Eclectic music festival on the banks of the Loire, under a big top
Created in 2015 by the association Fêtes et Animations, the Loir'en Zic festival is a must-attend musical event in Haute-Loire, held annually in early June on the Audinet plain in Brives-Charensac, on the banks of the Loire, five minutes from Le Puy-en-Velay. Under a 1,000-seat big top and in the heart of a temporary artisan village among the trees, the festival offers a resolutely eclectic and world-music-oriented program: reggae, punk, ska, Latin music, French chanson, independent rock, and many other styles follow each other over two evenings. Intergenerational and friendly, Loir'en Zic brings together nearly 2,000 festival-goers each edition around live music, local crafts, and free entertainment for all audiences.
Since 2015, the Loir'en Zic festival has established itself as a major cultural event in the Le Puy-en-Velay basin and the Haute-Loire region. Born from the desire of a handful of volunteers from the Fêtes et Animations association, this festival aims to bring culture to everyone, young and old, in an exceptional natural setting on the banks of the Loire.
The festival unfolds across two complementary spaces. The big top, with a capacity of 1,000 people, hosts the headliners during two evenings of concerts. Around it, the temporary village, with free access, comes alive under the trees of the Audinet plain with about thirty stands from local artisans—sculptors, jewelers, textile designers, painters—food trucks, creative workshops, and dance initiations, as well as acoustic concerts. This village is the beating heart of the festival, a place for meeting and sharing open to all.
Loir'en Zic's hallmark is its eclectic programming, a true invitation to a musical journey. Over the years, the festival has hosted artists from reggae, punk, ska, Latin music, French chanson, independent rock, Celtic music, and dancehall. Among the notable artists from previous editions are Asian Dub Foundation, Les Wampas, Marcel et son Orchestre, La Ruda, HK, Ludwig Von 88, Soviet Suprem, Broussaï, Tagada Jones, Merzhin, and many others. This musical diversity reflects the spirit of openness and curiosity that has driven the organizers since the first edition.
Loir'en Zic stands out for its intergenerational and participatory dimension. The festival is not limited to concerts; it organizes cultural mediation activities with schoolchildren, meetings with performing arts professionals, and events dedicated to seniors. Local associations such as SOS Loire Vivante, N'diakhass, and Maison Pour Tous de Brives-Charensac actively participate in the village, offering activities related to environmental preservation and international solidarity. This local anchoring makes Loir'en Zic much more than a music festival: it is a unifying event that radiates beyond Brives-Charensac and generates significant social, economic, and tourist benefits for the region.
Since its creation in 2015, Loir'en Zic has continuously grown. The festival has built a loyal and enthusiastic audience and attracted new spectators with each edition, regularly selling out the evenings under the big top. The 2026 edition, which will mark the festival's 10th anniversary, promises to be a highlight with the return of Zoufris Maracas, who performed at the very first edition, thus completing a decade of music and sharing on the banks of the Loire.
10th anniversary edition of the Loir'en Zic festival. To celebrate a decade of eclectic music on the banks of the Loire, the festival welcomes, among others, Zoufris Maracas, who performed at the very first edition in 2015, as well as The Locos (ex-SKA-P), Skarra Mucci x Manudigital, Soom T, Toxic Frogs, and Salut l'Orage. Two evenings under the big top and a free artisan village on the Audinet plain in Brives-Charensac.
The Loir'en Zic festival celebrates its 10th anniversary on June 5th and 6th, 2026, on the Audinet plain in Brives-Charensac. To mark this anniversary edition, the organizers have put together a lineup worthy of the event, mixing international headliners and discoveries.
A highlight of this edition: the return of Zoufris Maracas, an emblematic festive chanson group with world influences, who participated in the very first edition of the festival in 2015. Ten years later, their presence symbolically closes a decade of music and sharing. Friday will feature the Celtic punk of Toxic Frogs, the furious ska of The Locos (band of the former singer of SKA-P), and the reggae-dancehall of Skarra Mucci x Manudigital. On Saturday, Salut l'Orage, a rising star of French rock, will open the evening before Zoufris Maracas and the Glaswegian Soom T, a figure in international reggae-ragga.
As every year, the free temporary village under the trees will offer artisan stands, food trucks, creative workshops, and acoustic concerts to extend the festival experience well beyond the big top.
Detailed schedules and village program to come on loirenzic.fr.
By car: The Audinet plain is located in Brives-Charensac, a town bordering Le Puy-en-Velay (about 5 minutes away). From Saint-Étienne, allow 1h15 via the N88. From Clermont-Ferrand, allow 1h30 via the A75 then the N102. From Lyon, allow about 2 hours via the A47 then the N88.
By train: Le Puy-en-Velay station, served by TER lines from Saint-Étienne and Lyon. Brives-Charensac is accessible in a few minutes by bus or taxi from the station.
The festival takes place on the Audinet plain (Espace d'Audinet), avenue des Sports, in Brives-Charensac. The site is located on the banks of the Loire, behind the Audinet campsite. Concerts are held under a big top with a capacity of 1,000 people. The artisan village, with free access, is located around the big top under the trees.
Tickets are available online on HelloAsso, as well as at physical points of sale (Auchan Brives-Charensac, Maison Pour Tous de Brives-Charensac). It is recommended to book in advance as evenings regularly sell out.
Five food trucks and crepe and ice cream stands are present on the village site. Bar service available.
No photo yet. Share yours!
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
No rating yet — be the first!
No review yet. Be the first!
Share your experience with the community
Book your train or bus to reach Loir'en Zic at the best price.
Sponsored link
Espace d'Audinet
Avenue des Sports, Plaine d'Audinet, 43700 Brives-Charensac