Poét Fest

Poét Fest, a metal festival in the heart of Puisaye

At the crossroads of alternative culture and Burgundian heritage, Poét Fest is a unique musical event supported by the TetraPop Association in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, in the Yonne department. Founded in 2016, this open-air festival dedicated to metal, hardcore, and punk takes place in an extraordinary setting: La Poèterie, a former artists' village set up in a converted industrial wasteland in the heart of Puisaye.

Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye is not an ordinary village. It is here that the great writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette was born in 1873, whose sensual prose immortalized the bocage landscapes, gardens, and the very particular light of this Burgundian countryside. This literary and artistic soil forms a paradoxical and poetic backdrop for a festival with unapologetic decibels.

La Poèterie, a place of life and creation

The heart of Poét Fest beats at La Poèterie, located at 4 route des Janets. This former 19th-century stoneware pipe factory has been transformed into a true cultural village hosting over thirty resident artists: sculptors, musicians, photographers, costume designers, designers, architects. The one-hectare site includes a park with monumental sculptures, a recording studio, creation workshops, gîtes, and a performance hall open year-round.

This unique place, managed by the TetraPop Association, is an invitation to an artistic journey in itself. The work of materials—metal, wood, ceramic—and amplified music coexist permanently, creating an unexpected coherence between the festival and its setting. La Poèterie organizes weekend concerts, artist residencies, and cultural events throughout the summer, with Poét Fest being one of the highlights.

A metal festival rooted in festival tradition

Since its first edition in 2016, Poét Fest has progressively asserted its identity: a two-day open-air festival, featuring about fifteen national and international bands on several stages, accessible prices, and free on-site camping. These values—accessibility, conviviality, artistic ambition—make it a model of a human-sized associative festival.

The programming explores the multiple facets of metal and punk: death metal, thrash, hardcore punk, grindcore, crossover, alternative metal. Past editions have hosted bands as diverse as Trepalium, a figure of French experimental metal, the legendary Brazilian death metal band Krisiun, Australian hardcore punk band Deez Nuts, Belgian metal band Jungle Rot, Dutch hardcore punk band Vitamin X, and also Insanity Alert and Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition.

The festival's major milestones

• 2016: First edition of Poét Fest at La Poèterie, launched by the TetraPop Association
• 2017: Second edition (Poét Fest #2) on July 1, 2017, at La Poèterie
• 2018: Third edition (Poét Fest #3) from July 12 to 15, 2018, extended to four days
• 2019: Fourth edition (Poét Fest #4 Open Air) on August 2 and 3, 2019: fifteen international bands over two days, with Krisiun, Trepalium, Deez Nuts, Jungle Rot, Vitamin X, Insanity Alert
• 2025: Return of the festival to the Parc du Château of Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, on August 30, with Black Bomb A as headliner

Black Bomb A and the revival of Poét Fest

The 2025 edition marked the grand return of Poét Fest to a new emblematic venue: the Parc du Château de Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye. The medieval castle, which has overlooked Colette's hometown since the 12th century and houses the Musée Colette, offers a spectacular setting for this metal festival.

The 2025 headliner, Black Bomb A, a French hardcore punk band from Viroflay, perfectly embodies the spirit of Poét Fest: a committed French-speaking metal scene, with a massive sound and infectious energy. With eight studio albums, Black Bomb A is one of the most respected bands on the French metal scene, whose latest album Unbuild The World (2024) confirms their full artistic maturity. The band Les Sheriff also performed, for an evening dedicated to sonic power and festival camaraderie.

Values and spirit of the festival

Poét Fest is part of the long tradition of French associative festivals: neither a large commercial operation nor an elitist event, but a gathering of enthusiasts eager to share their love for heavy music in a welcoming setting. Access to moderate prices, free on-site camping, and a warm, family-friendly atmosphere distinguish Poét Fest from major national festivals.

This positioning, rooted in the associative and cultural fabric of Puisaye, makes it a valuable event for the rural territory of the Yonne, which thus benefits from a demanding and accessible musical event, just two hours from Paris.

The festival by the numbers

• First edition: 2016
• Organizer: Association TetraPop
• Historic venue: La Poèterie, 4 route des Janets, 89520 Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye
• 2025 Venue: Parc du Château de Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye
• Usual format: 1 to 2 days, 10 to 15 bands
• Free camping on site
• Accessible prices: €14 to €20 per day
• Genres: metal, hardcore, punk, death metal, thrash, grindcore