Ici ou Là Festival

ℹ️ 2026 edition cancelled. The 6th edition, scheduled for late September 2026, will not take place: the Communauté de Communes de Cattenom et Environs (CCCE) terminated on March 31, 2026, the funding agreement (approximately €20,000 per year) that linked it to the Association Jeunesse des 3 Villages (J3V), following a disagreement over the programming (refusal to deprogram the show « Le Mythe de Clitôris » by Cie La Grande Roue). The association indicates it is seeking new funding to keep the festival going.

Theatre at the heart of the villages

Created in 2021, the Ici ou Là festival is a travelling theatre event that transforms the villages of the Communauté de Communes de Cattenom et Environs into performance venues. For three days in late September, theatre companies take over squares, gardens, parks, and communal halls to offer free performances as close as possible to the residents.

A diverse programme

The programming of the Ici ou Là festival is characterised by its diversity and accessibility:

• Street theatre: open-air shows that play with the architecture and environment of the villages, creating a unique proximity between artists and spectators.
• Young audience shows: performances adapted for children and families, offered on Sunday mornings.
• Contemporary theatre: plays and performances that question the world with inventiveness and poetry.
• Circus and dance shows: multidisciplinary companies that blend circus arts and theatre.

2025 edition: a successful fifth year

The 5th edition (September 26-28, 2025) offered seven shows spread across seven different communes: Cattenom, Rodemack, Escherange, Roussy-le-Village, Puttelange-lès-Thionville, Breistroff-la-Grande and Gavisse. Among the invited companies: la Cie La Gigogne (Nancy), la Cie En Lacets (Reims), Cie Mister Fred, le Collectif des Pièces Détachées, Cie Le Tonnelet and L'Ouvre-Boîtes (Metz). Over its first five editions (2021-2025), the festival welcomed approximately 3,450 spectators.

An associative and intercommunal partnership

The festival was the result of a collaboration between the CCCE and the Association Jeunesse des 3 Villages (J3V). This partnership ensured strong local roots and the mobilisation of volunteers in the different communes: the CCCE provided financial and logistical support, while J3V contributed to the on-site organisation. It was the termination of this partnership, at the end of March 2026, that led to the cancellation of the 2026 edition.

Educational component

Prior to the festival, an educational week was organised in the schools of the territory. Invited companies led theatre practice workshops in eight CCCE schools, allowing students to discover the performing arts and prepare for their visit to the festival.

Free admission and accessibility

All shows at the Ici ou Là festival were offered with free admission, upon reservation via the Weezevent platform. This policy allowed it to reach a wide and diverse audience, from families to theatre lovers, in a rural border territory.