HIP OPsession

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.