Vieilles Charrues Festival


The Vieilles Charrues Festival is held every year in mid-July in the city of Carhaix located in the west of Brittany, France.
This festival is the largest music festival in France, attracting more than 200,000 festival-goers every year. This festival was created in 1992 in Landeleau, a small village in central Finistère. At that time, less than 500 revellers attended and the festival was more like a private party. The following year, the festival welcomed more than 2000 and that was the beginning of its success story. In 1995, due to lack of space on the original site, the festival moved to Carhaix city center and in 1998, for the same reason, the festival chose a site on the outskirts of Carhaix. In October 2016 the festival organizes an exceptional concert at Central Park in New York City in tribute to the many Bretons who were immigrants to the city in the nineteenth century.
Each year, more than 5,500 volunteers enable the festival to be a success, with their actions in the numerous bars, restaurants, and other stands of the festival. The festival thanks them by giving money to local associations. The organizers also helped to finance Hall Glenmor, a concert hall, and to renovate the Château de Kerampuil, a castle located near the site of the festival.

Lineups

2020

It was announced on 13 April 2020 that the 2020 edition would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, even if Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, announced on 13 April that only festivals before mid-July had to be cancelled.

2019

2018

In New York City
In Carhaix
July 15–18
July 22,23 and 24
July 23,24 and 25
July 14,18,19 and 20
July 14,19,20 and 21
July 14,20,21 and 22
July 14,21,22 and 23
July 13–18
July 17,18 and 19
July 4,5,6
July 5,6 and 7
Miossec, Bernard Lavilliers, Zebda, Les Innocents, Maxime Le Forestier, Frank Black, Ouf La Puce..., Marcel et Son Orchestre, Red Cardell, Tayfa, Boulequies et Sonotones, Ar re Yaouank, Gwenc'hlan, Oxyde de Cuivre, The Guilt.

1995

July 7–9, First Edition in Carhaix
Blues Brothers, The Silencers, Red Cardell, Ar Re Yaounak, Spook & the Guay, Soul Cactus, Taraf de Haïdouks Junior, Carré Manchot, A Bout de Souffle, Ongi Etorri, Mike Hutchison, Namas Pamos.

1994

Held at Landeleau
Les Satellites, Dolly, Oy Ventilo, Les Raouls j’te Pousse, Scotch Snap, La Folyre.

1993

Landeleau
Les Pires, Oy Ventilo, La Folyre, Soft Touch Band, Students Brass Band and B12

1992

Creation of fête des Vieilles Charrues as a small village event in Landeleau. No concert poster nor list available.

Stages of the festival

Glenmor

Glenmor stage is the biggest stage of the festival. It is named after Emile Le Scanff, also known as Glenmor. With a total surface area of 1,000 m², Glenmor stage is one of the largest French stages.
As every other stage of the festival, Glenmor stage is set up before each occasion of the festival, and taken down after the end of the concerts.

Kerouac

Kerouac stage is the second stage of the festival. It is named after Jack Kerouac, whose ancestors were from Brittany.

Grall

Grall stage is the third stage of the festival and is named after Xavier Grall. Hip-hop and electronic music artists often play on this stage.

Gwernig

The smallest stage of the festival, Gwernig, is located under a circus tent. It is named after the Breton-American poet Youenn Gwernig. Concerts on Gwernig stage are traditionally held by Breton music and world music bands.