Rolling Saône Festival
Gray's music festival on the banks of the Saône
About Rolling Saône
Rolling Saône: Music Celebration in the Heart of Gray
The Rolling Saône Festival was born in 2008 from a handful of music enthusiasts gathered within the Rolling Saône association. From the second edition onwards, the festival took up residence in the heart of the town of Gray, a small city of 5,500 inhabitants nestled on the banks of the Saône, at the crossroads of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. What was initially just a small musical gathering has transformed, edition after edition, into a major event on the regional cultural scene.
Halle Sauzay: A Unique Venue
The festival takes place under and around the Halle Sauzay, an imposing covered structure of 1,000 m² located on the banks of the Saône, a stone's throw from the historic center and its Renaissance heritage. Since 2012, two stages face each other under the hall, allowing artists to play alternately without downtime. The installation of a giant screen in 2017 increased the capacity to approximately 6,500 spectators each evening, with a maximum capacity of 8,000 people.
An Eclectic and Family-Friendly Program
Rolling Saône claims a program for "7 to 77 year olds", mixing national headliners and discoveries. The festival cheerfully blends genres: rock, pop, French chanson, hip-hop, electro, reggae, funk, and world music follow each other on the two stages from Thursday to Saturday. In 2025, the 17th edition featured artists such as Vitaa, Kavinsky, Alonzo, Tagada Jones, and Joseph Kamel. For 2026, the lineup includes Stephan Eicher, Matt Pokora, Djadja & Dinaz, Marine, Eiffel, Aldebert (in metal version), Ycare, and Orange Blossom.
A Festival Driven by Volunteers
Rolling Saône is, above all, a human adventure. The association has 160 volunteers who manage programming, logistics, security, and audience reception. This collective energy has allowed the festival to grow year after year, expanding from a single evening to three full days of music. With approximately 17,000 festival-goers throughout the 2025 edition, Rolling Saône confirms its place among the flagship festivals of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.
Rolling Saône — edition 2026
The 18th edition of the Rolling Saône Festival was held from May 14 to 16, 2026, under the Halle Sauzay in Gray (Haute-Saône). Three evenings of concerts on two alternating stages (Aval and Amont), from 6 PM to 1:30 AM, featuring headliners Stephan Eicher, Eiffel, Helldebert (Aldebert's metal project), Marine, Djadja & Dinaz, Orange Blossom, Ycare, and Matt Pokora. More than 16,000 festival-goers braved capricious weather for this edition, supported by nearly 170 volunteers.
18th Edition — May 14 to 16, 2026
The 18th edition of the Rolling Saône Festival was held from Thursday, May 14 to Saturday, May 16, 2026 at the Halle Sauzay in Gray, with concerts from 6:15 PM to 1:30 AM each evening on the two alternating Aval and Amont stages (seven artists on Thursday and Friday, six on Saturday).
An Edition of Rain, Crowds, and Pokoramania
Despite cool temperatures (around 5 °C) and persistent rain over the three days, the festival gathered more than 16,000 spectators under the covered hall. The edition saw Stephan Eicher deliver “poetic and electric” performances, Marine (winner of Star Academy 2024) make her emotional debut on a large festival stage, Djadja & Dinaz transform the hall into a giant dance floor, and Matt Pokora unleash “Pokoramania” during the Saturday night finale.
Program by Evening
Thursday, May 14: Mapo, Aldebert (in metal version “Helldebert: Enfantillages 666”), Nast, Stephan Eicher, Lesswinter, Eiffel, House of Brass.
Friday, May 15: Enelos, Marine, Malo', Djadja & Dinaz, Vanupié, Orange Blossom, Ced.Rec.
Saturday, May 16: Bolidde, Ycare, Solve, Matt Pokora, Oriska, DJ Bens.
This edition serves as a “dress rehearsal” before the 20th anniversary planned for 2027.
