Festivals & local colour

Festivals celebrating past and future

Brittany hosts an exceptional number of festivals, from the traditional to the contemporary. Whether you’re interested in those putting Breton customs to the fore, or those featuring future talent, you’ll be spoilt for choice. It’s not just the big towns that propose major events, but also some surprising smaller places.

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Folklore to the fore 

There are countless Breton festivals giving pride of place to Breton traditions. For big costumed parades, Quimper’s Fête de Cornouaille and Pont-l’Abbé’s Fête des Brodeuses are hard to beat. Guingamp is known for its Breton dance gatherings and Paimpol for its celebration of Breton sea shanty. Several towns stage historic festivals, for example Dinan and Vannes and many other places host folklore festivals, or special events for Breton tales. The biggest traditional festival is Lorient’s massive August Festival Interceltique; it has international and even political dimensions taking it beyond Breton traditions.

Religious pardons Breton-style 

Pardons are typically Breton religious festivals where the local community carries its saints’ statues and banners out of church and processes around after them. Some of the most famous are those of Ste-Anne-d’Auray, St Yves at Tréguier and Locronan. The latter, known as the Troménie, is thought to have roots going back to ancient Celtic times. Many other places take their annual pardon seriously, although tourists are welcome to join the ranks of faithful.

Contemporary cool 

Rennes puts on two major contemporary music festivals either end of the year, plus a contemporary art biennial. St-Malo welcomes a well-known rock festival, but the contemporary music festival that attracts the most excitement is Les Vieilles Charrues, at little old Carhaix. Even the island of Ouessant has boldly hosted a rock festival recently.

Did you know ? 

The town of Gourin celebrates one of Brittany’s most famous culinary traditions with its annual July Fête de la Crêpe !