A collector with a taste for greatness.

The Fine-Arts museum in Nantes will be dedicating a major exhibition to Gildas Fardel (Vannes, 1906-Paris, 1977), an art amateur who in 1958 made a substantial donation to the museum, offering ten inestimable works.

This was the first time a provincial museum was given the privilege of displaying works signed Kandinsky, a pioneer of abstract art, such as Herunter. The other works were signed Gilioli, Julio Gonzalez, Roberta Gonzalez, Hartung, Magnelli, Poliakoff, Schneider and Soulages, major played on the international art scene.

Extraordinary troop of ice-skaters!

Discover this extraordinary troop of ice-skaters, graduates of the most prestigious Russian schools. The performers of Moscow Circus on Ice followed rigorous circus training and keep up strong athletic discipline. They execute traditional circus acts to perfection, with flying acts, acrobatics, clowns and other surprises. Expect an hour and a half of rhythmic fun for the whole family!

One of the most important meetings in France

Three days of competitions bringing together some of the best French and international riders with seven trials at the Parc de la Beaujoire, what could be a better way to open the season?

The indoor stage in Nantes is one of the top level events of the year, and is not to be missed after the short winter break.

Stars of the Balkans.

Kocani Orkesta will be presenting this unusual performance, works from the traditional Macedonian repertoire.

Building from the Turkish Janissary orchestras of the 19th century, this joyous fanfare brings out the best of Balkan cultural diversity. Experience a musical cocktail made of Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian music with an Oriental edge (a vestige of the Ottoman occupation and of the originally Indian roots of the Rom and gypsy communities).

The Kocani Orkestar's "Romska Orientalna musika" is a riot, an expression of joy, vitality, romance and a touch of nostalgia. The traditional gypsy rhythms and melodies, along with original arrangements and improvisations, testify to the sheer musical genius of these performers.

The foundations of a city…

The Thomas Dobrée Archeological Museum in Nantes will for the duration of this exhibition become a gateway allowing you to travel back in time. Discover the history of Nantes and the region, from prehistory to the year one thousand.

From the apparition of humans to the first settlement, witness the birth and evolution of a city.

The Kunsthalle moves to Nantes…

The Fine Arts museum in Nantes will be presenting its own selection of masterpieces from the Kunsthalle zu Kiel, one of Germany's finest museums which blends ancient and contemporary art expertly.

Thirty paintings and sculptures and twenty drawings were selected to be displayed before a French and German public. The Fine Arts museum has decided to complement this display with a number of contemporary works to echo the 19th century paintings.

You scared, you yellow?

Nantes:
After a difficult season caught in the purgatory known as Ligue 2, the FC Nantes team is back on track and roaring to reclaim its former glory.

Their massive fan base will be cheering to see that particular Nantes-style football and will be hoping that their club won't be obeying that terrible rule of physics: "what goes up must come down."

For hiphoppers & pop'n'lockers

Dance shows, B-boy battles, DJ's, graffiti jams, beat boxing, exhibits, concerts… For two whole weeks Nantes will come alive with Hip Hop culture.
For those who love beats and rhymes and those who are new to the world of bling-bling, there will be performances and new events by the truckload.
Every year the Opsession battles bring the best international teams to engage in deadly combat, with only dance moves as their weapons, all to the sound of hip hop and funk specially mixed by guest DJs.

A genius…

Djamel Tatah was already working with abstract art as early as 1986 as a student of the Saint-Etienne Fine-Arts school. His focus was isolated figures on a monochrome background, a strange, unsettling work that is the result of unperturbable constance and dedication…

Gypsy jazz…

Thomas Dutronc and his band of musicians dexterously revive the "manouche" spirit, the Rom musical culture, with an excellent mise en scene.

They blend exceptional skill with good-natured generosity, blending their ethnic, jazzy style with Brazilian and classical repertoires.

