Les Affranchis
The free street arts festival in La Flèche
About Les Affranchis
Les Affranchis: thirty years of street arts in La Flèche
The history of Les Affranchis dates back to the summer of 1992, when the Compagnie du Tapis Franc, a troupe from Nantes directed by actor and director Philippe Bilheur, originally from La Flèche, presented several shows in the town's streets. Building on the success of these performances, the company signed an agreement with the town of La Flèche and settled there in December 1992. With the support of two local cultural associations, Le Carroi and the association Art-Go, it gave birth the following summer to an entirely free festival: Les Affranchis.
A popular and generous festival
Since 1993, Les Affranchis has taken over the heart of La Flèche, a charming town on the Loir river nestled in the south of Sarthe, every first weekend of July. For three days, the town's streets, squares, parks, and courtyards are transformed into stages to host shows of street theatre, circus, music, dance, and performance. Entry is free for all performances, in keeping with the festival's original spirit.
An IN and OFF program
The festival is structured around a dual program. The IN program, supported by Le Carroi, invites around twenty professional companies selected for the quality and originality of their proposals. The OFF program, on the other hand, offers a springboard for about ten independent and emerging companies, often regional, who come to present their recent creations. An OFF Award rewards the most acclaimed show by the public and professionals each year.
Le Carroi: cultural engine of La Flèche
The festival is organized by Le Carroi, a cultural association that has been established in La Flèche for many years. A true driving force of local cultural life, Le Carroi programs shows, exhibitions, and workshops throughout the year at its premises at 27 rue Grollier. Les Affranchis is the highlight of its annual activity, bringing together volunteers, artists, and residents in a festive and supportive spirit.
La Flèche celebrates
During the festival, La Flèche lives to the rhythm of street arts. Shows follow one another from morning to evening in a joyful effervescence, families stroll between performances, the terraces of cafes and restaurants are full, and the entire town vibrates with contagious energy. The event attracts thousands of spectators from all over Sarthe and beyond each year.
Les Affranchis — edition 2026
The 33rd edition of Les Affranchis takes place from Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 5, 2026, in La Flèche (Sarthe). Three days of entirely free street art performances in the city center, featuring an IN program of 16 professional companies and an OFF program of 8 emerging companies, blending theater, circus, dance, puppetry, and music. The festival, organized by Le Carroi — now a national interest subsidized venue — confirms its staging after a period of uncertainty linked to the withdrawal of certain funding.
33rd Edition — July 3 to 5, 2026
Les Affranchis returns from Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 5, 2026 for its 33rd edition. For three days, La Flèche transforms into a huge open-air stage, hosting 16 companies in the IN program and 8 companies in the OFF program in about twenty locations in the city center and nearby communes (Bazouges-Cré-sur-Loir, Crosmières).
An Edition Confirmed Despite Uncertainties
The 33rd edition was long dependent on the consolidation of funding. In November 2025, the Ministry of Culture designated Le Carroi as a national interest subsidized venue, accompanied by a subsidy of €80,000 per year for four years. This recognition, combined with a crowdfunding campaign launched to compensate for the withdrawal of the regional subsidy (€19,000), allowed Richard Le Normand, director of Le Carroi, and his team to confirm the staging of the 2026 edition.
A Diverse Program
The 2026 IN program brings together 16 companies with varied aesthetics: circus (Cie Cabas, Cie Elli Skourogianni, Cie Momentum), street theater (Bruitquicourt, Cie Casus Délires, La Dieselle, L'Art Osé), dance (La Débordante), puppetry (Cie la cour singulière, Les Royales Marionnettes), music (Jazz Combo Box / Cie Résonnables), mime (TUGA) and street opera (Cie Mechanic). The OFF program, traditionally open to emerging companies, offers 8 additional shows selected after a call for applications closed in March 2026.
Emblematic Locations in La Flèche
The shows take over about twenty spaces in the city center: Jardin de la Dauversière, Square Schilte, Place Pape Carpantier, Marché-au-Blé, courtyard of Collège Notre-Dame, école Descartes, école Saint-Jacques, Parc des Carmes, as well as the communes of Bazouges-Cré-sur-Loir and Crosmières. The city center is pedestrianized from Saturday morning to Sunday evening.
A Popular Success
The 2025 edition gathered over 50,000 spectators for 80 free performances. The festival remains true to its founding principle: total free admission for all shows.
