L'Air du Temps Festival

ℹ¸ Festival suspended since 2025 — no 2026 edition confirmed. Les Bains-Douches de Lignières announced in October 2024 the suspension of L'Air du Temps for 2025, hoping for a resumption in 2026. As of the update date of this page (May 2026), no 2026 edition has taken place and the festival is not included in the official program for the 2025-2026 season of the SMAC. However, the Les Bains-Douches venue remains active all year round with concerts, shows, exhibitions, and workshops.

A French song festival in Berry

L'Air du Temps was a French song festival organized by Les Bains-Douches, a contemporary music venue (SMAC) located in Lignières, a small town in the south of Cher. For over three decades, the festival offered an eclectic program each spring, bringing together established artists and young talents of French song, over four days during the Ascension weekend.

A family-friendly and accessible program

The festival gave pride of place to families, with a program adapted to all audiences. Concerts and shows, some paid and some with free access, took place in several locations in Lignières — the Les Bains-Douches venue, squares, and streets in the town center. The format encouraged interaction between artists and spectators in a convivial atmosphere characteristic of French song.

The 2024 edition (32nd): 3,500 spectators and 17 artists

The 32nd edition of the festival, the first programmed by Julie Rangdé (director of Les Bains-Douches), was held from May 8 to 11, 2024, and gathered 3,500 people for 17 artists or companies. This record edition marked a high point in attendance, confirming the festival's roots in the cultural landscape of Berry.

Suspension announced in October 2024

On October 23, 2024, Les Bains-Douches published a press release announcing that there would be no 2025 edition of L'Air du Temps. The association cited the inflation of artistic, technical, and security costs, and the impossibility of balancing a budget that exceeded €150,000 — approximately one-third of the SMAC's annual activity. The management then insisted on the term «suspension» rather than «definitive cancellation,» and hoped to be able to relaunch the festival in 2026.

No 2026 edition at this stage

As of the update date of this page (May 2026), no 2026 edition has ultimately taken place, and the festival is not included in the official program for the 2025-2026 season published by Les Bains-Douches. As a replacement, the venue is offering a more modest event on May 22 and 23, 2026, titled «La Fête avant l'été #2,» featuring La Maison Tellier and Bonbon Vodou, among others. To learn about the festival's evolution and a possible return in 2027, consult the official website of Les Bains-Douches.

Les Bains-Douches de Lignières

The Les Bains-Douches association is a contemporary music venue (SMAC) located in the former municipal baths and showers of Lignières, labeled by the Ministry of Culture since 1996. It offers an annual season of concerts, shows, exhibitions, and workshops. The L'Air du Temps festival was one of the highlights of this season; in its absence, the regular programming of Les Bains-Douches continues throughout the year.