World Festival Ambert

World Festival Ambert: Where Contemporary Music Meets World Cultures

Since 1989, the World Festival Ambert has taken on the bold challenge of linking contemporary music and world culture, creating an event unparalleled in France. Born under the name "Festival de la Danse et du Chant du Monde" (Festival of World Dance and Song), it has established itself over the decades as an unmissable summer event in the Auvergne region, attracting thousands of festival-goers each year to the small town of Ambert, in the heart of Livradois-Forez.

A Unique Concept: Musical Fusion

The festival is based on a strong idea: to blend contemporary musical styles—pop, rock, hip-hop, electro—with musical and dance traditions from the five continents. Since its inception, it has hosted artists and troupes from 97 different countries, with over 7,000 dancers, musicians, and artists performing on its stages. This openness to the world, in a spirit of festive communion and respect for cultures, is what makes the World Festival so unique.

An Exceptional Natural Setting

The festival takes place at la Prairie, the leisure center of Val Dore in Ambert, a wooded park by the river that offers a bucolic and friendly setting. The area hosts the concert stages, a campsite for festival-goers, as well as food and craft stalls from around the world.

Site Highlights

• Natural setting: wooded park by the Dore river
• On-site camping for festival-goers
• World Village with craft and gastronomic stalls
• Cashless system for on-site payments
• Shuttles from Clermont-Ferrand

A 100% Associative Festival

Supported by the association Livradoué-Dansaire, the World Festival Ambert is an entirely non-profit event, committed to openness to the world and festive communion while respecting cultures and nature. It contributes to the influence of the Livradois-Forez region and the cultural animation of the Puy-de-Dôme department during the summer period.

An Eclectic and Popular Program

Each edition offers a varied program bringing together French and international headliners alongside folk groups and traditional dance troupes. Over the years, the festival has hosted renowned artists while maintaining its commitment to discovering lesser-known cultures. The three evenings of concerts are complemented by daytime activities, parades, and participatory workshops.