La Corde Raide Festival

La Corde Raide: Guitar at the Heart of Music in Pontchâteau

Born in 2018 from a "crazy idea" by four friends passionate about music, the La Corde Raide festival is the flagship event of the Pont d'Zic association, founded on December 26, 2013, in Pontchâteau. Its credo: "Guitar at the Heart of Music". The association, which also organizes the Fête de la Musique of Pontchâteau (16 bands on 5 stages, 5,000 spectators) and the Vintage Muzic event, noticed the growing quality of bands performing in the town and wanted to offer them a stage worthy of their talent.

A Human-Sized Festival in Full Growth

Since its first edition in February 2018, La Corde Raide has not stopped growing. From three bands during the opening night at the Carré d'Argent, the festival has expanded to over 30 artists and bands spread across three stages in 2026, including two new outdoor stages transforming the event into a semi-open-air format. With 4,500 festival-goers welcomed over about ten days in recent editions, La Corde Raide has established itself as a must-attend musical event between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire.

An Eclectic Program Centered on Strings

True to its name, the festival places string instruments, especially the guitar, at the center of its programming. Thematic evenings follow one another — rock, folk, blues, punk rock, Celtic rock, French chanson — offering a rich and varied musical panorama. Over the years, La Corde Raide has hosted renowned artists such as Elmer Food Beat, Cali, Sanseverino, Orange Blossom, Tagada Jones, Ko Ko Mo, Laura Cox, Les Hurlements d'Léo, Lofofora, Celkilt, Red Cardell, Klone, Les 3 Fromages, Déportivo, and Sidilarsen.

The "Les Cordes Émergentes" Competition

Because discovery is at the heart of the festival's DNA, Les Cordes Émergentes is a musical competition organized before each edition to find tomorrow's talents. The selected bands then perform on the festival stage, benefiting from valuable visibility to a passionate and curious audience.

The Lutherie Fair

Since 2025, the festival has hosted a Lutherie Fair, a unique event dedicated to the craft of instrument making. Luthiers, bow makers, and instrument makers showcase their expertise for three days, offering festival-goers the opportunity to discover the making and restoration of string instruments.

Iconic Venues in Pontchâteau

The festival unfolds in several locations in the town: the Carré d'Argent for paid evening concerts, the Salle de la Boule d'Or for free daytime concerts, as well as the outdoor stages of the Dôme des Cordes and the Taverne des Ombrières. The médiathèque (library) of Pontchâteau also hosts workshops and retrospective exhibitions.