forges-les-Eaux during the 15th edition, organist Rhoda Scott, Cameroonian singer Emmanuel Pi Djob, gospel man Max Zita, and French singer Chimène Badi.
Each edition offers a rich program spanning several weeks in November: concerts in the halls of Forges-les-Eaux and Gournay-en-Bray, masterclasses open to amateur choristers, conferences on the history of gospel and African-American music, thematic exhibitions, and participatory concerts bringing together the "Gospel en Bray" choir and invited artists.
A festival rooted in its territory
The originality of the Festival Gospel en Bray also lies in its territorial anchoring. The event takes place in two main venues: the Espace de Forges in Forges-les-Eaux and the Gymnase de l'Aulnaie in Gournay-en-Bray, with complementary events in other towns in the Pays de Bray. This local touring allows it to reach a large and diverse audience, from gospel enthusiasts to curious visitors passing through the region.
The association Trait d'Union Gournay also runs a gospel choir throughout the year, which performs at the festival, creating a living link between professional artists and local amateur practice. The masterclasses offered during the festival allow choristers to work with the invited artists, in a spirit of transmission and sharing that is at the heart of the gospel tradition.
Where does it take place — Gospel en Bray
Gospel en Bray in brief
Other festivals near Gournay-en-Bray
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