Festival Musiques Vivantes

When classical music meets heritage

Founded in 1984 by the association Musiques Vivantes, created in 1977 by Jean-Michel Guerre and a group of enthusiasts, the Festival Musiques Vivantes is a touring summer event that takes place every July across the remarkable heritage sites of Bourbonnais. Romanesque churches, ancient abbeys, castles, and historic manor houses become exceptional acoustic settings for concerts of classical, baroque, and contemporary music during the festival.

An excellent program

Each edition brings together internationally renowned artists—virtuoso soloists, chamber music ensembles, orchestras—who perform a repertoire ranging from baroque music to contemporary creations. Works by Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Debussy, Rossini, Handel, and many other great composers resonate in natural acoustics of rare quality. The festival regularly hosts prestigious ensembles like Les Musiciens du Louvre and leading soloists.

Strong territorial roots

The festival is distinguished by its touring nature, taking place in numerous towns in the Allier and Val de Sioule regions: Vichy, Gannat, Ebreuil, Vicq, Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, and many others. This touring approach helps to showcase the region's architectural heritage while making classical music accessible to the widest possible audience, including in rural areas.

Beyond the festival

The Musiques Vivantes association is not limited to the summer festival. Throughout the year, it organizes educational concerts for young audiences, musical interventions in schools, and since 2006, a specific program dedicated to music and disability. The Festival Tintamarre, aimed at families and children, complements this cultural outreach through music.

Awarded the regional festival of interest label since 2012, the Festival Musiques Vivantes has become, over more than forty years, a major player in the cultural life of the Allier and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.