Peuple de Loire Festival

An artistic festival along the Loire

The Peuple de Loire Festival is an original artistic proposal that celebrates the royal river and its entire ecosystem, from fish to birds to the humans who live on its banks. Organized in Tours, around the Guinguette de Tours sur Loire and the Île Simon, this festival unfolds over several weekends from May to September, offering an outdoor cultural season linked to the river.

Performances that play with the river

The heart of the festival consists of live performances and artistic installations that use the river as a stage and a subject. Invited companies create works that interact with the water, the banks, the islands, and the bridges of Tours. Fire rites on the banks of the Loire, bat symphony at dusk on Île Simon, ephemeral weavings among the trees: each performance offers an immersive and poetic experience connected to the river environment.

Three highlights over the season

The festival is organized around three major weekends spread throughout the season. The first, in May, opens the season with proposals related to the river's spring awakening. The second, in July, celebrates the summer Loire with outdoor performances and evening events. The third, in September, closes the season and often coincides with Loire region events like La Grande Remontée, a gathering of traditional Loire boats.

An outdoor art trail

The festival is gradually developing an outdoor art trail along the Loire, from the Pont Napoléon to the Pont de Fil. This open-air museum project installs panels and artworks along the banks, inviting walkers to look at the Loire, its banks, and its ecosystem in a different way. Natural works and artistic installations punctuate the trail.

Family workshops and awareness

The festival offers free workshops for families and the general public: building cardboard boat models, Loire quizzes, educational games, exhibitions, and discovering the fauna and flora of the Loire region. The Mission Val de Loire regularly participates in events with workshops on preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site.