Guitare Vallée Festival

Guitar in all its forms in the heart of the Gier Valley

Born in 2004 from the common will of the MJC of Rive-de-Gier, Saint-Chamond, Saint-Martin-la-Plaine, and Cellieu, the Guitare Vallée Festival has become, over the years, a benchmark in the world of guitar and music. The result of fruitful collaboration between the towns of the Gier Valley, this unique winter festival highlights the king of instruments in all its forms and musical styles.

A traveling and multidisciplinary festival

What makes Guitare Vallée unique is its traveling and multidisciplinary nature. For about ten days, from mid-January to February, the guitar takes over the performance halls, media libraries, conservatories, and cultural venues of several towns in the valley. The festival offers about twenty varied events: concerts in all styles (classical, jazz, blues, rock, folk, flamenco, swing, world music, French chanson), artistic exhibitions, film screenings and documentaries, classical guitar competitions organized by partner conservatories, masterclasses, open stages, and shows for young audiences.

A network of partners for the guitar

Guitare Vallée brings together a large network of cultural and educational partners. The MJC of the valley are the driving force, but the festival also involves the conservatories of Rive-de-Gier, Saint-Chamond, Saint-Étienne, Andrézieux, and Roanne, the media libraries of the Itinérances network, as well as numerous associative and municipal structures. Each year, new towns join the collective, expanding the festival's reach. In 2019, during the 16th edition, seven towns participated in the festival with about twenty concerts programmed in twelve different venues.

A springboard for young talent

Beyond concerts by established artists, the festival places great importance on transmission and education. Students from the guitar classes of partner conservatories are regularly invited to perform alongside professional composers and performers. Original creations are commissioned from composers to be performed by these young musicians in concerts blending classical guitar, flamenco, and world music. The national classical guitar competition, organized in partnership with the conservatories, is a highlight of the festival and contributes to its influence beyond the Gier Valley.