Le Hameau - Open Air Festival

A Historic Site Revived by Music

The former beach of Saint-Martin-du-Tertre, nestled between the meanders of the Yonne river and the Paris-Lyon railway line, was a popular entertainment hub in the 1960s. Eddy Mitchell, Les Chaussettes Noires, and Alice Dona performed on a concrete stage measuring eight by seven meters, the only tangible remnant of that golden age. Then came abandonment, nature reclaiming its rights, and decades of silence.

It was the association La Guinguette des Villages that decided, in 2024, to bring this forgotten heritage back to life. Volunteers cleared the brush, planted, and installed over a hundred square meters of wooden flooring. Recycled containers became backstage areas, control rooms, and dressing rooms. The original stage regained its purpose: to host artists, gather an audience, and make a village's heart beat.

Le Hameau, an Extraordinary Festival

From its very first edition in July 2024, Le Hameau Open Air Festival asserted its unique character. The tone was set by an evening dedicated to Cerrone, the king of French disco, who ignited the site despite a storm that cut his set short — proof that the magic lies as much in the location as in the artists. Subsequent editions would confirm this ambition: to blend genres, surprise the audience, and offer an eclectic program that mixes opera, electro, chanson, cabaret, and humor with equal rigor.

In 2025, the second edition of the festival spans five days, from Wednesday, July 16th to Sunday, July 20th, with free admission on the opening night. Wagner opens the ball with a giant screening of Tannhäuser under the stars; on Thursday, Les Frères Jacquard and an air guitar competition warm up the atmosphere before the arrival of Clément Froissart, heir to Bowie and Daho, and Lulu Gainsbourg for a memorable Friday evening. Sam Sauvage and the Naïve New Beaters were scheduled to conclude on Saturday, but the weather had other plans: the evening was canceled due to risks associated with the open-air stage — a courageous decision that organizer Fabrice Paris fully stands by, prioritizing safety over spectacle. Sunday returns to a day of collective relaxation with volleyball, badminton, pétanque, and inflatable games by the water.

The DNA of a Human-Scale Festival

What makes Le Hameau strong is, above all, its soul. The selection of artists, the welcome of the audience, and the spirit of the place adhere to a golden rule: remain simple, lively, and human. No gigantism, no barriers between stages and festival-goers, no rigid editorial line. An opera lover might cross paths with a disco fan, a family come for a picnic, and a group of friends looking for good electro sounds. This diversity is the festival's richness and carves its unique path in the French festival landscape.

The natural stage, framed by centuries-old trees by the water, offers acoustics and an atmosphere that no tent can replicate. The association deliberately chose to maintain this open format, risking the whims of the weather, because it is precisely this intimacy with nature that makes Le Hameau unforgettable.

The Sénonais, a Territory to Discover

Saint-Martin-du-Tertre is located in the Sénonais region, near the city of Sens, the prefecture of the Yonne department. The region holds many assets: the banks of the Yonne, the Forest of Othe, the medieval villages of northern Yonne, and the proximity of Sens, with one of France's oldest Gothic cathedrals. The festival is naturally integrated into this territorial identity, promoting local heritage that has been too long ignored and contributing to the attractiveness of the Sénonais through culture.