Sous les Pavés l'Art

Sous les Pavés l'Art: The Street Art Celebration in Saint-Omer

Since 2016, the Sous les Pavés… l'Art! festival has established itself as a must-attend event for street arts in the Hauts-de-France region. Created by the Compagnie Le Sceau du Tremplin, this free and popular festival takes over the streets of Saint-Omer and the Audomarois with a bold, subversive, and festive program.

A Two-Part Festival

The event unfolds in two stages:

• The Preamble: For a week before the main festival, performances are presented in participating towns in the Audomarois and Lumbrésois regions, allowing residents to discover street arts closer to home.
• The Festival: On Pentecost weekend (three days), artists take over the streets, squares, and parks of Saint-Omer for an intense program of shows, parades, and performances.

An Engaged and Impertinent Program

Each edition is driven by a theme that provides coherence to the programming. The performances question our society, celebrate diversity and freedom, with a tone that blends boldness, humor, and poetry. Circus, street theater, dance, puppetry, performances: all forms of street art are represented.

La Reine des Pavés (The Queen of the Paving Stones)

Each edition sees the birth of a Reine des Pavés, a giant mascot 3 meters high, collectively created by festival-goers. Covered in colorful crepe paper flowers, she accompanies the festival and later participates in other city events, such as the famous nautical procession of Saint-Omer in July.

A Solidarity and Participatory Festival

Sous les Pavés l'Art is fundamentally a solidarity and participatory festival. Admission is free, performances are accessible to all, and the festival is powered by a community of engaged volunteers. Spectators are invited to support the event with a free donation, a testament to the mutual trust between artists and the public.

Strong Territorial Roots

The festival contributes to the cultural animation of the Audomarois territory and the discovery of this city of art and history, with its remarkable heritage: the cathedral, the Audomarois marshes, the medieval alleys. Street arts offer a new perspective on these historic sites.