Yes or Notes — Festival of Contemporary Music
The free festival celebrating amateur musical practice in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
About Yes or Notes
A festival born from musical passion
Yes or Notes was born in 2005 from an initiative by Luc Gosselin, a professor at the Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray conservatory, who wanted to offer students from jazz and contemporary music workshops a real stage experience. Before the festival's creation, a more modest format called "La boîte de jazz" already existed, but was limited to a single evening. Yes or Notes allowed this framework to be surpassed by offering a multi-day event with several simultaneous stages and invited external groups.
The festival's name is a multilingual pun — "Yes, oui, ja, tak or notes" — which summarizes its spirit of openness and musical affirmation.
A unique amateur festival concept
The uniqueness of Yes or Notes lies in its concept: each group has a full hour to present its repertoire in a professional concert space, with equipment and sound quality identical to those of a professional festival. The conservatory's classrooms are transformed into real concert stages — the Raymond-Devos hall, the Maurice-Béjart hall, the Léonard-Bernstein hall, the Steve-Reich hall, the Wilfride-Piollet hall — allowing amateur musicians to perform in optimal conditions.
Concerts take place simultaneously on different stages, creating a permanent musical buzz where the public can move freely from one hall to another, discover various styles, and immerse themselves in the diversity of contemporary music.
An international dimension
Yes or Notes has progressively developed an international dimension thanks to the twinning programs of the city of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray. Musicians and dancers from Germany (Nordenham), England (Gateshead), Ukraine, Argentina, and Senegal regularly participate in the festival, creating unprecedented musical encounters and cross-border artistic collaborations.
A rich program beyond concerts
Yes or Notes is not just about concerts. Each edition offers:
- Exhibitions: posters from the festival's 20 years, cultural mapping, works on peace and children's rights
- Creative workshops: workshops for children, wooden games, family activities
- Dance performances: performances by international dancers and conservatory students
- A festive picnic: a moment of shared conviviality outdoors
- A catering area: bar and food on site, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings
Twenty years of music and sharing
In 2025, Yes or Notes celebrated its 20th anniversary with an exceptional edition featuring 65 groups over four days, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. From the three stages of a Sunday afternoon in 2005, the festival has become a major cultural event in the Rouen metropolitan area, driven by the passion of its musicians and the commitment of the city and the conservatory.
Yes or Notes — edition 2026
21st edition of Yes or Notes, a free festival of contemporary music in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, organized from May 8 to 10, 2026 at Espace Georges-Déziré. Three days of concerts from municipal conservatory workshops and regional music schools, with international guests (Nordenham, Germany) and free-access dance performances.
Yes or Notes 2026 — 21st Edition
For its 21st edition, the Yes or Notes festival was held from Friday, May 8 to Sunday, May 10, 2026 at Espace Georges-Déziré in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray. Three days of simultaneous concerts across five conservatory rooms (Raymond-Devos, Maurice-Béjart, Léonard-Bernstein, Steve-Reich) and outdoors in the square and Georges-Déziré hall, following the dynamic established by the 20th anniversary in 2025.
The edition welcomed the jazz and contemporary music workshops of the municipal conservatory, as well as numerous invited groups from music schools in the Rouen metropolitan area (Grand-Quevilly, Petit-Couronne, Grand-Couronne, Val-de-Reuil, Sotteville-lès-Rouen, Oissel, Louviers, Dieppe, Caux Seine Agglo, Sivom 3 Vallées) and a German group from Nordenham, a twin town. On the program: jazz, pop, rock, funk, soul, reggae, hip-hop, French chanson, oriental fanfare, New Orleans brass band, MAO (computer-assisted music)… plus six dance carte blanche performances and a derbouka workshop.
As every year, admission was entirely free. The La Houssière social center provided catering on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7 p.m., and the Sweet Dreams space in the Steve-Reich room offered 10-minute MAO relaxation sessions throughout the festival.
