K-Cow-Phonies Festival

The alternative and friendly festival of the Yonne

Born in 2011 from the will of the association +2Zik, founded in Chichery in 2008 with the ambition to "put more sound, more emotions" into the cultural life of rural Yonne, the Festival des K-Cow-Phonies has become over the years an unmissable event in the Burgundian summer calendar. Its name, a delightful sonic nod to "cacophony," perfectly captures the spirit of the festival: a joyful mix of genres, universes, and audiences who gather every summer on the Chichery football field, by the Armançon river, in this village in the Auxerrois region.

What sets K-Cow-Phonies apart from neighboring festivals is first and foremost its stated eco-responsible commitment since its inception. The association favors short supply chains for catering, offers local craft beers, uses recycled materials for furniture and decorations, and limits the environmental impact of the event at each edition. A coherent approach with the festival's identity: close to people, rooted in its territory, attentive to the most diverse audiences.

Two days of mixed music and arts

The musical programming of K-Cow-Phonies is resolutely eclectic and alternative. Over fourteen editions, the festival has hosted artists from ska punk (P.O.Box), roots reggae (Kongo Blue), dub (Dubamix, Ondubground), metal (Mezcla, Buy Jupiter), brass band hip-hop (Apes o'Clock), disco funk (The Fat Badgers), psychedelic rock (Trip), new funk (The Dogs), soul rock (Wildation), cumbia (Dolores Crocos), electro (Vyryl, Aki Agora), and quirky French chanson (Les 5 Marionettes sur ton Théâtre). Each edition follows an artistic theme — the 2023 edition was held under the banner of ancient Egypt, the 14th edition (2025) under the sign of the post-apocalyptic world.

But K-Cow-Phonies is not just about concerts. The festival is also a multidisciplinary celebration featuring live painting, exhibitions, sculptures, graffiti, conferences, fire juggling, circus arts, acrobatics, and dance. Saturday afternoons are enlivened by workshops open to all, and evenings extend into after-parties with festive DJ sets. A dense program, starting from 4 PM on Saturday and 6 PM on Friday.

A popular, accessible, and almost free festival

Access to the festival is deliberately kept at very affordable prices: €10 per evening or €15 for the weekend pass, with a pre-sale option available on HelloAsso. Camping is free on site, making K-Cow-Phonies one of the most affordable festival experiences in the region. The +2Zik association has always defended the idea that culture should not be a luxury reserved for urban dwellers or the wealthy: Chichery, a village of a few hundred inhabitants in the center of the Yonne, hosts a diverse audience from all over the region, and sometimes far beyond, for two days.

The festival has weathered the years without losing its soul. The forced break of the 2020 and 2021 editions, imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, has only strengthened the public's and volunteers' attachment to this associative event. The return in 2022, followed by the 2023 and 2024 editions, confirmed the vitality of K-Cow-Phonies, which celebrated its 14th edition in July 2025 with undiminished enthusiasm.

Chichery, a village in the Auxerrois

Chichery is a village in the Auxerrois region, located about twenty kilometers east of Auxerre in the Armançon valley. This area of hedgerows and agricultural plains, between vineyards and forests, is characteristic of northern Burgundy. The festival integrates naturally into a dynamic associative and rural fabric, contributing each summer to the life of the village and drawing attention to this often-overlooked rural Yonne, far from the usual tourist routes.

Practical Information

• Entry: €10 per evening, €15 weekend pass (HelloAsso pre-sale)
• Free camping on site
• Terrain des K-Cow (football field), Route de Branches, Chichery (89400)
• Organic and local catering, craft beers on site
• After-parties: DJ sets at the end of the evening
• Contact: [email protected]