La Nuit des Chimères
Luminous fantasy in the Plantagenet City of Le Mans
About Nuit des Chimères
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.
Nuit des Chimères — edition 2026
From July 2 to September 20, 2026, La Nuit des Chimères returns to illuminate the Cité Plantagenêt in Le Mans for an edition entirely dedicated to sound. Every evening at nightfall, the free illuminated trail unveils about twenty photographic portraits by Philippe Écharoux, projected onto the Saint-Julien Cathedral, the Gallo-Roman wall, and the facades of Vieux-Mans. A creation that pays tribute to women and men whose profession is related to sound.
2026 Edition — a season dedicated to sound
From July 2 to September 20, 2026, La Nuit des Chimères offers a new summer season in the Cité Plantagenêt in Le Mans. As every year, the illuminated trail is free and open to all : it unfolds every evening at nightfall in the streets of Vieux-Mans, from Saint-Julien Cathedral to the Gallo-Roman wall.
Sound in the spotlight
For 2026, the edition highlights the acoustic world and the region's ambition to make Le Mans an international capital of sound. About twenty portraits of women and men whose profession is related to sound — engineers, artists, researchers, technicians — are projected onto the emblematic monuments of Vieux-Mans.
The portraits of Philippe Écharoux
Street artist and photographer Philippe Écharoux continues his collaboration with La Nuit des Chimères. The portraits were created in spring 2026 and then illuminated on the facades and the Gallo-Roman wall. New for this edition : the projections gradually evolve, throughout the summer, from black and white to vibrant colors, offering a renewed interpretation of the heritage.
A free nocturnal trail
The trail reveals itself every evening at nightfall (around 10 PM in July, earlier in September) and can be freely explored on foot through the Cité Plantagenêt, one of Europe's largest medieval quarters.
Highlights Nuit des Chimères 2026
- 2026 edition dedicated to sound: about twenty portraits of sound professionals (engineers, artists, researchers, technicians)
- Photographic portraits by Philippe Écharoux, projected onto Saint-Julien Cathedral and the Gallo-Roman wall
- New for 2026: projections that gradually evolve from black and white to vibrant colors
- Free illuminated trail, every evening at nightfall
- From July 2 to September 20, 2026, in the heart of Vieux-Mans
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
Festival-goer photos
No photo yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Vous avez repéré une erreur ou une information manquante ?
Aidez-nous à garder cette fiche à jour. Toute proposition est relue par notre équipe avant publication.
Festival-goer reviews (1)
No rating yet — be the first!
« 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
Where does it take place — Nuit des Chimères
Cité Plantagenêt — Vieux-Mans
Place du Cardinal Grente, 72000 Le Mans