Foulpougne Festival

A festival dedicated to traditional dance and music

The Foulpougne Festival is an annual event dedicated to traditional dances and music, held every third weekend of September in Gond-Pontouvre, a town bordering Angoulême in Charente. Founded in 2017, the festival takes its name from the island of Foulpougne, located on the Touvre river behind the community hall, an emblematic site of the town that hosts the Sunday shared picnic.

Three folk dances, the heart of the festival

The heart of the Foulpougne Festival lies in its three folk dances, one for each evening from Friday to Sunday. Each dance features different bands, offering a panorama of French and European traditional music. In 2024, the audience danced to the sounds of Trio Bonnin Campino Laplanche and Arbadétorne on Friday, before discovering other groups on Saturday and Sunday. In 2025, the dances featured Gascon artists Duo des Cîmes and Bretons Fahrenheit on Friday, artists from Landes Clica Drona and Flemish artists Snaarmaarwaar on Saturday, and Les conteuses de pas on Sunday.

Workshops, open stage, and exhibitions

Beyond the dances, the Foulpougne Festival offers a rich program of workshops: dance workshops (introduction, Gascon dances, Béarnais jumps), ensemble music workshops (accordion, other instruments), and singing workshops. An open stage allows amateur musicians to perform in front of a supportive audience. Photographic exhibitions showcase images from previous editions, and the shared picnic on Sunday at the island of Foulpougne creates a moment of conviviality on the banks of the Touvre.

Salle Joséphine-Baker and the island of Foulpougne

The festival primarily takes place at the Salle Joséphine-Baker, the community hall of the Amicale Laïque de Gond-Pontouvre, located on Route de Vars. This spacious hall hosts the dances and workshops. On Sundays, the festival extends to the island of Foulpougne, a natural area on the banks of the Touvre located behind the hall, where the shared picnic with live music is held, creating a bucolic and festive atmosphere.