HIP OPsession
Hip-hop dance and urban cultures festival in Nantes
About Hip Opsession
Born in 2005 in Nantes, HIP OPsession is one of Europe's leading festivals entirely dedicated to hip-hop culture. Supported by the association Pick Up Production, the festival championed a multidisciplinary approach to hip-hop for twenty years, blending dance (breaking, upright styles), music (rap, DJing, beatbox), visual arts (graffiti, exhibitions), and transmission (workshops, conferences, screenings). Organized nomadically across some forty venues in the Nantes metropolitan area, HIP OPsession brought together around 20,000 spectators each year for over 50 events. The festival distinguished itself through its commitment to accessibility, offering audio-described concerts, sign language-interpreted battles, and workshops open to people with disabilities. After twenty editions, the adventure concluded in 2025, a decision fully embraced by the organizing team, calmly and without nostalgia.
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HIP OPsession: Twenty Years of Hip-Hop Culture in Nantes
Launched in 2005 in the wake of two precursor events—Énerg'hip-hop (late 1990s-early 2000s) and Break Up! (2004)—HIP OPsession was born from the passion of a handful of enthusiasts united within the Pick Up Production association. At a time when hip-hop was still little visible and often confined to institutional margins, the festival opened breaches, circulated energy, and provided echoes rather than frameworks.
A Multidisciplinary and Nomadic Festival
HIP OPsession always refused to be confined to a single discipline. The festival embraced all expressions of hip-hop culture: rap, DJing, beatbox, breaking, upright dances (popping, locking, house, hip-hop), graffiti, performances, exhibitions, battles, shows, conferences, screenings, and workshops. This 360° approach fostered dialogue between music, dance, and graphic arts in a single creative momentum.
A nomadic festival by nature, HIP OPsession invested around forty venues across the Nantes metropolitan area each year: Le Lieu Unique, Stereolux, Le Ferrailleur, Pannonica, Halle 6 Ouest, Warehouse, Trempo, Théâtre Nantes-Nord (TNT), La Barakason in Rezé, L'Odyssée in Orvault, Capellia in La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, and many others.
The Battle Opsession: An International Rendezvous
An emblematic highlight of the festival, the Battle Opsession attracted the best dancers from around the world. Organized at Le Lieu Unique, it featured competitions in several categories: breaking, popping, locking, house, and hip-hop. The event sold out very quickly and was broadcast live, making Nantes a key hub for international hip-hop dance.
Pioneering Commitment to Accessibility
HIP OPsession stood out for its pioneering commitment to inclusion. The festival offered audio-described concerts, battles interpreted in French Sign Language, and workshops accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. This approach, driven by the conviction that hip-hop culture should serve "everyone," made the festival a benchmark for accessibility in live performance.
An Evolution in Two Phases
Over the years, the festival structured itself around two annual highlights: a dance edition in February-March and a music edition in October. For its final year (2025), the festival brought together all its disciplines in a grand anniversary edition from April 7 to May 18, concluding twenty years of hip-hop adventure in Nantes.
End of the Adventure: An Assumed Choice
On January 28, 2026, Pick Up Production announced the end of HIP OPsession after twenty editions. "We were just a passage. The energy continues to flow elsewhere." A decision fully embraced, calmly, without nostalgia. The Pick Up Production association continues its cultural activities through other projects in the Nantes metropolitan area.
Practical information — Hip Opsession
Practical Information
Access
By train: Nantes station (TGV from Paris in 2h15). Various festival venues are accessible by tram and bus from the station.
By tram: The Naolib network serves all festival venues. Le Lieu Unique is accessible via line 1 (stop 'Duchesse Anne - Château des Ducs de Bretagne').
By car: Nantes is accessible via the A11 from Paris, the A83 from Bordeaux, and the N137 from Rennes. Public parking available near the venues.
Prices
The program was partly free and partly paid, depending on the events:
- Free entry: numerous free events (workshops, block parties, screenings)
- Paid events: from 5 to 23 EUR depending on concerts and battles
- Battle Opsession: online ticketing, sold out very quickly
Accessibility
The festival was particularly attentive to accessibility: audio-described concerts, battles interpreted in French Sign Language, workshops open to people with disabilities. For any information, contact Pick Up Production.
Contact
Pick Up Production
17 rue Sanlecque, 44000 Nantes
Phone: 02 40 35 28 44
Email: [email protected]
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Travel to this festival
Book your train or bus to reach Hip Opsession at the best price.
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Where does it take place — Hip Opsession
Divers lieux de la métropole nantaise
17 rue Sanlecque, 44000 Nantes