Programme Yes or Notes 2026
Friday, May 8, 2026
Raymond-Devos Room
- 15:00 — Dézir'égaux (songs)
- 16:00 — Tuesday Night (pop rock)
- 17:00 — Bugale and friends (Breizh variety)
- 20:00 — Fatbabs (reggae / hip-hop / dancehall)
Maurice-Béjart Room
- 15:20 — Without Name & The Wolfband (contemporary music)
- 16:20 — The Incredibles (rock)
- 17:20 — The Fool (rock / pop)
- 20:00 — The World (pop rock)
- 21:30 — Quand Celle 4tet Pierre Richer (jazz / funk / soul / hip-hop)
Léonard-Bernstein Room
- 15:40 — Crazy Stars (pop / rock)
- 16:40 — Les acolytes anonymes (songs)
- 17:40 — L'heure des pianistes (musical universe)
- 20:00 — Électrons libres (pop / rock)
- 21:30 — Zorro El Patron (soul / rock / reggaeton)
Steve-Reich Room
- 15:00 – 18:30 — Sweet Dreams (relaxation area — MAO creations, 10 min sessions)
Georges-Déziré Hall
- 21:00 — Gaetan live set (MAO class)
Georges-Déziré Square
- 15:30 — Dance carte blanche #1 (conservatories Caux Seine Agglo, Handisup, SER)
- 16:45 — Dance carte blanche #2 (Rouen, Val-de-Reuil, CHAD, SER)
- 19:00 — Zorna (festive oriental fanfare)
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Raymond-Devos Room
- 14:00 — Les Crazy Monkey Tomatoes (vocal jazz)
- 15:00 — Pitch 5 (pop funk)
- 16:00 — Tangerine (jazz)
- 17:00 — Riff in Stride (pop / soul)
- 20:00 — 3T4 Coffee (pop rock — Nordenham, Germany)
- 21:30 — Cybe and friends (soul / funk / jazz)
Maurice-Béjart Room
- 14:20 — Kristal (French pop rock)
- 15:20 — Young Cailly All Stars (pop)
- 16:20 — Les Fun-tastics (fun pop)
- 17:20 — MAO workshops (electro)
- 20:00 — Jordane Avril (looped covers — piano / voice)
- 21:30 — Moo Box (rock without guitar)
Léonard-Bernstein Room
- 14:40 — Tom's Blues rock
- 15:40 — Jazzimut (vocal / brass jazz)
- 16:40 — Contemporary music workshops (Grand-Quevilly)
- 17:40 — Les Ziglotos (original music)
- 20:00 — Couchés dans le foin (1930s songs — Compagnie Hautes formes)
- 21:30 — Éclats — Clémence Delhomelle & Yann Auger (French songs)
Steve-Reich Room
- 14:00 – 18:30 — Sweet Dreams (MAO relaxation sessions, 10 min)
Georges-Déziré Hall
- 21:00 — Ghislain live set (MAO class)
Georges-Déziré Square
- 14:00 – 18:00 — Your turn to play! (creative workshops, children's games — socio-cultural center)
- 14:15 — Dance carte blanche #3 (Grand/Petit-Couronne, CHAD, SER)
- 15:30 — Dance carte blanche #4 (Oissel, Just Kiff Dancing, SER)
- 16:45 — Dance carte blanche #5 (Val-de-Reuil, Grand/Petit-Couronne, SER)
- 19:00 — Tuba chaussette (New Orleans style brass)
Sunday, May 10, 2026
Raymond-Devos Room
- 14:00 — CinéLab — Takajouer & Louviers improv workshop (music / images)
- 15:00 — Once upon a time… (swing pop)
- 16:00 — Les tritons flingueurs (jazz / soul)
- 17:30 — BBBB — Big Band Bigrement Bruyant
Maurice-Béjart Room
- 14:20 — EMIJ Young Orchestra (international variety)
- 15:20 — KOID9 (energetic pop)
- 16:20 — Bee Cool (calm music)
- 17:30 — JAM Association BBF
Léonard-Bernstein Room
- 14:40 — Zorro el patrón and guests (jam session)
- 15:40 — Voi-sing (pop rock)
- 16:40 — DEM workshop (contemporary music — Grand/Petit-Couronne, Dieppe)
Steve-Reich Room
- 14:00 – 17:30 — Sweet Dreams (MAO chill, 10 min sessions)
Georges-Déziré Square
- 15:30 — Dance carte blanche #6 (Sotteville-lès-Rouen, Sivom 3 Vallées)
- 16:15 — Sax à 4 (jazz / film music — Grand-Quevilly)
- 17:00 — Derbouka workshop Mohamed Arbane (Centre Georges-Brassens)
Highlights Yes or Notes 2026
- 21st edition of a municipal festival that has become a major event in the Rouen metropolitan area
- Around sixty simultaneous concerts on 5 stages (conservatory rooms + open air)
- Evening headliners: Fatbabs (reggae/dancehall), Zorro El Patron, Cybe and friends, Couchés dans le foin, Éclats Delhomelle/Auger
- International guests: 3T4 Coffee (Nordenham, Germany — twin town)
- Six dance carte blanche performances bringing together the conservatories of the Rouen agglomeration
- Sweet Dreams space (MAO creation in 10 min sessions) and free family activities
- Free admission to the entire festival
Prices Yes or Notes 2026
Practical information — Yes or Notes
Practical Information
Access
- Address: Espace Georges-Déziré, 271 rue de Paris, 76800 Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
- By bus: Line F3 (Goubert stop), Line F7 (Mairie stop), Line 42 (Église stop).
- By car: Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray is located in the southern suburbs of Rouen, easily accessible from the A13 and A150 motorways.
Prices
Festival entirely free. Free access to all concerts, exhibitions, and activities.
Catering
Bar and catering on site on Friday and Saturday evenings (Association du centre social de La Houssière).
Contact
Phone: 02 35 02 76 89
Official website: saintetiennedurouvray.fr/yes-or-notes
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Where does it take place — Yes or Notes
Espace Georges-Déziré — Conservatoire de Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
271 rue de Paris, 76800 Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray