La Chalibaude
Street arts festival in Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne
About La Chalibaude
La Chalibaude: The Street Arts Festival in Mayenne
Since 1989, La Chalibaude has been bringing the streets and squares of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne to life every last weekend of June. This street arts festival, supported by the City of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne, has become over the decades a must-see cultural event in the south of Mayenne and the entire Loire region.
A History Rooted in Tradition
The name “Chalibaude” originates from the Saint-Jean bonfires lit after the French Revolution, named “Chari baude”. In 1988, a “year zero” took place with the event Le Marathon Molière, organized by the Théâtre des Deux Rives. The following year, in 1989, the bicentennial of the Revolution, La Chalibaude was officially born. Originally, the town commissioned local companies, accustomed to performing indoors, to create 15-minute outdoor performances, parading through the streets of the city playing short scenes.
A Rich and Eclectic Program
Each edition hosts about fifteen professional companies from all over France, as well as local cultural associations. Together, they offer more than fifty free performances in the streets and squares of the town center. The program covers a wide variety of disciplines:
- Street Theater: sketches, parades, burlesque shows, and participatory performances
- Circus: acrobatics, juggling, tightrope walking, and aerial acts
- Dance: contemporary, hip-hop, and outdoor choreographic creations
- Music: fanfares, brass bands, acoustic concerts, and batucadas
- Humor and Fire Shows: clowns, magic, improvisation, and nighttime pyrotechnics
A Popular, Free, and Family-Friendly Festival
The spirit of La Chalibaude is based on strong values: total freeness, accessibility for all audiences, and conviviality. The festival is designed for families, children, groups of friends, and curious passers-by. Every street corner becomes a stage, allowing for an immersive experience in the heart of artistic creation. Spectators wander freely from one show to another, according to their desires and the surprises the artists have in store.
Volunteering, the Pillar of the Festival
La Chalibaude relies on a network of committed volunteers who participate in welcoming artists, logistics, hosting companies, and animating the festival. Each year, the City calls for volunteers and hosts to prepare the next edition, making La Chalibaude a true collective project supported by the local residents.
Regional Influence
Over the decades, La Chalibaude has established itself as a flagship event in the south of Mayenne, attracting thousands of spectators each year. The festival contributes to the cultural and tourist development of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne, a town of character known for its architectural heritage and its banks of the Mayenne. It actively participates in the animation of the town center and the dynamism of local cultural life.
La Chalibaude — edition 2026
36th edition - June 27 and 28, 2026
La Chalibaude returns for its 36th edition on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, 2026 in the streets and squares of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne. The festival continues its tradition of a festive and entirely free weekend dedicated to street arts.
As every year, the program will combine street theater, circus, dance, music, and humor with about fifteen professional companies from all over France and local cultural associations. The City is launching a call for volunteers, hosts, and accomplices at the beginning of the year to prepare this new edition.
A confirmed highlight: the nocturnal show « Fantôme »
Among the already announced events, the Collectif La Méandre will present its nocturnal show « Fantôme » on Saturday, June 27, 2026, in the evening, at the Jardin du Bout du Monde. The creation involves about twenty local accomplices (aged 16 to 85) recruited beforehand through preparatory workshops, to bring the narrative off the stage and embody the uprising growing in the city.
The complete program, company by company, will be announced in spring 2026 on the website of the City of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne.
Programme La Chalibaude 2026
The 36th edition of La Chalibaude takes place on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, 2026, in the city center of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne. All shows are free and open access. Here is the program announced by the City.
