Les Boréales
The largest festival of Nordic cultures in Europe
2026
About Les Boréales
Les Boréales — edition 2026
The 34th edition of the Les Boréales festival will take place from November 12 to 22, 2026 in Caen and throughout Normandy. The guest country of honor for this edition is Norway, featured in a multidisciplinary program combining literature, music, cinema, theater, dance, visual arts, and gastronomy.
Les Boréales 2026 — 34th edition, heading for Norway
From November 12 to 22, 2026, Normandy will experience another fortnight to the rhythm of Nordic cultures on the occasion of the 34th edition of the Les Boréales festival. The guest country of honor for this edition is Norway.
True to its multidisciplinary format, the festival will offer numerous shows, concerts, exhibitions, screenings, and literary meetings from the Nordic countries. While Caen remains the heart of the festival, Les Boréales will radiate throughout the Normandy region, with many free events.
The detailed program for the 2026 edition will be unveiled during the presentation evening scheduled for October 10, 2026, at the Théâtre de Caen. Consult the official website www.lesboreales.com for the complete program and ticketing.
Highlights Les Boréales 2026
- Launch event — Saturday, October 10, Théâtre de Caen: A preview of the program. Admission is free but requires booking (theatre.caen.fr), featuring a performance by Norwegian saxophonist Petter Wettre.
- Grieg Focus — November 14 to 22 in Normandy: Chamber music concert at the Caen Conservatory featuring young choristers from the Maîtrise de Caen, followed by the festival finale with three performances by the Opéra Orchestre Normandie Rouen, conducted by Anthony Hermus and featuring pianist Lise de la Salle.
- "Invisible — Snøhetta" Exhibition — November 14, 2026, to January 24, 2027, at Le Pavillon, Caen: Immersive installations by the Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta (known for the Oslo Opera House, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and Lascaux IV).
- Fred Ivar Klemetsen Exhibition — October 3 to 28 at the Halle aux Toiles, Rouen: Photographs by the Norwegian artist documenting the lives of Sámi reindeer herders.
- Carte Blanche, Norway's national contemporary dance company — November 12 and 13: "Cancel Bertha" (choreographed by Jan Martens) at the Théâtre de Caen, and "How Romantic" (by Katerina Andreou) at Le Volcan, Le Havre.
- Crime Fiction Circle (Cercle Polar) — Saturday, November 22, at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen: A day dedicated to Norwegian crime novels featuring authors Thomas Enger, Jørn Lier Horst, Johana Gustawsson, and Aslak Nore.
- Cine-concert "The Vikings" (1958, Richard Fleischer) at the Théâtre de Caen: Original score by Martin Romberg performed by the Opéra Orchestre Normandie Rouen.
Programme Les Boréales 2026
The full program for the 2026 edition of Les Boréales has not yet been released by the organizers. It will be unveiled during the launch event on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at the Théâtre de Caen, and subsequently published on lesboreales.com. The preliminary program released in June 2026 already highlights several key events (see "Highlights").
Practical information — Les Boréales
Practical Information
Location
Various venues in Caen and Normandy (14000), Calvados.
Access
- By car: Caen is accessible via the A13 from Paris (2.5 hours) and the A84 from Rennes.
- By train: Caen SNCF station (TGV from Paris in 2 hours).
- Venues: Events spread across several halls, theaters, libraries, and cultural venues in Caen and Normandy.
Prices
- Many free events
- Paid performances: variable rates depending on the show
Ticketing
Program and tickets available at www.lesboreales.com.
Contact
- Website: www.lesboreales.com
- Facebook: @lesboreales
A cultural bridge between Normandy and the Far North
The festival Les Boréales was founded in 1992 by Éric Eydoux, then director of the Franco-Norwegian Office (OFNEC), in collaboration with Lena Christensen and other colleagues from the Department of Nordic Studies at the University of Caen. The association Norden, hosted by the OFNEC, was the legal support for the event in its early days. In thirty editions, Les Boréales has established itself as the most important festival dedicated to Nordic culture in Europe.
A cycle of discoveries around the Nordic countries
The festival initially took the form of a five-year cycle (1992-1996) which, in turn, highlighted each of the five Nordic countries — Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland. Over the years, Les Boréales has broadened its horizons to include the Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia), Greenland, and the Faroe Islands, offering a comprehensive panorama of Northern European cultures.
A multidisciplinary and demanding program
For about ten days in November, the festival offers a rich and varied program: literature (author meetings, readings), performing arts (theater, dance, circus, performances), music (concerts), cinema and video, and contemporary art exhibitions. Many events are free, making the festival accessible to the widest possible audience.
Regional and international reach
While Caen remains the heart of the festival, Les Boréales extends throughout Normandy, with events organized in numerous towns and villages in the region. The festival regularly collaborates with Nordic cultural institutions and hosts internationally renowned artists, such as the Finnish band Steve 'N' Seagulls or the author Sofi Oksanen.
Where does it take place — Les Boréales
Les Boréales in brief
Other festivals near Caen
Festival-goer reviews
No review yet. Be the first!
No rating yet — be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community
Have you spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every suggestion is reviewed by our team before publication.
Festival-goer photos
No photo yet. Share yours!
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Published by Valentin Contard, festival listings writer. Reviewed, corrected and approved by Christophe Contard, editor-in-chief. .
A quick word
Find us more easily on Google
Add Festivals en France to your preferred sources: our line-ups and calendars will show up more often in your Google results. It’s free, it takes two seconds, and you can undo it whenever you want.
Add us to my sourcesYou stay on this page: Google opens a window, then brings you back here.