Tissé Métisse

Tissé Métisse: over thirty years of living together in Nantes

The Tissé Métisse festival was born on December 11, 1993 in Nantes, in a context of rising racist ideas and identity withdrawal. Driven by the desire to counter the spread of intolerance, this cultural and civic event has established itself over the decades as a must-see event in the Nantes metropolitan area. For over thirty years, Tissé Métisse has championed the values of solidarity, better living together, and the fight against discrimination related to origin, place of residence, or social exclusion.

A multidisciplinary festival rooted in culture and debate

Every year in December, the Cité des Congrès de Nantes hosts this intercultural celebration for an intense day, from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. The program is organized around 15 shows on 4 stages: world and contemporary music concerts in the Grande Halle, theater and dance performances in Salle 800, comedy and performances in Salle 450, and children's activities in Salle 300. The festival also offers citizen debates and conferences in Salle 200 and Salle 100, a civic escape game, engaged exhibitions, an associative forum, and a world cuisine village.

Artists from around the world

Throughout its editions, Tissé Métisse has hosted artists from all musical backgrounds: Faada Freddy, Oldelaf, FéFé, Maya Kamaty, Les Garçons Bouchers, Dafné Kritharas, Tinaa, Samifati & Transe Gnawa Express, Kareen Guiock Thuram, and many others. The programming mixes pop, soul, gospel, rock, Gnawa music, Afro, Creole, hip-hop, and K-pop, reflecting the cultural diversity that the festival has celebrated since its origins.

The Tissé Métisse association: year-round commitment

The Tissé Métisse association, officially created on April 17, 2003, works against all forms of discrimination and exclusion in companies, schools, and society. Its actions focus on access to culture, discrimination prevention, living together, and civic engagement. Composed of three founding structures—the ACENER (federation of works councils), the CID (intercultural documentation center), and FAL 44 (secular education federation)—the association has had a documentary resource center since 2019 specializing in issues of immigration, cultural diversity, and philosophy, located at 2 bis boulevard Léon Bureau in Nantes.

An accessible and committed festival

Tissé Métisse stands out for its solidarity-based pricing policy with reduced rates for young people, students, and recipients of minimum social benefits, as well as solidarity tickets at very low prices. The festival is accessible to people with disabilities with sign language interpretation, a braille map, and concerts broadcast on a giant screen. More than 400 volunteers and 80 associations and collectives participate each year in the organization of this unifying event.