La Nuit des Chimères
Luminous fantasy in the Plantagenet City of Le Mans
2026
About Nuit des Chimères
Nuit des Chimères — edition 2026
From July 2nd to September 20th, 2026, La Nuit des Chimères illuminates the Cité Plantagenêt in Le Mans every evening. This free, no-booking-required night trail comes to life for the two hours following nightfall: twenty-five portraits by Philippe Écharoux line the narrow streets of the Old Town, from Square du Château to Quai Louis Blanc, while five major projections adorn Saint-Julien Cathedral and the Gallo-Roman wall—including the 2026 addition, "The Gauls" by Nicolas Boutruche, at Place du Cardinal-Grente. This year's edition is dedicated to the theme of sound.
2026 Edition — A season dedicated to sound
From July 2nd to September 20th, 2026, La Nuit des Chimères returns for a new summer season in the Cité Plantagenêt of Le Mans. As always, the light trail is free and open to all: it runs every evening for the two hours following nightfall throughout the narrow streets of the Old Town, from Saint-Julien Cathedral to the Gallo-Roman wall. No booking is required.
Sound in the spotlight
For 2026, the event highlights the world of acoustics and the region's ambition to make Le Mans an international capital of sound. Philippe Écharoux has created a gallery of twenty-five portraits of men and women whose work is linked to sound—engineers, artists, researchers, and technicians—all key players in the local acoustic ecosystem, celebrated every two years by the Le Mans Sonore event.
Philippe Écharoux's portraits
The Marseille-based street artist, inventor of "street art 2.0," continues his collaboration with La Nuit des Chimères, which began in 2019. His portraits are revealed on the trees, walls, and facades of the old town, from Square du Château to Quai Louis Blanc. The portraits were taken in the spring of 2026. A new feature this year: for the first time, some are displayed in color, with the projections evolving from black and white to vibrant colors as the summer progresses. Each subject also took part in an interview, with a video trail accompanying the gallery to make the experience more immersive. The twenty-five portraits are also on display at Gué-de-Maulny during the Plein Champ festival.
A new creation: "The Gauls"
Nicolas Boutruche adds "The Gauls" to the trail, an original creation projected at Place du Cardinal-Grente. It extends his animated fresco "Le Mans, our history," visible on the Gallo-Roman wall, which offers a fresh perspective on local heritage, from the world of the Gaulish Cenomani to the Roman era. "The Fables of La Fontaine," "The Monk of the Royal Porch," and "Candela, the Book of the Chevet" (by Spectre) remain part of the experience.
A free night trail
The trail features twenty-five projection points scattered through the alleys and five large-scale displays on the cathedral and the wall. It can be explored freely on foot through the Cité Plantagenêt, one of the largest medieval districts in Europe. A map of the trail is available for download on the City of Le Mans website.
Highlights Nuit des Chimères 2026
- New for 2026: "The Gauls", an original creation by Nicolas Boutruche projected at Place du Cardinal-Grente
- 25 portraits of acoustics professionals by Philippe Écharoux, themed around Le Mans as the "Capital of Sound"
- Five major projections on Saint-Julien Cathedral and the Gallo-Roman wall: "Le Mans, our history", "The Gauls", "The Monk of the Royal Porch", "Candela, the Book of the Chevet", and "The Fables of La Fontaine"
- Six new projection points: Place du Jet-d'Eau, Square Jacques-Dubois, Rue des Chanoines (two points), Tour des Pans-de-Goron, and Quai Louis Blanc
- Some portraits displayed in color for the first time, plus a supplementary video interview trail
- Free trail, no booking required, every evening for the two hours following nightfall, from July 2nd to September 20th, 2026
Programme Nuit des Chimères 2026
Every evening, from July 2nd to September 20th, 2026
The projections come to life every day for the two hours following nightfall. The trail is free, open to all, and requires no booking.
Major projections on the cathedral and the city walls (markers A to E)
- A — "Le Mans, our history" · an animated fresco by Nicolas Boutruche projected onto the Gallo-Roman wall, tracing the journey from the Gaulish Cenomani to the Roman world
- B — "The Gauls" · new for 2026, a creation by Nicolas Boutruche, located at Place du Cardinal-Grente
- C — "The Monk of the Royal Porch"
- D — "Candela, the Book of the Chevet" · a projection by Spectre illuminating the apse of Saint-Julien Cathedral
- E — "The Fables of La Fontaine"
Philippe Écharoux's portrait gallery (markers 1 to 25)
Twenty-five portraits of men and women working in acoustics, projected onto the facades, walls, and trees of the Cité Plantagenêt:
- 1 — Square du Château
- 2 — Corner of Avenue Paderborn and Rue Robert-Triger
- 3, 4, and 5 — Place du Jet-d'Eau (no. 4 is new for 2026)
- 6 — Rue de la Comédie
- 7 — Avenue de Rostov-sur-le-Don
- 8 — Place Saint-Pierre
- 9 — Place de l'Éperon
- 10 — Rue du Bouquet
- 11 — Rue du Conservatoire
- 12, 13, 14, and 15 — Square Jacques-Dubois (no. 13 is new for 2026)
- 16 — Rue de Vaux
- 17 and 18 — Rue des Chanoines (new for 2026)
- 19 — Rue des Chapelains
- 20 — Escaliers des Pans-de-Goron
- 21 — Parvis Saint-Hilaire
- 22 — Denfert-Rochereau
- 23 — Tour des Pans-de-Goron (new for 2026)
- 24 — Jardin de Tanneries
- 25 — Quai Louis Blanc (new for 2026)
Around the trail
- For the first time, some of the portraits are displayed in color: the projections evolve gradually from black and white to vibrant colors throughout the summer.
