Festival Photo La Gacilly

Europe's largest open-air photo festival

Since 2004, the Festival Photo La Gacilly has transformed the Breton village of La Gacilly into an extraordinary open-air gallery every summer. Born from the passion of Jacques Rocher, then mayor of the commune and son of the founder of the Yves Rocher company, this festival has successfully combined photographic art, environmental commitment, and accessibility to become an internationally renowned cultural event, welcoming over 300,000 visitors each year.

A route of monumental exhibitions

The festival features around thirty large-format exhibitions scattered throughout the streets, squares, gardens, and lanes of La Gacilly. The photographic prints, often monumental in size, are integrated into the village's architectural and landscape heritage, creating a unique dialogue between the image and the place. The approximately two-kilometer route invites contemplative and immersive strolls, permanently accessible for four months, from June to October.

Photography, humanism, and ecology

True to the spirit of its founder, the Festival Photo La Gacilly places the environmental and social issues of our time at the heart of its programming. Each edition is structured around a unifying theme—whether it's a country, a continent, or a contemporary issue—explored through the lens of internationally renowned photographers. The festival thus brings together auteur photography, photojournalism, and documentary photography in an effort to raise awareness and share perspectives.

Memorable thematic editions

Over the years, the festival has explored diverse horizons: Latin America, Japan, Africa, Southeast Asia, indigenous peoples, biodiversity, and British photography with the 2025 edition “So British!”. Each theme provides an opportunity to showcase the work of major photographers—from Yann Arthus-Bertrand to Sebastião Salgado, from Martin Parr to Don McCullin—while also discovering emerging young talents through the Prix Nouvelles Écritures (New Writing Prize).

A free and popular festival

One of the unique aspects of the Festival Photo La Gacilly is its complete freeness. All exhibitions are free to access, with no tickets or reservations required, making it a profoundly popular and inclusive event. The opening weekend in early June is a highlight, featuring meet-and-greets with photographers, guided tours, screenings, and activities for the whole family. Throughout the summer, occasional events—conferences, workshops, evenings—enrich the program.

La Gacilly, land of images and nature

Located in the heart of inland Brittany, in the Morbihan department, the village of La Gacilly is intimately linked to the Yves Rocher brand and its commitment to nature. The festival aligns with this identity by using the village's natural and built heritage as a backdrop for its exhibitions. The botanical gardens, the banks of the Aff river, and the flower-lined alleys offer a unique setting for contemplating the works, making the visit an artistic and sensory experience.

International reach

The success of the Festival Photo La Gacilly has led to a sister festival, the Festival La Gacilly-Baden Photo, held annually in Baden bei Wien, Austria. This European offshoot demonstrates the event's international reach and its ability to extend beyond Brittany's borders, always carrying the same message of dialogue between photography, humanism, and ecology.