Music festivals Brittany 2014: Just across the English Channel in Brittany the famous musical festivals of the summer will be better than ever in 2014…
Headlining acts, glorious countryside, brilliant facilities. This year some of the biggest names in music have signed up to perform in Brittany. Portishead, The Black Keys, Lily Allen, Artic Monkeys, Sinead O’Connor, Elton John, Franz Ferdinand, Kavinsky and Jamie XX – it’s certainly going to be a buzzing summer in Brittany.
Every summer, music festivals serve music and party lovers an electric and eclectic feast, day and night. All across Brittany, good vibes surge through stunning towns, enchanting countryside, and spectacular coastline.
The Breton love of music, celebration and togetherness is a part of the festival experience; it’s no wonder that Brittany boasts so many unique and well-established events.
It’s a common enough assumption that Brittany is all about folk music, and of course there are plenty of events celebrating the Region’s rich folk heritage. However even the folkier fests like the Festival Interceltique de Lorient and the Festival de Cornouaill, while championing the Celtic tradition, also extend their welcome to a dazzling and diverse array of acts from around the world. Brittany is also home to La Route du Rock in scenic St-Malo, and Vieilles Charrues, two of the country’s major league rock festivals. Jazz fans are also well catered for with the likes of Jazz à Vannes and Fest-Jazz.
For more evidence you might check out Brest’s Astropolis, an electronically inclined festival that emerged in the 90s and which every year attracts the cream of France’s talented dance producers and international names. Still, even with ultra-hip acts flying in from all over the world, there’s never a shortage of true Breton flavour – at most festivals, local food and drink are in plentiful supply.
Astropolis, a 4-day techno extravaganza – Brest: 3-6 July www.astropolis.org/2014
Les Vieilles Charrues, Glastonbury’s Gallic cousin – Carhaix: 17-20 July www.vieillescharrues.asso.fr/2014
La Route du Rock, a major league rock festival – Saint-Malo: 13-16 August www.laroutedurock.com
Festival Interceltique de Lorient, Brittany’s biggest Celtic music festival – Lorient: 1-10 August www.festival-interceltique.com
Festival de Cornouaille, the daddy of Breton cultural festivals – Quimper: 22-27 August www.festival-cornouaille.com
Jazz à Vannes, the pre-eminent jazz festival in Brittany – Vannes: 28 July – 2 August www.jazzavannes.fr
Fest Jazz, a succesful Anglo-French jazz festival – Châteauneuf-du-Faou: 25-27 July www.fest-jazz.com
How to get there?
Ferries operate from the UK to St-Malo and Roscoff; nearest airports at Dinard, Quimper, Rennes, Brest and Nantes and there are great train links from all over France.