Programme Les Affranchis 2026
IN Program — 16 Companies
Circus & Physical Arts
- Les Oubliées — B-Side Company · female circus, four forgotten portraits · Collège Notre-Dame · Saturday 8 PM, Sunday 6 PM
- Juste une femme — Cie Cabas · circus & dance, migration story · Collège Notre-Dame · Saturday 9:45 PM, Sunday 7:45 PM
- Lost Within Myselves — Cie Elli Skourogianni · aerial hoop, introspection · Jardin Dauversière · Saturday 5:30 PM, Sunday 6:30 PM
- La Part Manquante — Cie Momentum · tightrope & theater, gender stereotypes · Jardin Dauversière (Bazouges Friday 9:15 PM, La Flèche Saturday/Sunday)
Theater & Comedy
- Amphitryon tu perds ton sang-froid — Bruitquicourt · solo clown based on Plautus · école Descartes · Saturday 4:45 PM, Sunday 5 PM
- Dehors Molière ! — Cie Casus Délires · street farce about auditions · Square Schilte · Saturday 3:30 PM and 6:45 PM, Sunday 11 AM
- Héroïnes — La Dieselle · mature women against invisibility · Marché-au-Blé · Saturday 8:30 PM, Sunday 6:30 PM
- Marcel et les règles — L'Art Osé · comedy about social conventions · Jardin Dauversière · Saturday 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM, Sunday 2 PM and 5 PM
Street Performance & Music
- Scratch de rue — Jazz Combo Box & Cie Résonnables · hip-hop/jazz brass band with integrated DJ · various locations, Friday to Sunday
- Influence — Cie Les Invendus · poetic juggling duo · Place Pape Carpantier · Friday 8 PM, Saturday-Sunday 8:30 PM
- Wet Side Story — Cie Mechanic · street opera in a bathroom · Parc des Carmes & Bazouges · Friday to Sunday, 2:30 PM to 5:15 PM
Dance & Spoken Performance
- La stratégie du dépôt de bilan — La Débordante · circular choreographic discussion · école Saint-Jacques · Saturday 8:15 PM, Sunday 7:30 PM
- Playback FM — Les Enfants Taureaux · satirical radio theater · école Descartes · Friday 9:15 PM, Saturday 2:45 PM and 9:45 PM, Sunday 3 PM and 7:15 PM
Puppetry & Young Audience
- Josette et Mustapha — Cie La Cour Singulière · puppet show about an elderly woman · Collège Notre-Dame · Friday 9:15 PM, Saturday 3:30 PM, Sunday 2:30 PM
- Loup y-es-tu ? — Les Royales Marionnettes · revisited tale · Collège Notre-Dame · Friday 8 PM, Saturday 6:15 PM, Sunday 4:15 PM
Mime
- Un verano naranja — TUGA · Chilean mime on the beach · Crosmières & Marché-au-Blé · Friday to Sunday, 4:30 PM to 8 PM
Amateurs
- Playback Stars — performance tribute to pop culture · école Descartes · Sunday 11 AM
OFF Program — 8 Companies
The 2026 OFF program brings together 8 emerging shows (acrobatic circus, contemporary dance, children's theater, participatory musical show, Balkan music, etc.) performed at Place Pape Carpantier, Place des Anciens Combattants d'AFN, and the courtyard of école Saint-Jacques. Show durations: from 20 minutes to 1 hour 05 minutes. Shows accessible from 3 or 6 years old depending on the proposals.
Full program and detailed schedules available on Le Carroi's official website: lecarroi.org/les-affranchis.
Highlights Les Affranchis 2026
- 33rd edition of an entirely free street art festival, uninterrupted since 1993
- 16 companies in the IN program, 8 companies in the OFF program
- Le Carroi designated as a national interest subsidized venue since November 2025
- Over 50,000 spectators at the 2025 edition
- City center pedestrianized from Saturday morning to Sunday evening
- Shows also in the nearby communes of Bazouges-Cré-sur-Loir and Crosmières
Prices Les Affranchis 2026
Practical information — Les Affranchis
Practical Information
Access
By car: La Flèche is located 45 km southwest of Le Mans, on the D23. From Le Mans, allow about 40 minutes. From Angers, allow 45 minutes via the D923. Free parking near the town center.
By train: Le Mans station, then TER or bus connection to La Flèche.
Prices
Festival entirely free. All shows are free access.
Contact
Le Carroi
27 rue Grollier, BP 40028
72200 La Flèche
Tel: 02 43 94 08 99
Email: [email protected]
Website: lecarroi.org
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Where does it take place — Les Affranchis
Centre-ville de La Flèche
27 rue Grollier, 72200 La Flèche