Vieilles Charrues Festival

The Vieilles Charrues Festival (, fɛstival de vjɛj ʃaʁy; , ; literally: Old Ploughs Festival) is held every year in mid July in the city of Carhaix, located in western Brittany, France. This festival is the largest music festival in France, attracting more than 280,000 festival goers every year (346 000 in 2023). 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 7,000 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.

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. Celine Dion was to sing on July 16 as part of her Courage World Tour for her only festival date in France (the 55,000 seats had been purchased in less than nine minutes).

Thursday, July 14 : Scorpions, Snoop Dogg, Ar Re Yaouank, Kaiser Chiefs, Mondkopf, Yelle, Orchestre national de Barbès, Pulp, Olivia Ruiz, Jean Louis Aubert, Adam Kesher, The Hyènes, Shaka Ponk, Julien Tiné, Le Grand Orchestre Armorigène, Stand High Patrol, Titi Robin Trio, Tremplin Taol Lans, La Canaille. Friday, July 15 : Eddy Mitchell, David Guetta, M. I. A., The BellRays, Jack Johnson, Soprano, Foals, Cold War Kids, The Inspector Cluzo, Stromae, The Octopus, Systema Solar, Barrington Levy, DJ Elwood, Who Knew, Lo Cor De La Plana, Siam, Sylvain Giro, Electric Bazar, Savaty. Saturday, July 16 : Cypress Hill, Supertramp, Angus & Julia Stone, The Bloody Beetroots, Yannick Noah, Two Door Cinema Club, AaRON, Zebra & Le Bagad Carhaix, The Shoes, Tiga, Gildas Kitsune, Nasser, Crystal Fighters, Family of the Year, Misteur Valaire, Ibrahim Maalouf, Olli & Mood, Championnat du Monde d'Air Biniou, Kreiz Breizh Akademy 3, Savaty Orchestra, Fest Noz. Sunday, July 17 : Lou Reed, The Chemical Brothers, Pierre Perret, PJ Harvey, Asaf Avidan & The Mojos, House of Pain, Ben L'Oncle Soul, Boogers, Congotronics vs Rockers, Goran Bregović, Gaetano Fabri, Nadara, Balkan Beat Box, DJ Tagada, Vojasa, Sondorgo feat Naat Veliov, Ladylike Lily, Marchand vs Burger, Leif Vollebekk, Duoud, Savaty Orchestra, Krismenn.

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

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.

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.