Passe-Portes Festival
Performing arts festival discontinued on Île de Ré since 2014
Edition 2026 — event currently on hold
There is no edition scheduled in 2026 for this event. This page remains accessible to archive the history of the manifestation and will be updated if a new edition is announced.
About Passe-Portes
ℹ️ Festival discontinued on Île de Ré. Created in 2009 in Les Portes-en-Ré by Catherine Swagemakers and François Moravic, the Festival Passe-Portes had five editions on Île de Ré between 2009 and 2013. In 2014, the festival was relocated to Mauritius and renamed «Festival International Francophone des Arts Vivants de l'île Maurice». No edition has been organized on Île de Ré since then.
ℹ️ Festival discontinued on Île de Ré. The Festival Passe-Portes has not been held in Les Portes-en-Ré since 2013. The 2026 edition announced by some sources is not taking place.
A festival born in 2009 on Île de Ré
The Festival Passe-Portes was launched in June 2009 in Les Portes-en-Ré, on the initiative of Catherine Swagemakers and François Moravic, with a first edition organized from June 11 to 14. Supported by the Comédîle association (32 route du Fier, 17880 Les Portes-en-Ré), it offered, for a few days in June, about fifteen performances by young theatre, circus, and contemporary dance companies in various locations on the island. Île de Ré then transformed into an open-air stage.
A showcase for young Francophone companies
The festival aimed to promote young Francophone companies (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Mauritius) and offer them a showcase to present their creations in the form of «sketches» (short forms of about 45 minutes), before a jury of recognized professionals. Four awards were given to support emerging artists, including the Prix Beaumarchais-SACD for authors under 30, and the Prix Bernard Giraudeau for performance. In 2012, during its 4th edition, the festival obtained the label «Sites en Scène» and took over the Théâtre de Verdure at the foot of the Saint-Clément lighthouse.
The move to Mauritius in 2014
After five years of existence in Les Portes-en-Ré, the festival was relocated in 2014 to Mauritius and renamed «Festival International Francophone des Arts Vivants de l'île Maurice». This evolution, desired by the founders to integrate the project into the international Francophone space, marked the end of the festival in mainland France. No edition has since been organized on Île de Ré, and neither the Île de Ré tourist office nor the Les Portes-en-Ré town hall mention the festival in their cultural agendas anymore.
Should a new edition be launched in Les Portes-en-Ré, this page would be updated accordingly.
Passe-Portes — edition 2026
ℹ️ 2026 Edition cancelled — The Festival Passe-Portes has not been held on île de Ré since 2014.
This edition announced for June 2026 in Portes-en-Ré is not taking place. The festival, created in 2009 by Catherine Swagemakers and François Moravic, had five editions on île de Ré (2009-2013) before being relocated in 2014 to île Maurice under the name « Festival International Francophone des Arts Vivants de l'île Maurice ». No edition has been organized on île de Ré since then.
ℹ️ 2026 Edition cancelled. The Festival Passe-Portes left île de Ré in 2014 to establish itself in île Maurice. No 2026 edition is organized in Portes-en-Ré or anywhere else on île de Ré.
No official source, ticketing, or public announcement confirms the holding of a 2026 edition on île de Ré. The town hall of Portes-en-Ré does not mention the festival in its 2026 agenda, nor does the île de Ré tourist office. The last documented edition on île de Ré was the 5th edition in June 2013, before the festival moved to île Maurice the following year.
Should a new team relaunch a festival under this name in Portes-en-Ré, this page would be updated accordingly.
Highlights Passe-Portes 2026
- 2026 Edition cancelled — festival stopped on île de Ré since 2014
- Festival relocated to île Maurice since 2014 under a new name
- Last documented Ré island edition: June 2013 (5th edition)
Prices Passe-Portes 2026
Practical information — Passe-Portes
ℹ️ The festival has not been held in Les Portes-en-Ré since 2013. The information below concerns the past organization of the festival, for historical purposes.
The Festival Passe-Portes took place in several locations on Île de Ré, notably in Les Portes-en-Ré (headquarters of the Comédîle association, 32 route du Fier) and in Saint-Clément-des-Baleines (Théâtre de Verdure at the foot of the Phare des Baleines, starting in 2012).
Île de Ré is accessible by bridge from La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime), and the entire island is crisscrossed by a network of cycle paths. For visitors wishing to know the current cultural agenda of Île de Ré, the Île de Ré tourist office and the Les Portes-en-Ré town hall remain the local references.
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Where does it take place — Passe-Portes
Divers lieux de l'île de Ré