Nantes Music Festival
Free Concerts Throughout the City on June 21, 2026
2026
About Nantes Music Festival
Every June 21, Nantes celebrates the Fête de la Musique (Music Festival): amateur musicians, music school students, and professional artists perform for free in the streets, squares, and along the banks of the Loire. Organized by Nantes Métropole, the day is entirely free and open to all.
Nantes Music Festival — edition 2026
The 2026 Fête de la Musique in Nantes takes place on Sunday, June 21st, with free events all across the city. The City is hosting an acoustic stage at the Atelier Dulcie September from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM, the ACB44 is organizing a fest-deiz on the Esplanade Jacques-Demy at Quai de la Fosse starting at 2:30 PM, the Talensac neighborhood will be celebrating from 11:00 AM to midnight, and the city center will be turned over to musicians from 7:00 PM to 2:00 AM.
Highlights Nantes Music Festival 2026
- City Acoustic Stage at the Atelier Dulcie September: nine consecutive performances from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM, ranging from the Bagad de Nantes to the brass band Le Grand Machin Chose
- ACB44 fest-deiz on the Esplanade Jacques-Demy, Quai de la Fosse, from 2:30 PM to 7:00 PM — open-air Breton dancing facing the Loire
- La Teuf à Talensac, neighborhood festival from 11:00 AM to midnight: brass bands, choirs, open mics and DJ sets
- Luz de Tieta performing from a balcony at Place du Pilori at 6:30 PM, featuring samba and Brazilian pop
- City center closed to traffic from 7:00 PM to 2:00 AM, with musical performances allowed until 1:00 AM
- Everything is free and requires no reservation, and amateur groups can perform in the streets without prior registration
Programme Nantes Music Festival 2026
Sunday, June 21st, 2026
All events listed below are free and do not require reservations.
City Acoustic Stage — Atelier Dulcie September (from 5:00 PM)
- 5:00 PM — Arrivée d'air Show Choir · world music
- 5:20 PM — Vocaswing Choir · contemporary swing
- 5:40 PM — Reggae a Vida · reggae
- 6:00 PM — Toutes-Aides Music School · classical choir and violin orchestra
- 6:45 PM — Nantes Brass School · brass ensembles
- 7:30 PM — Nouvel Ensemble Incroyable · orchestra, film scores
- 8:00 PM — Le Grand Machin Chose · brass band
- 9:00 PM — Bagad de Nantes · Breton music
- 9:30 PM to 11:00 PM — Phénomène, Sahra Cherifi, Léa Castel Thébault and Langa
Quai de la Fosse — ACB44 Fest-deiz (2:30 PM → 7:00 PM)
- 2:30 PM — Open-air fest-deiz on the Esplanade Jacques-Demy, 24 Quai de la Fosse, featuring the duos Blain/Salaün and Biéri/Gautier, the Bagad d'Orvault, and students from the traditional music department of the Nantes Conservatory · Breton dancing by the Loire, free admission
Place Talensac — La Teuf à Talensac (11:00 AM → Midnight)
- 11:00 AM → 1:00 PM — L'Amfifanfare, roaming performances on the terraces
- 11:00 AM → 2:30 PM — DJ set at Le Bon Coin
- 2:00 PM → 3:00 PM — Open mic at Le Pivert terrace
- 2:00 PM — France Gueule Choir · Esplanade de la salle Paul-Fort
- 3:00 PM → 6:00 PM — Bouche d'Air open mic at Le Pannonica
- 7:00 PM → 10:00 PM — Prun' DJ sets at the Pioche terrace
Place du Pilori
- 6:30 PM — Luz de Tieta · samba, MPB, pop and rock, concert performed from a balcony on the square
Elsewhere in the city
- 10:00 AM → 9:00 PM — Blockhaus DY10 · DJ sets with Carrément, Hortense, V!e, Mylonite and Diabolo
- 12:00 PM → 8:00 PM — Collectif Öz · open-air event in the Cour des 5 Ponts, with food available
- From 5:00 PM — Terminus Brass Band · brass band at the Oldegar
- 6:00 PM → 10:00 PM — Freschard & Stanley Brinks · folk, at the Halle du Lieu-Dit
- 6:00 PM → 1:00 AM — Collectif Santa Muerte, Rue Léon-Blum · neo perreo, shatta and alternative reggaeton on two stages
- La Chaumière · open-air event with an all-female lineup featuring LUDI, Sista Loca and Aïnhoa
- Bas-Chantenay · collective party at the Docks featuring the LAB, Roots Tabaga Sound System, Ohm Town, Les Usines and Macadam
In the streets
- Starting at 7:00 PM, the city center is closed to traffic and handed over to musicians: amateur groups can set up in public spaces without prior registration or booking.
- Musical performances in public spaces must conclude by 1:00 AM.
Prices Nantes Music Festival 2026
Nantes Music Festival — 2027 edition
The 2026 edition was held on 21 June 2026. The dates for the 2027 edition have not been announced yet. This page will be updated as soon as the official programme is published.
Practical information — Nantes Music Festival
Practical Information
- When: Sunday, June 21, 2026. The first events start during the day—from 11:00 AM at Place Talensac, 2:30 PM at Quai de la Fosse, and 5:00 PM at Atelier Dulcie September—with the festivities in full swing by the evening.
- Where: Throughout the city of Nantes—the city center (Bouffay, Place du Commerce, Place Royale), the banks of the Loire, and various neighborhoods (Talensac, Bas-Chantenay, Quai de la Fosse, etc.).
- Price: Free admission, no booking required.
- Traffic: The entire Fête de la Musique area is closed to all motor vehicles from 7:00 PM to 2:00 AM.
- Transport: Bus lines C1, C2, C3, C6, C8, 11, 12, 23, and 26 will be diverted; tram lines 1, 2, and 3 will be suspended in the city center until 2:30 AM. Naolib service is reinforced for late-night travel.
- End of performances: Musical performances in public spaces must end by 1:00 AM.
- Note: The Île de Versailles closes at 7:00 PM.
- Amateur musicians: No prior registration is required to perform in the street.
Fête de la Musique in Nantes
Just as it has across France since 1982, the Fête de la Musique turns Nantes into an open-air stage every June 21st. In 2026, the event falls on a Sunday, with music taking over public spaces for free from late morning until the early hours of the morning, featuring every genre for every audience.
A city-wide celebration
The heart of Nantes is handed over to musicians and pedestrians: the entire event area is closed to motor vehicle traffic from 7:00 PM until 2:00 AM. The medieval Bouffay district and its narrow streets, along with Place du Commerce and Place Royale, traditionally host open-air concerts, while the banks of the Loire keep the party going into the night. Musical performances in public spaces must conclude by 1:00 AM.
Street performances, no registration required
During the Fête de la Musique, amateur bands are invited to perform in the streets of Nantes without any prior registration or booking: anyone can set up in public spaces within the pedestrian zone. The city also sets up an acoustic stage dedicated to amateur performers, hosted in 2026 at the Atelier Dulcie September, where a dozen groups—including choirs, music schools, brass bands, and bagads—will perform from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
Stages in every neighborhood
The celebration isn't limited to the city center. The Agence Culturelle Bretonne de Loire-Atlantique is organizing an open-air fest-deiz on the Esplanade Jacques-Demy, Quai de la Fosse, facing the Loire. The Talensac district celebrates from 11:00 AM to midnight around its market square. Bas-Chantenay turns into a collective evening party near the Docks, and open-air events, DJ sets, and brass band concerts pop up everywhere from the Cour des 5 Ponts to Rue Léon-Blum. Everything is free.
Where does it take place — Nantes Music Festival
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