Roanne Blues Festival
The blues in all its glory!
About Roanne Blues Festival
The Roanne Blues Festival is the unmissable event for blues lovers in the Loire region. Every year in March, the Fontalon hall in Roanne hosts international blues, soul, and funk artists from all over the world for two evenings. The festival unfolds in two stages: first, the "Bars & Blues" operation, a week of free concerts in bars and restaurants in Roanne and neighboring towns, then the main evenings at the Fontalon hall with a high-caliber international program. Organized by the association Art Culture et Musique du Monde (ACMM), the festival brings together about twenty passionate volunteers with a common goal: to make the Roannais region vibrate to the sounds of the blues.
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The blues in all its glory
Born in 2018 from the will of the association Art Culture et Musique du Monde (ACMM), the Roanne Blues Festival quickly established itself as the major blues event in the Loire department. Every year in March, the city of Roanne vibrates to the rhythm of blues, soul, and funk thanks to a demanding and eclectic international program.
A festival in two stages
The Roanne Blues Festival spans two weeks with an original format that makes it unique. The first phase, called "Bars & Blues", offers a week of free concerts in bars, restaurants, and cultural venues in Roanne and surrounding towns like Riorges and Charlieu. These friendly evenings allow you to discover French blues bands in an intimate and warm atmosphere.
The second phase constitutes the heart of the festival: two major concert evenings at the Fontalon hall, inaugurated in 2016, which offers a 576 m² space with an integrated stage. Each evening begins with an "Apéro Blues" at 7 PM, a musical and convivial moment that sets the tone for the evening, before the concerts of international headliners start at 8:30 PM.
An associative adventure
ACMM, a non-profit association (loi 1901) created in 2009, first managed the programming for the Satellit Café in Villerest before dedicating itself entirely to organizing the festival from 2017 onwards. Since its creation, the association has organized over 500 concerts and welcomed more than 50,000 spectators. About twenty passionate volunteers work each year to make this event a success. The first edition of the festival in October 2018, closed by Manu Lanvin, was a resounding success that launched the adventure. The "Bars & Blues" concept was born in 2019, enriching the festival's formula.
An international program
Over the years, the Roanne Blues Festival has hosted internationally renowned artists from Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, the United States, Canada, Colombia, and France. The festival favors a program that mixes traditional blues, blues-rock, soul, funk, and gospel, thus offering a complete panorama of blues music in all its forms.
Roanne Blues Festival — edition 2026
7th edition of the Roanne Blues Festival. From March 3 to 12, "Bars & Blues" concerts in bars in Roanne and surrounding areas with They Call Me Rico, Amaury Faivre, Emerald Moon, Ronan, Le Barda, Little Big Kat, and many others. On March 13 and 14, international evenings at the Fontalon hall with Zac Schulze Gang, Shakura S'Aida, Principles of Joy, and Carlos Elliot Jr.
7th Edition: An Even Richer Program
The Roanne Blues Festival returns for its 7th edition from March 3 to 14, 2026 with an enhanced format. This year, the festival extends its "Bars & Blues" program over ten days, from March 3 to 12, before the two major evenings at the Fontalon hall on March 13 and 14.
Bars & Blues: March 3 to 12
The "Bars & Blues" operation takes over bars and cultural venues in Roanne and its surroundings with a varied and completely free program:
- Tuesday, March 3 at Nota Bene (Roanne) at 8:30 PM: They Call Me Rico
- Wednesday, March 4 at Chez Nine (Roanne) at 8:30 PM: Amaury Faivre
- Thursday, March 5 at Laser and Beers (Riorges) at 8:30 PM: Emerald Moon
- Friday, March 6 at Tontons Bringueurs at 8:30 PM: Ronan
- Saturday, March 7 at Saint Philibert (Charlieu) at 8:30 PM: Le Barda
- Tuesday, March 10 at the cinema Le Renoir (Roanne) at 7:00 PM: aperitif concert with The Juke Joint Man and Pacôme Rotondo, followed at 8:30 PM by a screening of the film Black Snake Moan by Craig Brewer (2006)
- Wednesday, March 11 at the Roanne Conservatory at 6:00 PM: blues masterclass led by Pacôme Rotondo
- Thursday, March 12 at the Afterworks of the Roanne Theater at 7:00 PM: Little Big Kat
Fontalon Hall Evenings: March 13 and 14
Friday, March 13
At 8:30 PM, the Zac Schulze Gang (United Kingdom) opens the evening. This electrifying young British trio, formed in 2020 in Gillingham, Kent, fuses the raw energy of punk with the roots of blues and rock. Voted Best Emerging Blues Act at the UK Blues Awards 2024 and then Young Artist of the Year 2025, the Zac Schulze Gang has already played at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival in Los Angeles and opened for artists like Samantha Fish. At 10:15 PM, Shakura S'Aida (Canada/Switzerland/United States) takes over with her powerful and masterful voice. Born in Brooklyn, having lived in Switzerland and then settled in Canada, this internationally recognized blues singer was already invited to Jazz à Vienne in 2024. Winner of the "Her Music" award from the SOCAN Foundation in 2024, she has collaborated with legends like Jimmy Smith, Ruth Brown, and Patti LaBelle.
