Festival La Baro

A village festival since 2001

The Festival La Baro was born in 2001 in Bellemagny, a small village in the Sundgau region of Haut-Rhin, on the initiative of the Les Barovillarois association. The festival's name — La Baro — is an affectionate nod to the village that hosts it. From the outset, the festival has been rooted in a philosophy of free access, village conviviality, and environmental respect. It is a festival made by and for the inhabitants, which has grown over the years while retaining its soul as a village festival open to the world.

All world music, a maximum of local talent

La Baro's programming is a joyful mix of genres and musical cultures. The festival claims to program "all world music with a maximum of local artists." On the Bellemagny stages, you can find rock, funk, rap, ska, electro, cumbia, klezmer, musette, post-industrial, dub, blues, and Balkan brass band. The artists mainly come from Mulhouse, Strasbourg, and the Sundgau region, with guests from further afield.

A meadow, two stages, two days of celebration

The festival unfolds in a meadow on the edge of the village of Bellemagny, offering a rural and intimate setting. Two stages host about fifteen groups and artists spread over the weekend. The atmosphere is that of an amplified village festival: families mingle with party-goers, children play while adults dance, and the refreshment stand run by the association's volunteers is the hub of all encounters. The festival attracts several hundred people each year to this village of less than 500 inhabitants.

Pioneering eco-responsible commitment

Even before eco-responsibility became a must for festivals, La Baro committed to a concrete ecological approach. Reusable cups, selective sorting, local products at the refreshment stand and for catering, dry toilets, and reasoned waste management are part of the festival's DNA. The organizers ensure that each edition leaves the smallest possible footprint on the meadow that hosts the celebration, out of respect for the inhabitants and the Sundgau environment.

The Barovillarois spirit

The Festival La Baro is entirely volunteer-run. Members of the Les Barovillarois association dedicate months of preparation to each edition, from programming to logistics, including communication and public reception. This collective spirit and associative energy are reflected in the festival's atmosphere: warm, spontaneous, unpretentious, but with a demand for musical quality that has earned La Baro its reputation throughout southern Alsace.