House and Peas Festival

ℹ️ Festival currently on hold — last documented edition: June 2019. This page presents the history of House and Peas, an open-air house music event organized by the City of Clamart (92140). Should a new edition be organized, this page will be updated.

House and Peas, free house music in the forest

For a few years, House and Peas was one of the most unique events on Clamart's cultural calendar. Organized by the City of Clamart, this entirely free event brought together a selection of artists from the international house music and dub scene for a night of open-air dancing, on the edge of the Clamart national forest. Its name — a play on words between «house and peace» (house and peace) and the city's historic Petits Pois festival — spoke volumes about its mischievous and convivial spirit.

A unique setting: the stadium in the forest

The event was held at the Stade Municipal de la Plaine, avenue Claude Trébignaud in Clamart. This sports site, nestled between the large lawns and trees of the first hectares of the Clamart forest, offered a striking setting for an electronic music festival: trees everywhere, a lawn as a dancefloor, and the city fading away a few hundred meters distant. The promise was kept: «good electronic music, trees everywhere, and 100% free».

The organizers had envisioned an open-air stage setup that transformed the stadium into an open-air club. The sound and technical quality were on par with the best Parisian parties, without any entrance ticket to pay.

High-flying house programming entrusted to ODELA

The musical programming for House and Peas was entirely entrusted to ODELA, an artistic programming and production association specializing in electronic music. ODELA had built a reputation for selecting artists who were both demanding and accessible, capable of making a wide audience dance without ever sacrificing musical exploration.

Each edition brought together about ten artists and groups. The 2018 edition — which launched the festival — included sets by Chez Damier, an absolute legend of Chicago house music, Uppermost in a live formation, Waajeed, a figure of Detroit Techno, Paul Cut, a London-based soul-house DJ and producer, Virginia, Days In Orbit, Groove Boys Project, Around The World, Medium Douce, and Bloom Gospel Choir with Electro Gospel Project. The 2019 edition, the third of its name, notably featured Kevin Saunderson, Aba Shanti, Channel One, and Delano Smith. The evenings started at 8 PM and continued until 6 AM, with a musical progression from funky groove to the deeper textures of deep house and dub.

Beyond music: exhibitions and performances

House and Peas was not just a musical event. Each edition also offered artistic exhibitions, visual performances, and installations within the stadium space. Plastic arts, video, and street arts dialogued with the music to create a total, coherent, and immersive experience. Food trucks completed the setup to ensure night owls were refueled throughout the night.

A free event on pause

The free nature of House and Peas was a political choice assumed by the City of Clamart. It stated that quality electronic music was not reserved for those who could afford club nights or paid festivals, and that the Clamart forest is a common space. The last publicly documented edition took place on Friday, June 14, 2019. Since then, no new edition has been announced by the City of Clamart or by the ODELA association, which continues to organize other cultural events in the city (notably the Créa'Parc festival). If House and Peas were to resume, this page will be updated.