Orgue en Ville Festival
Organ and music festival in the churches of Besançon
About Orgue en Ville
Orgue en Ville: The organ as you've never heard it before
Since 2009, the Orgue en Ville Festival has offered a resolutely original and accessible approach to the organ. Far from the austere image sometimes associated with this instrument, the festival demonstrates each year that the organ can dialogue with all musical genres and reach all audiences.
An eclectic and bold program
Each edition offers about fifteen concerts exploring an astonishingly rich musical palette: lyrical singing, baroque music, jazz, rock, African music, sacred and secular music, romantic and contemporary repertoire. The 17th edition (2025) was placed under the banner of "colors, boldness, and delicacy," notably welcoming mezzo-soprano Isabelle Druet accompanied on the organ by Frédéric Champion, as well as an exceptional concert by Rhoda Scott.
The organs of Besançon: exceptional heritage
Besançon boasts remarkable organ heritage, with historic instruments spread across the city's churches and chapels. The festival showcases this heritage by opening the doors of places rarely accessible to the general public: the Cathédrale Saint-Jean, the église Sainte-Madeleine, the église Saint-Pierre, and other religious buildings in Besançon, Devecey, and Saint-Vit.
Free concerts for everyone
Almost all concerts are free, with no reservation required, and a voluntary donation is appreciated. This choice reflects the association's desire to make music accessible to as many people as possible and to democratize access to an often little-known instrument. Only a few exceptional concerts, like Rhoda Scott's in 2025, are ticketed.
A festival driven by a passionate association
The Orgue en Ville Festival is supported by the eponymous association under the 1901 law, under the artistic direction of Pierre-Yves Fleury and the presidency of Pauline Chabauty. Throughout the year, the association works to raise awareness and promote the organ, helping to keep this unique musical heritage alive.
A week of music in July
Scheduled each year in early July, the festival spans a week with daily concerts, often in the late afternoon or evening, in the churches of Besançon and neighboring towns. This summer timing allows it to reach a mixed audience of residents and tourists, music lovers and the curious.
Orgue en Ville — edition 2026
The 18th edition of the Orgue en Ville Festival takes place from July 1st to 5th, 2026 in Besançon and several municipalities of Grand Besançon. On the program: about twenty free-admission concerts (hat contribution) in the churches, chapels, and halls of the region, featuring great Victoires de la Musique performers (Thierry Escaich, Isabelle Druet, Laurent de Wilde), creations, dance, cinema, and the itinerant formula « Orgue en Bus ».
18th edition — July 1st to 5th, 2026
For its 18th edition, the Orgue en Ville Festival presents from July 1st to 5th, 2026 an eclectic program mixing sacred music, baroque, jazz, cine-concerts, dance, and creations, in Besançon and neighboring municipalities (Saint-Vit, Pugey, Grandfontaine, Franois). Great Victoires de la Musique performers — Thierry Escaich, Isabelle Druet, and Laurent de Wilde — appear alongside young talents (Élise Vassallucci, Jade Rema, Pierre-Baptiste Parietti) and numerous organists (Guy-Baptiste Jaccottet, Samuel Liégeon, Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard, Gabriel Bestion de Camboulas…).
All concerts are free admission, without reservation, with a hat contribution (only the « Orgue en Bus » on Friday requires a reservation for transport). For the closing, on Sunday, July 5th at the Kursaal, J.-S. Bach's St. Mark Passion, reconstructed by Freddy Eichelberger.
Programme Orgue en Ville 2026
Program — 18th Orgue en Ville Festival (July 1st to 5th, 2026)
All concerts are free admission, without reservation, with a hat contribution.
Wednesday, July 1st — Opening Concert
- 8:30 PM — Laudate! · Ensemble vocal EVE, Isabelle Druet (mezzo-soprano), Loulou Carré (dance), Pierre-Yves Fleury (organ), Edlira Priftuli (direction) — works by Mozart, Vivaldi, Handel, Rossini · Église Saint-Louis, Besançon
Thursday, July 2nd
- 12:30 PM — The Story of Babar and Celeste · Guy-Baptiste Jaccottet (organ and composition), Pierre-Alain Clerc (narrator) — works by Poulenc and Jaccottet · Église Saint-Pierre, Besançon
- 7:00 PM — Rameau Concert · Ensemble Les Timbres, Julia Kirchner (soprano), Yoko Kawakubo (baroque violin), Myriam Rignol (viola da gamba), Julien Wolfs (harpsichord) · Église de Saint-Vit
- 8:30 PM — La Boum 2! · Jade Rema and Pierre-Baptiste Parietti (vocals), Jean-Paul Florès (electric guitar), Constantin Meyer (bass), Paul l'Hôte (drums), Pierre-Yves Fleury (keyboards) — festive evening around 80s hits · Salle des fêtes de Saint-Vit
Friday, July 3rd — Orgue en Bus (Grand Besançon Métropole)
A bus departs from Besançon by reservation (orguenville.com); access possible by own means.
- 2:45 PM — Arvo Pärt · Marie-Céline Jules (voice and cello), Bartolo Petrocelli (organ) · Église de Pugey
- 4:00 PM — Organ and electric guitar · Maxime Vergnol (duduk and electric guitar), Gabriel Bestion de Camboulas (organ) · Église de Grandfontaine
- 5:15 PM — Organ and kora · Baben Sissoko (kora), Gabriel Bestion de Camboulas (organ) · Église de Franois
- 9:00 PM — Cine-concert: The Phantom of the Opera · Thierry Escaich (organ improvisation) · Église Saint-Joseph, Besançon
Saturday, July 4th
- 12:30 PM — Peaceful Forests · Chœur du Haut en Bas, Bénédicte Kaulek (organ and piano), Edlira Priftuli (direction) · Chapelle du centre diocésain, Besançon
- 4:30 PM — Improvisation Battle · Samuel Liégeon and Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard (organs) · Cathédrale Saint-Jean, Besançon
- Jazz Evening — 7:00 PM (1st part) · Scottisch Fields: Nicolas Mathuriau (vibraphone), Jérôme Regard (double bass), Donald Kontomanou (drums) · Petit Kursaal, Besançon
- 8:30 PM (2nd part) · Laurent de Wilde Trio: Élise Vassallucci (vocals), Laurent de Wilde (piano), Donald Kontomanou (drums), Jérôme Regard (double bass) · Petit Kursaal, Besançon
Sunday, July 5th
- 3:00 PM — Closing Concert: St. Mark Passion (J.-S. Bach, reconstructed by Freddy Eichelberger) · Vincent Lièvre-Picard (countertenor), vocal ensemble, Ensemble Les Sonadori, Illyesse Bouyenzar (organ), Freddy Eichelberger (harpsichord and direction) · Kursaal, Besançon
- 6:00 PM — Bach with Family · Ensemble Les Alizés, Clémence Comte (recorder and direction) · Chapelle du centre diocésain, Besançon
Highlights Orgue en Ville 2026
- Opening Concert « Laudate! » with mezzo-soprano Isabelle Druet and the vocal ensemble EVE (Wed. July 1st, Église Saint-Louis)
- Cine-concert « The Phantom of the Opera » improvised on the organ by Thierry Escaich (Fri. July 3rd, Église Saint-Joseph)
- Improvisation Battle on the two organs of Cathédrale Saint-Jean (Samuel Liégeon & Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard, Sat. July 4th)
- Jazz Evening with the Laurent de Wilde Trio featuring Élise Vassallucci (Sat. July 4th, Petit Kursaal)
- Orgue en Bus: unusual concerts in the urban area (organ and electric guitar, organ and kora)
- Closing: J.-S. Bach's St. Mark Passion reconstructed by Freddy Eichelberger (Sun. July 5th, Kursaal)
Prices Orgue en Ville 2026
Practical information — Orgue en Ville
Practical Information
Access
Concerts take place in various churches in Besançon, Devecey, and Saint-Vit. Access to the Besançon churches is on foot from the city center.
Prices
- Free concerts: voluntary donation
- Exceptional concert: variable price depending on the artist
Main Venues
- Cathédrale Saint-Jean, Besançon
- Église Sainte-Madeleine, Besançon
- Église Saint-Pierre, Besançon
- Churches of Devecey and Saint-Vit
Contact
Orgue en Ville Association
Tel: 03 81 80 92 55
Website: orguenville.com
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Where does it take place — Orgue en Ville
Églises et chapelles de Besançon
Cathédrale Saint-Jean, 25000 Besançon