Rues Barrées Festival

Rues Barrées: When Auxerre Becomes a Giant Stage

Born in 2018 on the initiative of the Culture, Sports, and Events Department of the City of Auxerre, the Rues Barrées festival quickly established itself as one of the most anticipated cultural events in the Yonne and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté regions. Every late August, for three days and three nights, the historic center of Auxerre becomes the playground for about twenty companies from France and Europe, who talentedly and boldly occupy the city's streets, squares, parking lots, and gardens.

The spirit of the festival is resolutely popular and accessible: all performances are free, and shows run from afternoon into the evening, allowing everyone to create their own program across the city. With about fifty performances spread across multiple venues simultaneously, the challenge for spectators is precisely to choose—and to walk from one show to another through the narrow streets of Auxerre.

A Rich and Eclectic Program

Rues Barrées draws its strength from the diversity of artistic forms it programs. Each edition happily blends contemporary circus, juggling, aerial acrobatics, street dance, street theater, clowning, performance, and comedy. The selected companies share a demanding artistic vision and an ability to inhabit public space to create unique moments of connection with the audience.

The event traditionally opens on Friday evening with a grand inauguration show at the Tournelle parking lot, often an aerial circus act or a large-scale performance that sets the tone and immediately gathers thousands of spectators. Saturday and Sunday are punctuated by itinerant performances, parades, and shows presented in the city's most unusual spaces.

Artists from All Over Europe

Over the years, Rues Barrées has shown great international openness, regularly inviting companies from Spain, Belgium, Franco-Belgian collaborations, and across the French-speaking world. This European dimension contributes to the festival's artistic richness and distinguishes it from purely local events. The 8th edition, in 2025, had a distinct Spanish flavor, hosting several companies from Barcelona and Spain, including the company Rojo Telón, which opened the festivities with a striking aerial circus performance.

Humor as a Common Thread

While Rues Barrées embraces a wide variety of artistic disciplines, humor remains an essential common thread in its programming. The invited companies skillfully blend poetry and technical virtuosity with a keen sense of audience engagement, playing on surprise, unexpected twists, and shared laughter. This festive and convivial dimension is one of the hallmarks of the Auxerre festival.

Auxerre as Scenery and Stage

The choice of performance venues is itself an invitation to discover the city. Companies take over historic squares, gardens, schoolyards, parking lots, and even the areas around the Saint-Germain Abbey or the banks of the Yonne River. Spectators thus wander through the medieval heart of Auxerre, rediscovering their city in a new, lively, and vibrant light.

For three days, the festival helps make the city center a space for life and encounters, stimulating foot traffic for shops and restaurants, and strengthening the bond between the city and its inhabitants. Families, children, the elderly, and lovers of live performance mingle in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, true to the spirit of street arts.

Organization Led by the City of Auxerre

Organized directly by the Culture, Sports, and Events Department of the City of Auxerre, the Rues Barrées festival benefits from solid institutional support that allows it to grow with each edition. The budget increased from approximately 70,000 euros in the early editions to over 90,000 euros starting from the 6th edition in 2023, enabling the hosting of increasingly renowned companies.

Festival attendance is constantly growing: from 10,000 spectators in the early editions, the audience grew to over 16,000 for the 5th edition (2022), and then to 25,000 spectators for the 7th edition (2024), confirming the festival's firm place in the cultural life of Auxerre and the Yonne region.

A Growing and Professionalizing Festival

With each edition, the festival gains maturity. The organizing team enriches the program—from 10 companies and 32 performances in the 4th edition (2021) to about twenty companies and 50 performances starting from the 6th edition—and develops partnerships with regional and national cultural structures specializing in street arts. Shows specifically for young audiences (ages 5-12) were introduced from the 7th edition (2024), further expanding the festival's family appeal.