L'Embrayage

L'Embrayage: Saint-Jean-de-Braye's Participatory and Free Festival

Since 2017, the L'Embrayage festival has transformed the Parc des Longues Allées in Saint-Jean-de-Braye into a vast open-air stage dedicated to street arts. This biennial event, organized by the City, was born from a strong desire to democratize access to culture and unite residents around a common artistic project. Free, eco-responsible, and open to all, L'Embrayage embodies the values of sharing, conviviality, and discovery.

An Exceptional Natural Setting on the Banks of the Loire

The Parc des Longues Allées, a vast natural space of 12 hectares located between the Loire River and the Mondésir district, offers an ideal setting for this open-air festival. Six performance spaces are spread throughout the park, inviting the public to wander freely between shows. From shaded paths to open clearings, each location becomes a stage where theater, circus, dance, music, and artistic installations blend.

A Rich and Eclectic Program

Each edition features around forty performances for all audiences, scheduled continuously throughout the day and evening. The program includes street theater, contemporary circus, dance, live music, performances, artistic installations, and participatory workshops. The invited companies present creations that are sometimes funny, sometimes moving, always accessible, in a spirit of discovery and poetry.

Highlights from Past Editions

• 2017: First edition with The Fat Bastard Gang Band (soul-balkan), Le Chant des Coquelicots (luminous poetry), Rêves de sable (sand art), and the closing show Incandescences by Cie la Machine.
• 2019: 50 artistic proposals, children's choirs with 100 students, swing jazz, acrobatics, illuminated puppet theater, and a pyrotechnic show.
• 2022: Return after a three-year absence with about forty performances mixing dance, poetry, performances, and music, including the participatory installation Jardin de papier by artist Andy Kraft.
• 2024: Fourth edition with Compagnie Artisia (Crobamaton), Compagnie Pérégrin (Air de Jeux, aerial circus), and La Classe internationale (afro-latino DJ set).

A Festival Co-Created with Residents

L'Embrayage is distinguished by its exceptional participatory dimension. Months before the festival, residents of Saint-Jean-de-Braye are invited to get involved: set creation workshops, material collection, festive park preparation work. More than 200 volunteers mobilize for each edition, making L'Embrayage a true territorial project, co-led by the municipality, local associations, and citizens.

An Eco-Responsible Commitment

Certified as an eco-responsible festival, L'Embrayage favors short supply chains for catering, encourages soft mobility (access by tram line B and bus), provides bicycle parking, and implements a waste sorting and reduction system throughout the site.