A whole host of festivals
in the Ancenis region!
What do you mean, you're worried about getting bored here? Living in the Pays d'Ancenis means not only living in the countryside, in close contact with a peaceful and rejuvenating natural environment, but also enjoying a social life rich in festivals, culture, sport and events of all kinds that punctuate our calendar every year! Here's a small selection of the not-to-be-missed events. Get out your diaries!
March - Comic strip celebrations
You've heard of the Angoulême Comics Festival, but we've also got our own festival to celebrate the ninth art form! The Pays d'Ancenis Illustration and Comics Festival takes place every year on the last weekend in March! Every year, the event gets bigger and bigger. Around forty authors are usually present. The weekend is punctuated by a host of highlights: meetings with authors, "Parlons BD!" readers' clubs, "Ciné-BD", the annual drawing competition and the "Prix BD du Pays d'Ancenis". Manga and comic book areas have been added to the event in recent years.
May - Un max de harpes
Look out for this unusual festival with an international dimension! Orchestrated by the Communauté de communes du Pays d'Ancenis and its partners Harpes Camac and the town of Ancenis-Saint-Géréon, Harpes au max returns every two years to put the harp at the heart of the festival! And it proves that eclecticism is possible: world music, classical, jazz, Celtic... All over the Pays d'Ancenis, discover outdoor concerts, in exceptional venues, emblematic halls or unusual places...
June - Run for your company!
See you at the start of the Team & Run ! The race is a sporting event dedicated to employees of companies in the Pays d'Ancenis, run by COMPA in partnership with ACPA, the town ofAncenis-Saint-Géréon and ADIRA. It's a fantastic opportunity to unite and forge links between businesses of all sizes and in all sectors. What's more, we're running for a good cause, and every runner's contribution goes to a charity.
July - Dub by the lake!
Fancy a good dub and reggae sound? Come along to the Dub Camp festival for three days in July, in an exceptional setting on the banks of Lake Vioreau in Joué-sur-Erdre. Every year, more than 50 groups from all over France and Europe come to perform in a festive atmosphere from early afternoon until late into the night under big, colourful tents.
July - Feast at the château!
The prestigious courtyard of the château at Ancenis-Saint-Géréon is the setting for the Loire's ondes music festival in July. It's an evening concocted by a group of music enthusiasts to showcase the best of the local jazz, funk and house scene.
August - A happy addition of sculptures
Since 1996, Oudon has gradually become a meeting place for sculptors from all over the world. For a fortnight in August, the little port of Oudon is transformed into an open-air art studio where five sculptors take up the challenge of creating a monumental work from a log, a block of stone or other material. Over the course of the days, the public witness the birth of a work of art of unusual dimensions. To date, the sculpture trail comprises some forty works.
August - Sound and light
Every year at Joué-Erdre, "Dans la nuit, la liberté" re-enacts a spectacular immersion in the 1940s in Loire-Atlantique, at the heart of the Resistance and life during the war in the countryside before the liberation by American troops. A major part of our history, brought to life by the fervour of 250 volunteers from the Transmission du Pays d'Ancenis association.
September - From farm to fork
An event where you can buy great local produce and eat it on the spot with friends or family? That's the idea of the Compagnons gourmands association, which is behind Loire et Saveurs in September in the courtyard of the château at Ancenis-Saint-Géréon. You can shop and cook your meal on the spot before enjoying it. It's a real showcase for the produce and producers of the Ancenis region, with a friendly atmosphere to boot!
September - Would you like some wine?
Well, yes, in a land of vineyards like ours, there had to be an event celebrating wine! Les échappées en Loire, formerly known as Vignes, vins et randos, takes place every first weekend in September. It offers 18 tasty and colourful walks all along the vineyards of the Loire Valley. With the winegrowers as your guides, it's a unique opportunity to discover the finest wine-growing terroirs in a region that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
October - Your family reunion
Why not let your children choose the programme? Tonight, I'm going out with my parents is, as its name suggests, a festival dedicated to families. It offers an eclectic programme for young and old alike, opening up horizons, marvelling and sharing precious moments. Every autumn, the festival travels around the Pays d'Ancenis. Over the three days, the towns involved are at the heart of the event, with a central town providing a meeting place for the public and the artists.
In the neighbourhood
At the Ô Mauvais Buisson music festival, you're in the right place! Every year in May, in Maumusson (44), 15 minutes from Ancenis-Saint-Géréon, contemporary music is in full swing for one big night!