- Each person photographed took part in an interview: a video trail accompanies the gallery to deepen the experience.
- The twenty-five portraits are also exhibited at Gué-de-Maulny during the Plein Champ festival.
- A map of the trail can be downloaded from the City of Le Mans website.
Prices Nuit des Chimères 2026
Practical information — Nuit des Chimères
Practical Information
Access
Starting point: Saint-Julien Cathedral of Le Mans, Place du Cardinal Grente, 72000 Le Mans. The trail then unfolds through the alleys of the Plantagenet City.
By car: Parking des Jacobins or Parking Cité Plantagenêt, near the start of the trail.
By tram: Line T1, République or Éperon stop.
By train: Le Mans station (TGV from Paris Montparnasse in 55 min), a 15-minute walk from the Plantagenet City.
Prices
Free admission. The trail is accessible every evening at dusk, from July to September.
Times
The trail reveals itself each evening at dusk (around 10 PM in July, 9 PM in September) and lasts approximately 2 hours.
Contact
Le Mans Tourist Office
Tel: 02 43 28 17 22
Website: lemans-tourisme.com
La Nuit des Chimères: When Le Mans Lights Up
Born in 2005 under the initiative of Hélène Richard and Jean-Michel Quesne, founders of the company Skertzò, specializing in live performance arts, La Nuit des Chimères has become over two decades one of the most popular summer events in Le Mans. Inspired by the Festival of Lights in Lyon, this luminous scenography has transformed the Plantagenet City into a true open-air museum, attracting around 150,000 visitors from its first year.
A Poetic Trail Through the Heart of Vieux-Mans
Every evening, from July to September, at dusk and for about two hours, the cobblestone alleys and the facades of the historic monuments of Vieux-Mans come alive with light projections related to the city's history. The trail, free and self-guided, unfolds from the Saint-Julien Cathedral through the lanes of the Plantagenet City.
The Chimeras: Gryphons and Fantastic Creatures
The festival's name refers to gryphons, small deformed monsters from medieval imagination found sculpted on the capitals and facades of the city's ancient buildings. These fantastic creatures accompany the visitor throughout the trail, appearing and disappearing with the projections on the stone walls.
Philippe Écharoux: Portraits in the Trees
For several years, street artist Philippe Écharoux has added his signature to the trail by projecting photographic portraits of the people of Le Mans in the trees and on the facades of Vieux-Mans. This visual game of hide-and-seek, where faces appear and blend into the vegetation, creates a human and contemporary dimension that dialogues with the surrounding medieval heritage.
The Gallo-Roman Wall: A Monumental Screen
The highlight of the trail is the monumental projection on the Gallo-Roman wall of Le Mans, over 100 meters long. Created by videographer Nicolas Boutruche, this animated fresco pays homage to La Fontaine's Fables and Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince in a striking visual spectacle that transforms this ancient remnant into an open-air cinema screen.
A Lever for Tourism Development
La Nuit des Chimères has become a true lever for tourism development for Le Mans and its metropolitan area. By attracting 150,000 visitors each summer, it significantly contributes to the radiance of the Plantagenet City, one of the largest medieval districts in Europe, and encourages tourists to discover the city's rich heritage.
Where does it take place — Nuit des Chimères
Nuit des Chimères in brief
History of Nuit des Chimères
Edition 2025 Jul 2025Other festivals near Le Mans
Festival-goer reviews
Bonjour, Je n'ai rien contre les projections sur la cathédrale même si tout mouvement de foule devient une nuisance sonore pour les habitants. Côté Sarthe : Nous allons une fois de plus devoir supporter la même musique en boucle de 10 h à minuit tous les soirs pendant 2 mois et 20 jours, les cris des enfants et le brouhaha des gens qui discutent et se promènent dans la vieille ville bien au-delà de minuit. Impossible de dormir, de regarder la télévision ou de faire toute autre activité sans être dérangé. Malgré mes deux contestations auprès du Maire (M. Le Foll), le ras-le-bol d'une partie des habitants de la cité Plantagenet et une main courante au commissariat de police, je n'ai noté aucun changement. Nous sommes humains et nous avons besoin de dormir pour consolider notre mémoire, régénérer les cellules de notre corps, réguler notre humeur et bénéficier du sommeil pour notre système immunitaire. Quand on se lève tout les matins à 5:30, qu'on ne peut pas dormir avant minuit tous les jours, il ne nous reste que 5 h 30 de sommeil alors qu'il nous en faudrait 8. La lumière des chimères entre par la fenêtre à travers les volets même clos. En ce moment, la chaleur nous empêche de fermer les fenêtres et nous sommes contraints d'écouter cette musique en boucle comme un supplice. C'est une torture. Est-ce qu'il reste de l'humanité dans ce monde ? M. Georges LE DANTEC Le Mans, 18 juin 2026.
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community
Have you spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every suggestion is reviewed by our team before publication.
Festival-goer photos
No photo yet. Share yours!
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)