Latéral Festival — Electronic music and dub culture in Saint-Étienne

A festival born from the meeting between FZL and Poto Feu Records

Latéral Festival is the result of the collaboration between two major players in the Loire music scene: the FZL association, which has been organizing Foreztival in Trelins since 2005 and produces concerts throughout the region, and Poto Feu Records, an independent Saint-Étienne label open to techno, house, electro, trap, and world music. Their union gave birth in 2025 to an unprecedented event in the cultural landscape of Saint-Étienne: a nocturnal festival entirely dedicated to electronic music and dub culture.

"Le Chaudron" as a setting

The choice of location is at the heart of the festival's identity. Latéral Festival takes place under the side aisles of the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, the legendary home of AS Saint-Étienne, nicknamed "Le Chaudron" (The Cauldron). The spaces usually reserved for supporters are transformed for one night into a unique party venue, where the stadium's industrial architecture and the acoustics of the stands create a singular atmosphere, at the crossroads of clubbing and open-air events.

Two stages, two universes

The festival offers two face-to-face musical spaces, allowing festival-goers to navigate freely between two complementary sound universes:

• The "Bloc" stage — dedicated to techno and house, it hosts internationally renowned artists and emerging talents from the French and European electronic scene.
• The "Dub Corner" — a sound system space in the purest tradition of London dub culture, where deep basslines and reggae-dub echoes create an immersive and enveloping atmosphere.

Strong local roots

Supported by local stakeholders deeply rooted in the Loire region, Latéral Festival contributes to Saint-Étienne's reputation as a city of electronic music, alongside events like Positive Education or PHNMN Fréquences. By leveraging FZL's expertise in event organization and Poto Feu Records' artistic network, the festival offers a demanding yet accessible program, with reasonable prices and online ticketing via the Shotgun platform.