Les Siestes Teriaki — Festival of independent and scenographed music

A quarter of a century of sound discoveries

Born in the early 2000s, Les Siestes Teriaki have established themselves as an unmissable end-of-summer event in Sarthe. Supported by the association Teriaki — an organization dedicated to independent and scenographed music — in partnership with the Département de la Sarthe and Sarthe Culture, the Siestes have created a unique event in the French festival landscape: a free, open-air festival, in the exceptional setting of the Abbaye Royale de l'Épau, a 13th-century Cistercian monument founded by Queen Berengaria of Navarre.

The Abbaye de l'Épau, a sound and heritage setting

The Abbaye Royale de l'Épau offers a unique setting for a festival of experimental music. Its tree-lined park, conventual buildings, and gardens become the playground for sound and visual installations, immersive performances, and open-air concerts. The encounter between architectural heritage and contemporary sound experiments creates a total sensory experience, where visitors wander freely between stages, installations, and workshops.

A program between demanding and accessible

Les Siestes Teriaki champion an open and curious vision of musical creation. The program mixes electro, ambient, experimental music, dark wave, krautrock, electronic pop, and sound art, with artists from around the world. Over the years, the festival has hosted artists such as Hackedepicciotto, Tatiana Paris, Geysir, Heinali & Andriana, Selvhenter, Cel, and Cromorne.

Beyond the concerts, each edition features interactive sound installations (such as Vincent Martial's “O”), performances combining sound and gastronomy (the Mixophone), screen printing workshops, the collaborative Fanzinothèque, and workshops for young audiences to introduce children to digital and sound arts.

Free, friendly, and eco-responsible

Total freeness is at the heart of the Les Siestes Teriaki project, guaranteeing access for all audiences. The atmosphere is resolutely relaxed: deckchairs available, local catering provided by partner caterers, a bar run by the association. The festival is accessible by tram from Le Mans (direction Espal-Arche de la Nature, stop Épau), facilitating soft mobility.