Les Apéros Musique de Blesle

Les Apéros Musique de Blesle: Music at the Heart of a Medieval Village

The story of Apéros Musique begins in the early 2000s, when a group of musician friends, saddened by the quietness of Blesle after the disappearance of the traditional August 15th village festival, brought down their instruments and enlivened the terraces during aperitif time. This spontaneous and convivial moment quickly grew to become, as early as 2003, a true eclectic music festival that took over the village for three days each summer in mid-August.

An Exceptional Setting: Blesle, a Most Beautiful Village in France

Blesle, listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in France, offers a remarkable heritage setting for this festival. This medieval town nestled in the Voireuze valley, southwest of Haute-Loire, captivates with its half-timbered houses, medieval towers, its Benedictine abbey founded in the 9th century, and its picturesque streets. During the festival, this architectural heritage becomes the natural backdrop for concerts: amplified stages coexist with acoustic performances in the inner courtyards, chapels, the Saint-Pierre church, café terraces, and private homes, making a dozen concert venues in total.

An Eclectic and Generous Program

Eclecticism is the watchword of Apéros Musique. The festival hosts over 30 programmed groups and around 150 artists for approximately 70 performances over three days, not to mention the impromptu jam sessions that pop up around a street corner. All musical genres are represented: jazz, rock, folk, world music, French chanson, blues, Celtic music, reggae, cumbia, punk, classical music, sacred music, traditional music, and many more. This diversity is presented through original and varied concert formats:

• La Zico'Rando: musical hike on the trails around Blesle, punctuated by concerts in the heart of nature
• MusiKenPoch': pocket-sized mini-concerts in unusual village locations
• Le Tremplin: a talent discovery competition, open to all musical styles
• Le Coin des Mômes: a space dedicated to children with shows, musical tales, and workshops
• Concerts-sieste: musical relaxation moments in the early afternoon
• Pieds dans l'Eau: concerts by the Voireuze river
• L'Heure du Bal: dancing time for everyone
• Le Off: open stages and improvised jams

An Associative and Committed Festival

Les Apéros Musique de Blesle is driven by a non-profit association operating with collegial governance since 2018. About fifteen volunteers work year-round to prepare the festival, joined by nearly 100 volunteers during the event. Ten sound and lighting technicians ensure the quality of performances on the two amplified stages and the multiple concert venues in the village.

True to its values of sharing and accessibility, the festival offers the vast majority of its concerts with free access and optional contributions: out of 70 performances, about 65 are free. Only the Friday and Saturday evenings, featuring headliners on the amplified stages, are ticketed at a very affordable price. This pricing policy allows all audiences — families, young people, music lovers — to fully enjoy three days of musical celebration in a unique heritage setting.