To see them live is to experience more than a concert, it is a rounded performance that will take your breath away. Their latest album (Comme un manouche sans guitare or "Like a gypsy without a guitar") came out in 2007.

Romantic and avant-garde

La Traviata is without a doubt the top romantic opera of all time. Based on Lady with the Camellias, a story of love denied signed Alexander Dumas, fils.

La Traviata is one of the rare examples of lyrical works taken directly from a contemporary literary piece. This was also the case for Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, which was only two years older than the original French work.

Verdi understood that Dumas was an innovator and that his Lady with the Camellias opened the gates for a new theatrical format. Far from avoiding such a hot subject, Verdi, worked in depth to bring out all that was new and unconventional in the manuscript and actually accented the passion of the story. A unique example of the link between literature and music.

Violetta is one of the most popular heroines in the. A early work from the dramas of the Verist school, the opera works from an offshoot of the best of Verdi, where the dramatic efficiency of the music accompanies new qualities of harmony, melody and rhythm. From the prelude, Verdi introduces the two dominant themes of the story, love and death, in brilliant orchestral writing which would go on to become the very essence of the drama. The vocal expression is also quite remarkable, notably for the role of Violetta where every note carries the depth of her feelings.

Mother Russia!

Discover Russian folklore and culture during this magnificent performance, an expert blend of song and dance for your enjoyment. You will see a whole new side to Russian culture, a side more often than not obscured by current events and politics.

Kalinka is set up like a cabaret show, making it a captivating spectacle that will keep you entertained from start to finish.

Love, resistance and everlasting hope.

Serge Utgé-Royo blends his inflexible revolutionary stance with a surprising sense of tenderness. For the spectator, its almost impossible not to be moved, not to be drawn in by the sincerity of this Catalonian singer-songwriter's lyrics.

His is a rare voice, a voice of power and yet sensitivity harmonizing with colourful melodies. His words speak of love, fraternity, resistance and everlasting hope…

Working with skilled musicians, Serge Utgé-Royo knows exactly what he is doing. His mission is to touch people's hearts. Every one of his performances is a unique experience, a moment of pure warmth.

On the fringe…

Organized by the association of the same name, the CABLE Festival is dedicated to experimental electronica, the music slowly conquering the world! The programme is most certainly leaning towards the bizarre and the deviant, and this in terms of both music and visuals. The common denominator is that all the performing guests are at the cutting-edge of contemporary music, right on the cusp of a new kind of electro.

A wide open mind.

To meet Le Gentil Garçon ("The Good Boy") is an exciting experience. At once shy and hilariously witty, serious and yet modest, the artist brings you closer to his multi-layered, versatile work. No label fits him, thankfully.

This "boy" is straight-forward, down-to-earth, and will draw you into his parallel universe, that place you all know but try hard to avoid for its incomprehensible nature. In short, the world of childhood. The artist elicits smiles thanks to subtle tongue-in-cheek, savvy cultural references, and an undertone of politics. His is a world of unchecked, rampant thought and questioning fundamentals… His is a world that breaks every conceivable mould.

English baroque music

A Crazy Day in Nantes is a major unmissable music event. The Crazy Day festival has known ever-growing popularity since its creation back in 1995, courtesy of René Martin.

Today the festival hosts some 250 concerts and welcomes some of the greatest international performers to honour a famous composer every year.

The festival is also internationally recognized. It has been taken up in Lisbon since 2000 and Bilbao since 2002. In 2005, even the Japanese welcomed their own "Crazy Day in Tokyo!"

To arrive at such a high level of success so quickly, organizers knew that the first years would have to be extremely well organized. Their greatest satisfaction has been bringing audiences closer to great music and musicians without betraying the quality of the performance.

In a nutshell, the Crazy Day will feature so many concerts your ears won't know what to make of it. Expect a great ambiance, amazing performers and a score of legendary compositions.