Programme Rolling Saône 2026
Thursday, May 14, 2026
- 6:15 PM — 7:00 PM · Aval Stage · Mapo (rap)
- 7:00 PM — 8:15 PM · Amont Stage · Aldebert (Helldebert: Enfantillages 666, metal version)
- 8:15 PM — 9:00 PM · Aval Stage · Nast (pop)
- 9:00 PM — 10:15 PM · Amont Stage · Stephan Eicher (pop song, headliner)
- 10:15 PM — 11:00 PM · Aval Stage · Lesswinter (pop-rock)
- 11:00 PM — 12:15 AM · Amont Stage · Eiffel (French rock)
- 12:15 AM — 1:15 AM · Aval Stage · House of Brass (brass band house / jazz)
Friday, May 15, 2026
- 6:15 PM — 7:00 PM · Aval Stage · Enelos (pop-folk)
- 7:00 PM — 8:15 PM · Amont Stage · Marine (pop, winner of Star Academy 2024)
- 8:15 PM — 9:15 PM · Aval Stage · Malo' (pop)
- 9:15 PM — 10:30 PM · Amont Stage · Djadja & Dinaz (rap, headliner)
- 10:30 PM — 11:30 PM · Aval Stage · Vanupié (reggae)
- 11:30 PM — 12:45 AM · Amont Stage · Orange Blossom (world music / electro)
- 12:45 AM — 1:30 AM · Aval Stage · Ced.Rec (techno)
Saturday, May 16, 2026
- 6:15 PM — 7:00 PM · Aval Stage · Bolidde (pop-rock)
- 7:00 PM — 8:30 PM · Amont Stage · Ycare (pop)
- 8:30 PM — 9:30 PM · Aval Stage · Solve (alternative rock)
- 9:30 PM — 11:00 PM · Amont Stage · Matt Pokora (urban pop, headliner)
- 11:00 PM — 12:15 AM · Aval Stage · Oriska (electro)
- 12:15 AM — 1:30 AM · Amont Stage · DJ Bens (RnB)
Highlights Rolling Saône 2026
- 18th edition · over 16,000 festival-goers over three evenings despite the rain
- Two covered stages (Aval and Amont) alternating, without downtime
- Headliners: Stephan Eicher, Djadja & Dinaz, Matt Pokora
- Noteworthy performance by Marine, winner of Star Academy 2024
- Helldebert: the metal version of Aldebert's youth project
- “Dress rehearsal” before the 20th anniversary planned for 2027
Prices Rolling Saône 2026
Practical information — Rolling Saône
Access
Halle Sauzay: Avenue Carnot, 70100 Gray. On the banks of the Saône, in the immediate vicinity of the historic centre.
By car: From Dijon (50 km) via the D70, from Besançon (50 km) via the N57 then D474, from Dole (38 km) via the D475. Free parking with 1,200 spaces near the Halle.
By train: Gray SNCF station (Dijon-Besançon line), then about a ten-minute walk to Halle Sauzay. The bus station is 100 m from the site.
Camping: Longue Rive campsite, free for festival-goers, 500 m from the site (tents only).
Hours
Doors open at 5:00 PM, concerts until 2:00 AM every night.
Prices (presale, excluding booking fees)
Day pass: 33 €.
3-day pass: 68 €.
On-site prices: 43 € for the day, 78 € for the 3-day pass.
Children under 10: free (limited places, mandatory reservation on the official website).
The festival accepts the Pass Culture.
Ticketing
Online presale on rolling-saone.com and from usual retailers (Fnac Spectacles, Ticketmaster). Local points of sale: Intermarché Gray press, BIJ of Gray, Vesoul and Besançon (Carte Avantage Jeune discount).
Festival-goer photos
No photo yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Vous avez repéré une erreur ou une information manquante ?
Aidez-nous à garder cette fiche à jour. Toute proposition est relue par notre équipe avant publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No review yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community
Where does it take place — Rolling Saône
Halle Sauzay
Halle Sauzay, Avenue Carnot, 70100 Gray, 70100 Gray