Les Nuits de Nacre

An iconic festival with 36 years of history

Les Nuits de Nacre was the reference accordion festival in Tulle, created in 1982 and organized annually until 2024. For over three decades, this late June musical event celebrated Tulle's identity as the capital of the accordion, attracting thousands of festival-goers to discover the many facets of this popular instrument. The festival took its name from mother-of-pearl (nacre), a material once used to make accordion keys, a noble material historically worked in Tulle.

International programming and concerts in the city

Les Nuits de Nacre offered a rich and varied international program each year, with about thirty groups from France and around the world: Ireland, Scotland, the United States, Italy, Germany... Concerts took place in public squares, bars, restaurants, and at the Cité de l'Accordéon et des Patrimoines, creating a friendly and festive atmosphere throughout the city center. The festival showcased all forms of accordion music: traditional, folk, musette, gypsy jazz, contemporary creations...

An end in 2024 after 36 editions

In December 2024, the association organizing Les Nuits de Nacre declared payment default, ending 36 years of existence. Despite public success and the artistic quality of the programming, financial difficulties led to the festival's demise. The last edition, in June 2024, brought together about thirty international groups and was hailed as a beautiful tribute to the festival's history.

Tulle Remet le Son, the successor

As soon as the end of Les Nuits de Nacre was announced, the City of Tulle announced the creation of a new accordion festival: Tulle Remet le Son, launched in June 2025. This new event, organized directly by the municipality with the support of local cultural structures, carries on the spirit of Les Nuits de Nacre while introducing new dimensions, particularly around traditional dance and popular balls. The mayor of Tulle, Bernard Combes, assured that "the Tulle accordion festival will continue to exist," confirming the city's attachment to this musical tradition.

The legacy of Les Nuits de Nacre

For 36 years, Les Nuits de Nacre contributed to the cultural influence of Tulle and the Corrèze region, introducing generations of festival-goers to the accordion and hosting the greatest names in the instrument. The festival also supported the development of the Cité de l'Accordéon, a heritage space dedicated to the history of the instrument. Although the festival no longer exists in its original form, its legacy lives on through Tulle Remet le Son and the city's accordion identity.