What dreams may come…

"Machines on the Island" (Les Machines de l'Ile) is indeed a mysterious concept... It involves massive animals, creatures of the savana or the ocean depths, appearing suddenly in the middle of the city, as if one's daydreams had crossed over into reality…

You will not have to imagine this, because it has been imagined for you. These giant wood and metal creatures will be there, palpable, more real than ever. Evidently, a discussion will be organised to explain the process of creation and to introduce the team of artists/engineers.

This fantastic event is signed François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice working with the famed Royal de Luxe company!

Live and uncut!

This trio, working with Jérémie Ternoy's compositions, manages a very contrasted musical style, a blend of melody and brutal energy. Improvisation is a major part of their work. Each piece of theirs is a starting point for a sort of collective process of creation, a process where they interact musically with unsettling cohesion. The trio got a certain amount of attention at the Jazz de la Défense contest; they were awarded the jury's special mention, and Ternoy got second place for best solo act.

Discover their latest album: Bloc…

One of the most beautiful temporary gardens in Europe.

Every five years, the Parc de la Beaujoire in Nantes is turned in to a spectacular temporary garden with plants and flowers from all over the world.
This year's Nantes International Flower Show will feature 200 exhibitors and be attended by around 500,000 visitors. An absolute must for lovers of flowers and gardening.

An imaginary town.

Las Vegas in the wake of WWII was a city unlike any other, but it seems the destiny of the city of vice was preordained. Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht imagined a similar scenario as early as 1930 with "Mahagonny", a fictional city built in the heart of the desert by three criminals on the run.

Mahagonny appears as the Babylon of the 30s, a land of ephemeral pleasures, pathetic despair and absurd deaths. Working with Elisabeth Hauptmann and Caspar Neher, Weill and Brecht delve into American folklore, popular music and stereotypes to create a lunatic epic about the fascinating New World. This creative effort seems a taunt to straight-backed Germany with its rising Nazi party - their efforts paid off in many respects, seeing as how the two were exiled from their homeland three years later.

Sex, drugs and… opera?

Sometime in the 80s Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg (the foremost Beat poet), found they were on the same wave-length, that is to say completely distraught and disillusioned by the state of American politics.

"If neither Bush or Dukakis are willing to talk about what's going on, then we will have to do it ourselves."

Loosely inspired by Ginsberg's eponymous poem, Howl, this opera dips its brush in vitriol to paint a portrait of America and its various movements from the 50s to the 80s: sexual liberation, pacifism, drugs, ecology, etc.

The opera's six characters are made out to be archetypes of American middle-class society: a waitress, a cop, a priest, a businessman, a pom-pom girl and a mechanic… The characters deliver a powerful message in song, a message that touches the heart with all the power of a hydrogen bomb.

Songs of pain and joy.

The musical tradition known as "Malo"y has had a troubled history; for years it was forbidden by the whites in power.

Maloy, that fascinating music with its unusual compound rhythm which would he chanted through joy and sorrow by the cotton-picker slaves of Réunion… This ancient, pain-laden music has emerged once again, thanks to Danyel Waro, a skilled musician who respects tradition by crafting his own instruments.

Its showtime!

The famed Revue de la cloche ("Bell Revue") is a show anchored in Nante's cultural heritage, and a highly-popular one at that.

A giant stage, sumptuous decors, glitter and gold, song and dance and a whole lot of comedy… This is what makes the new Revue de la Cloche such a major event. Don't miss out!

Love Story in song

With Imperial Violets, Vincent Scotto was tackling the great operettas, and this he achieved with brio.

The relationship between lovers Don Juan d'Ascaniz and a young violet-peddler takes us on a journey from Seville to Paris to the court of Napoléon III where the Empress Eugénie brings the couple together at a lavish festival.

Luxurious sets and costumes, talented actors, and a window into the second empire... Plenty of reasons to come applaud this famous operette.
Don't miss it!

