La Grande Balade

A "100% Off-Site" Festival

La Grande Balade is a performing arts festival like no other. Designed as a traveling route through the Entre Beauce et Perche territory, this event invites spectators to move from town to town to discover outdoor shows in unusual and unexpected locations. No single stage or closed venue: here, it is the landscape—fields, village squares, country paths, farmyards—that serves as the backdrop for the artists. A "100% off-site" concept that makes this festival unique and charming.

Six Towns, About Ten Shows

Each edition of La Grande Balade takes over six towns in the Entre Beauce et Perche territory: Illiers-Combray, Méréglise, Saint-Avit-les-Guépières, Charonville, Mottereau, and Vieuvicq. Over the weekend, about ten free shows without reservation are spread across the different towns, offering a range of disciplines: street theater, contemporary circus, dance, and musical parades. Each spectator creates their own itinerary, choosing the shows that appeal to them most.

A Route by Bike, Foot, or Car

The originality of La Grande Balade also lies in its invitation to gentle mobility. Organizers encourage spectators to reach the different performance venues by bike, along marked loops on Saturday and Sunday. For those who prefer, the route can also be done on foot, by car, or by motorized two-wheeler. This traveling dimension adds an experience of discovering the territory to the artistic experience, allowing spectators to (re)discover the landscapes of Beauce and Perche while moving from one show to another.

Professional Troupes in the Countryside

La Grande Balade's programming features professional troupes of theater, circus, and dance, who adapt their creations to outdoor spaces and unconventional venues. The ambition is to bring performing arts closer to audiences who do not always have access to performance venues, by bringing art directly into their daily environment. This approach to cultural democratization, supported by the DRAC Centre-Val de Loire and the Conseil départemental d'Eure-et-Loir, helps to build social and cultural connections in rural areas.

Steady Growth Since 2021

Created in 2021 by the Communauté de Communes Entre Beauce et Perche, La Grande Balade has seen steady growth in attendance: 2,600 spectators in 2023 (4th edition), and an objective of 3,000 spectators for the 5th edition in 2025. The event's budget, around 60,000 euros, is financed by the community of communes with support from the DRAC and the department. Each edition explores a specific artistic theme—the 5th edition chose the theme of aerial arts and the sky—renewing the experience year after year.