Fanfares
- Tout Fa pour Fa — « New Beginnings » · Saturday 27 at 7 PM, Kiosque à Musique (45 min)
- Garçons s'il vous plaît ! — « Everything goes by Bike » · Sunday 28 at 11:30 AM and 4 PM, departure Place de la République / Village Chalibaude (60 min)
Street Theater
- Cie Tétrofort — « Jean-Pierre the Shepherd » · Saturday 27 at 8 PM, Sunday 28 at 12 PM and 3:15 PM, Jardin de l'Hôtel de Ville (40 min)
- Cie Des Fourmis dans la Lanterne — « Five Minutes with You » · Saturday 27 at 5:30 PM and 8 PM, top of Jardin du Bout du Monde (40 min)
- Cie L'Arbre à Vache — « Goodbye Persil » · Sunday 28 at 12 PM and 5:30 PM, top of Jardin du Bout du Monde (45 min)
- Cie Les Batteurs de Pavés — « Les Misérables » · Sunday 28 at 2 PM and 5:15 PM, Parking Aubépin (60 min)
Dance
- Cie Jusqu'à maintenant — « From Here to There » · Saturday 27 at 7 PM, Sunday 28 at 11 AM and 4 PM, Place Foucher (25 min)
- Cie 29.27 — « The POP Chronicles » · Saturday 27 at 9:15 PM, Sunday 28 at 5:30 PM, parvis de la Salle des Fêtes (45 min)
Circus and Performing Arts
- Cie Les Josianes — « Josianes or the Art of Resistance » · Sunday 28 at 7 PM, Théâtre de verdure (50 min)
- Tuga — « Un Verano Naranja » (mime / clown) · Saturday 27 at 8 PM, Sunday 28 at 11:30 AM and 4:15 PM, cour de l'école du Bout du Monde (60 min)
- Cie Zalataï — « Bal(les) » (juggling) · Saturday 27 at 5 PM, Sunday 28 at 11:30 AM and 3 PM, end of Promenade de la Résistance (30 min)
- Cie Toi d'Abord — « Fear in the Belly » (motorcycle stunt) · Saturday 27 at 9 PM, Sunday 28 at 2 PM, Place Saint-Jean (60 min)
Nocturnal Film Concert
- Collectif La Méandre — « Ghost » · Saturday 27 at 10:30 PM, Théâtre de verdure (60 min)
Interactive Installation
- Cie Progéniture — « Hello? » · Saturday 27 from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM and from 8 PM to 10 PM, Sunday 28 from 11 AM to 1 PM and from 3 PM to 5 PM, La Glacière (free access)
Young Audience
- Collectif 23h50 — « At the Bottom of the Seas » (from 6 months to 4 years old) · Saturday 27 at 4:30 PM, Sunday 28 at 11 AM and 4:30 PM, Salle du Conseil (25 min) — limited capacity, free reservation on site 30 min before
- Cie Ne dites pas non, vous avez souri — « The Cry of the Tiny Ones » (from 3 years old) · Saturday 27 at 4:30 PM, Sunday 28 at 11 AM and 4:30 PM, Salle d'Honneur (35 min) — limited capacity, free reservation on site 30 min before
Local Associations and Ensembles
- L'Amicale Buissonnière — gospel choir · Saturday 27 at 6 PM, Jardin de l'Hôtel de Ville (45 min)
- Chorale La Clef des Chants · Saturday 27 at 5:45 PM, Kiosque à Musique (45 min)
- Collège Jean Rostand — « Orchestre Rostandissimo » · Sunday 28 at 12:30 PM, Kiosque à Musique (45 min)
- Lycée Victor Hugo — « Orchestre VH Band » · Sunday 28 at 1:45 PM, Kiosque à Musique (45 min)
- Folk'Azé — « Journey to the Heart of Traditions » · Saturday 27 at 8:15 PM, Kiosque à Musique (45 min)
- Cie Des Deux Rives — « Toc de choc, choque ton toc ! » · Saturday 27 at 8:30 PM, Sunday 28 at 11 AM, Parking Aubépin (55 min)
- Tarapanga — « Dances of Africa » · Sunday 28 at 3:15 PM and 4:45 PM, Place Saint-Just (15 min)
Alongside the festival
- Chaliexpo — photo exhibition · from June 10 to July 7, 2026, Jardin du Bout du Monde
The program is subject to change; schedules and locations are communicated by the City of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne.
Highlights La Chalibaude 2026
- Dates: Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, 2026
- 36th edition of the street arts festival
- Completely free festival, open access
- Confirmed nocturnal show: « Fantôme » by Collectif La Méandre, Saturday, June 27 in the evening at Jardin du Bout du Monde
- About fifteen professional companies expected
- Full program to be announced in spring 2026
- Call for volunteers, hosts, and accomplices underway
Prices La Chalibaude 2026
Practical information — La Chalibaude
Access
By car: Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne is located in the south of Mayenne, about 30 km south of Laval and 65 km north of Angers. The town is accessible via the RN 162 (Laval-Angers axis) and the D 267. Free parking is available near the town center, notably the "Bout du Monde" parking lot and the Town Hall parking lot.
By train: Château-Gontier station is served by TER trains from Laval (approx. 20 min) and Angers (approx. 45 min). The town center and festival venues are a ten-minute walk from the station.
Prices
La Chalibaude is a completely free festival. All shows, parades, and activities are free to access, without reservation or ticketing. Simply come to the town center of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne on the last weekend of June and let yourself be carried away by the program.
Practical Information
- Dates: last weekend of June (Saturday and Sunday)
- Location: town center of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne (streets, squares, and public spaces)
- Accessibility: the festival is open to all audiences, families and children welcome
- Food and Drink: refreshment stands and food stalls on site, as well as restaurants and shops in the town center
- Comfortable shoes recommended for walking around the streets
- Volunteering: the City recruits volunteers each year for the organization of the festival. A registration form is available on the City's website.
Contact
Ville de Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne
Culture Department
23 place de la République, 53200 Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne
Phone: 02 43 09 55 97
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chateaugontiersurmayenne.fr
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Where does it take place — La Chalibaude
Centre-ville de Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne
Centre-ville de Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne, 53200 Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne