Paco Tyson
The festival of all electronic music in Nantes
About Paco Tyson
A festival born from Nantes' electronic passion
Paco Tyson was born in April 2017, driven by two enthusiasts of the Nantes electronic scene: Julien Laffeach, aka C.H.I.C.H.I., and Nicolas Viande, founder of Sweat Lodge. The festival's name is a nod to the French proverb 'Noël au balcon, Pâques au tison' (Christmas on the balcony, Easter by the fire), as the event was initially held during the Easter holidays. Self-funded, this first edition attracted nearly 10,000 festival-goers over two nights, with three stages dedicated to house, techno, and trance/hardcore, on a site near the Chantrerie park.
Ramping up (2018-2019)
The second edition, from April 27 to 29, 2018, marked a turning point. The festival settled on the Chantrerie Grandes Écoles site, a 17-hectare estate on the banks of the Erdre river. The lineup featured legends like Laurent Garnier, Ricardo Villalobos, Ellen Allien, and Robert Hood, alongside a hundred other artists. More than 17,000 people attended. A chill zone with hip-hop, funk, disco, and jazz complemented the musical offering.
In 2019, deprived of its usual venue, the festival reinvented itself by taking over several emblematic Nantes locations from April 18 to 21: Le Lieu Unique, Le Warehouse, Le CO2, and L'Altercafé. This edition, spread across the city, hosted artists such as Infected Mushroom, Mathew Jonson, and DJ Nobu.
Reinvention and summer format
The year 2020, marked by the health crisis, saw the festival held online and the creation of the Paco Tyson Records label. In 2022, the collective launched Into the City, a 36-hour open air event on Rue du Sénégal on Île de Nantes, with after-parties at Le Warehouse.
Since 2023, Paco Tyson has transformed into a free summer festival hosted by Station Nuage on Île Forget in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire. The Blue Friday, bi-monthly evenings from May to September, and Parc O Tyson, the largest free open air event in the Nantes metropolitan area attracting up to 5,000 people, have become the essential summer gatherings in Nantes.
In 2025, the collective is co-organizing Euphoria Nantes Festival at MIN de Rien on Île de Nantes, with a Paco Tyson evening on May 30 featuring Ellen Allien, Cassius, Mac Declos, and Pureblast.
A diverse musical identity
Paco Tyson's strength lies in its ability to bring together all aesthetics of electronic music: techno, house, trance, hardcore, drum and bass, and ambient. The festival makes it a point of honor to combine international artists with emerging talents from the collectives of Western France, offering an eclectic program accessible to all audiences.
Paco Tyson — edition 2026
2026 season of the Paco Tyson collective in Nantes: from April 14 to September 25, five free open airs are scheduled at Station Nuage on Île Forget in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, punctuated by weekly Blue Fridays and the highly anticipated return of Parc O Tyson, the largest open-air dancefloor in the Nantes metropolitan area, on Saturday, June 24, 2026.
A 2026 season focused on free and large-scale events
For 2026, Paco Tyson confirms its open-air summer formula at Station Nuage on Île Forget in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire. The collective announces five free open airs spread from April 14 to September 25, 2026, after a 2025 edition marked by capricious weather. The season revolves around two recurring highlights — the Blue Friday, Friday evenings with one or more international headliners — and a signature event in June, Parc O Tyson.
Parc O Tyson: the highlight of the Nantes summer
Announced as the season's «XXL open air», Parc O Tyson returns on Saturday, June 24, 2026, from 4 PM to 2 AM at Station Nuage. The festival deploys two stages to welcome approximately 5,000 people:
- Main stage: Olympe4000 (opening), U.R. Trax and Cassie Raptor (acid/industrial closing)
- Second stage: Alder, Karbon14, Gritz and the Bloom collective
The Paco Tyson Sound System also provides part of the programming. Admission is free.
Blue Friday: the weekly program
Blue Fridays are free open airs scheduled every Friday evening at Station Nuage, generally from 5 PM to 11 PM. The 2026 program mixes emerging artists from the Nantes scene and national/international guests, playing house, techno, trance and drum and bass. Among the announced evenings: Bambi + Subsism, Blue Friday XXL with Mahkara + Armando_360 + Baba'K + Lamoureux, Onshore, No Limit Event + Fast, 1990 Machine, Chat Manik + Salome DV, SHDW + Discord + Granji b2b Fuss, Baldo + C.H.I.C.H.I. + Alan.D, Spacy Crew, SWEET6TEEN + Moody (Lunacy)…
A collective expanded year-round
In parallel with the Station Nuage season, Paco Tyson has been running its own Nantes bar Enfin. (2 rue de l'Héronnière) since February 2026, with year-round programming focused on electronic music. The collective also co-organizes Euphoria Nantes Festival at MIN de Rien and continues to publish its label Paco Tyson Records.
Programme Paco Tyson 2026
April 2026 — Season Opening
- Tuesday, April 14, 2026 — First Blue Friday of the season at Station Nuage (Île Forget)
- Thursday, April 30, 2026 — Paco Tyson Open Air: A Strange Wedding + local artists (Station Nuage)
May-June 2026 — Weekly Blue Fridays
- Blue Friday • Bambi + Subsism
- Blue Friday XXL • Mahkara + Armando_360 + Baba'K + Lamoureux
- Blue Friday • Onshore
- Blue Friday • No Limit Event + Fast
- Blue Friday • 1990 Machine
- Blue Friday • Chat Manik + Salome DV
Saturday, June 24, 2026 — Parc O Tyson (4 PM-2 AM, free)
Main stage
- Olympe4000 (opening)
- U.R. Trax
- Cassie Raptor (acid/industrial closing)
Second stage
- Alder
- Karbon14
- Gritz
- Collectif Bloom
- Paco Tyson Sound System
June-September 2026 — Continuation of the season
- Tuesday, June 30, 2026 — Blue Friday (5 PM-11 PM): DJ SWEET6TEEN + Moody (Lunacy)
- Blue Friday • SHDW + Discord + Granji b2b Fuss
- Blue Friday • Baldo + C.H.I.C.H.I. + Alan.D
- Blue Friday • Spacy Crew
- Friday, September 25, 2026 — Season closing at Station Nuage
The full Blue Friday program will be enriched throughout the season. Updated calendar on pacotyson.fr and on the collective's social media.
Highlights Paco Tyson 2026
- Five free open airs from April 14 to September 25, 2026 at Station Nuage
- Parc O Tyson on Saturday, June 24, 2026 (4 PM-2 AM) with U.R. Trax, Cassie Raptor and Olympe4000
- Weekly free Blue Fridays with local emerging scene and international guests
- Largest open-air dancefloor in the Nantes metropolitan area (up to 5,000 people)
- Year-round programming at the bar Enfin. (Nantes city center)
Prices Paco Tyson 2026
Practical information — Paco Tyson
Practical Information
Venues
Paco Tyson primarily takes place at two locations:
- Station Nuage — Île Forget : Boulevard des Pas Enchantés, 44230 Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire (Blue Friday and Parc O Tyson, free summer format)
- MIN de Rien : 2 rue du Sénégal, 44200 Nantes (Euphoria Nantes Festival and special events)
Access
- Station Nuage : Bus lines 29 and 30 from Nantes city center. Bicycle parking available.
- MIN de Rien : Bus lines 5 and 26. A 20-minute walk from the city center. Car parking at Quai Président Wilson.
Prices
Summer events (Blue Friday, Parc O Tyson) are free. Special evenings and Euphoria Nantes Festival are ticketed, with tickets starting from €10.
Schedules
- Blue Friday : 5 PM to 11 PM
- Parc O Tyson : 2 PM to midnight
- Euphoria : 2 PM to midnight
Contact
- Website : pacotyson.fr
- Instagram : @pacotyson
- Facebook : pacotysonfestival
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Where does it take place — Paco Tyson
Station Nuage — Île Forget / MIN de Rien
Boulevard des Pas Enchantés, 44000 Nantes