Saturday, March 14
At 8:15 PM, Principles of Joy (France) kicks off the evening. This French sextet is the flagship band of the Q-Sounds Recording label, founded in Seine-Saint-Denis. Led by singer Rachel Yarabou, the band draws on the richness of soul and funk, fusing the irresistible groove of Northern Soul with the depth of Deep Soul. Their incandescent stage performances have made them a must-see reference in the contemporary French soul scene. At 10:15 PM, Carlos Elliot Jr (Colombia) closes the festival. Nicknamed "the mountain bluesman," Carlos Elliot Jr is Colombia's most prominent blues musician. He brilliantly fuses the traditions of the Mississippi Delta blues with Colombian culture and ancestral African and indigenous rhythms. He has taken his unique sound to 16 countries across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Programme Roanne Blues Festival 2026
Bars & Blues Program (March 3-12, 2026)
- Tuesday, March 3, 8:30 PM: They Call Me Rico - Bar le Nota Bene (Roanne)
- Wednesday, March 4, 8:30 PM: Amaury Faivre - Chez Nine (Roanne)
- Thursday, March 5, 8:30 PM: Emerald Moon - Laser and Beers (Riorges)
- Friday, March 6, 8:30 PM: Ronan - Tontons Bringueurs
- Saturday, March 7, 8:30 PM: Le Barda - Saint Philibert (Charlieu)
- Tuesday, March 10, 7:00 PM: The Juke Joint Man & Pacôme Rotondo (aperitif concert) + screening of Black Snake Moan at 8:30 PM - Cinema Le Renoir (Roanne)
- Wednesday, March 11, 6:00 PM: Blues masterclass by Pacôme Rotondo - Roanne Conservatory
- Thursday, March 12, 7:00 PM: Little Big Kat - Afterworks of the Roanne Theater
Fontalon Hall Program (March 13-14, 2026)
- Friday, March 13:
- 7:00 PM: Apéro Blues
- 8:30 PM: Zac Schulze Gang (United Kingdom)
- 10:15 PM: Shakura S'Aida (Canada/Switzerland/United States)
- Saturday, March 14:
- 7:00 PM: Apéro Blues
- 8:15 PM: Principles of Joy (France)
- 10:15 PM: Carlos Elliot Jr (Colombia)
Highlights Roanne Blues Festival 2026
- 7th edition of the festival
- Bars & Blues extended from March 3 to 12 with 8 free events
- Cine-blues evening with screening of Black Snake Moan
- Blues masterclass at the Roanne Conservatory
- Zac Schulze Gang: British blues-rock trio voted Best Emerging Act at the UK Blues Awards 2024
- Shakura S'Aida: powerful voice of Canadian blues, guest at Jazz à Vienne 2024
- Principles of Joy: incandescent French soul-funk sextet
- Carlos Elliot Jr: the Colombian mountain bluesman
- Apéro Blues every evening at 7 PM at the Fontalon hall
Prices Roanne Blues Festival 2026
Practical information — Roanne Blues Festival
Practical Information
Access
The Fontalon hall is located at rue des Vernes, 42300 Roanne, in the Loire department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
- By car: Roanne is accessible via the A77 (from Paris/Nevers) and the A89 (from Lyon/Clermont-Ferrand). Free parking is available near the Fontalon hall.
- By train: Roanne station is served by TER trains from Lyon (approx. 1h15) and Saint-Étienne (approx. 1h).
Bars & Blues Concerts
The "Bars & Blues" concerts are free and take place in various bars and cultural venues in Roanne and its surroundings (Nota Bene, Chez Nine, Laser and Beers in Riorges, Tontons Bringueurs, etc.). Times vary depending on the venue, generally starting from 8:30 PM.
Fontalon Hall Evenings
Doors open at 7 PM for the Apéro Blues. Concerts start around 8:15-8:30 PM and continue until approximately 1 AM. A bar and light refreshments are available on site.
Ticketing
Tickets are available online on the Roannais tourist office website (roannais-tourisme.com/billetterie) and on usual ticketing platforms. Reduced rates are offered for job seekers, students, and people with disabilities.
Contact
- Phone: 06 18 43 07 07
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: roannebluesfestival.com
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Where does it take place — Roanne Blues Festival
Salle Fontalon
Rue des Vernes, 42300 Roanne