Hip hop in every possible form…

Mark Adjei, who was revealed on the "Chut" project, and his acolytes will be offering workshops in a variety of dance styles: break dancing, pop, boogaloo, house dance, new style, rocking, free rocking…

There will be demonstrations on a regular basis on the TNT stage or elsewhere, with an end of year performance… Get creative with your body!

Gorillas in today's world.

The Museum of Natural History in Nantes, working together with the Rennes Espace des sciences and the Palais de la découverte, is organising an expo dedicated to the king of primates, the elusive, mysterious gorilla.

This animal, born out of the African forest, is an important symbol for many faiths and religious systems. The exhibition will be broken into two sections, both of which attempt to reveal the true nature of these fascinating creatures.

Five themes underpin this event: "Brute or BFG (Big Friendly Giant)?"; "Gorilla and man, a common heritage"; "Gorillas and the tropical forest"; "Watching Gorillas"; and finally "Gorillas in Danger".

This last theme will be a stepping stone onto the next section of the exhibition which aims to discuss what is affecting the life and habitat of the gorilla and what the future holds for this awe-inspiring animal.

Head in the stars...

The Planetarium attracts over 30,000 visitors a year and is one of the fascinating cultural and instructive experiences not to be missed in Nantes.
Identifying the Big Dipper is only part of it; space, the heavens above us and the Milky Way contain infinitely more mysteries.
If you dream of travelling in space and would like to learn more about astronomy by seeing projections of the main constellations, this is the place for you!

Around Jules Verne in 80 minutes or more…

Get yourself to the summit of the Sainte-Anne butte in Nantes, look around and let your imagination roam free: you are in the fantastic, exotic world of Jules Verne.

The museum is located within a former bourgeois residence that dates back to the 19th century, and within one can admire displays of Verne's manuscripts, scale-models and personal items… The museum also features extensive multimedia and interactive displays to guide the visitor in his discovery, wandering the mindscape of an artist and inventor, a genius and an entertainer.

Will you get a good impression?

The Museum of Printing in Nantes owns a permanent collection of 2,000 original prints by national and international artists, all produced on the museum's presses.
The works are available to interested organisations in the form of "turnkey" exhibitions.
They can also be accompanied by educational displays presenting the various printing techniques, equipment and special events.

Nantes, a modern, contemporary city.

From industrial architecture like the Batignolles plant or the famous Lefèvre-Utile (LU) factory, now home to the Nantes national theatre, from religious buildings like the parish church of Sainte-Thérèse, from modern housing or offices (Le Corbusier's Delamarre building) to post-war reconstruction, from Art Nouveau (villa Jeannette) to Art Déco (CGA building), Nantes is chock-full of an exciting urban contemporary architectural heritage most of which was built during the "Trente Glorieuses", the heady years of post-war expansion from 1945 to 1975.

The heart of Nantes beats again.

After 15 years of restoration and 3 years completely closed to the public, the Château des Ducs de Bretagne has once again opened its doors. The city of Nantes launched a massive restoration programme to revive this outstanding heritage site in the city centre, a living monument to the history of the city and of Brittany. The restoration of this 15th, 16th and 18th century building paved the way for the opening of a new museum, classed as a Musée de France, dedicated to the history of the chateau and the city.

Over 800 exhibits from the musem's permanent collection will be presented as part of an historic and themed series of 32 rooms covering over 5,000m². Extensive multimedia resources, a total revamp of the museum design and modern architectural features will make the museum fully accessible to all visitors.

An outstanding example of architectural and artistic heritage to be rediscovered, the setting for and witness to the history of Nantes and Brittany.

Live Latin American music

Enjoy a great night out in the relaxed atmosphere of the Algodon with Latin American music from Wednesday to Saturday.
Every Sunday there is a live music concert.
All the biggest stars have been to the Algodon accompanied by TV cameras: Pierpoljack, Michael Jones, Yuri Buenaventura and many, many others.
An unforgettable night out.