Musical fireworks.

Les Tambours du Bronx ("Drums of the Bronx") are not just any ensemble. Theirs is a career representing 1 000 concerts worldwide, 10 000 beaten oil drums, 80 000 broken sticks, 6 albums and 1 DVD.

Their show is rounded, powerful, and unsettling, layered with hypnotic rhythms and subtle melodies. TDB have given joy and excitement to entire crowds, a whole generation. TDB is the major reference of our time in terms of industrial-style experimental percussions.

A trade fair like no other.

The 72nd edition of the Foire du Mans will take place from September 11th to 15th. With over 55 000m² of exhibition space broken into various sectors (habitat, automobiles, furniture, etc.), visitors can find a multitude of ways to improve their homes or complete their various projects.

The event will be brimming with activities and events; the rich programme includes the traditional "overseas journey" (invitation au voyage) which will this year be focused on the faraway land of Mexico.

The beast within the mind…

Discover a world of unicorns, dragons, giants, Krakens, griffins and so many more unimaginable imaginary creatures…

This exhibition will be a fascinating experience for young and old, a trip into the mindscapes of history's great civilisations. Don't miss out on this fantastic journey into a world like no other.

Fusion of sport and entertainment…

Created in 1981, the Le Mans 24 Hours Truck race is more than just a sporting challenge: for the initiated, it is a time of celebration worthy of the greatest festival. There is a definite festival atmosphere for spectators and for professionals working on the site.

Over the years, the 24 Hours event has grown to become the biggest event of its kind in the world.
The races themselves are only a start; there are a number of scheduled events including truck decoration competitions and fireworks.

Tasty art…

The Espace Faience museum welcomed Baptiste Ymonet for the first time in 2006. The award-winning artist is now back and will be working with plastic artist Vincent Jousseaume to present a unique exhibition.

Both artists will be working with the local tradition of luxury tableware to create an innovative set based on the theme "Whip Cream" ("Chantilly").

A unique folklore…

The Espace Faïence, in collaboration with the Breton museum (musée départemental breton) is organising an exhibition dedicated to Breton history.

The round hats, the "bigoud" headdresses, clogs and other "Bretoneries"… Born from a particular phase in 19th-century Breton decorative arts, these are the elements of an imaginary vision that makes up the collective Breton culture.

Le Petit Breton à Malicorne is about a unique and fascinating folklore. The exhibition draws from the works of Hippolyte Lalaisse, and the famous Breton icon created by Léon Pouplard.

Jack up the Amps!

The Teriaki Festival is back after a two-year break. This major event, courtesy of the Teriaki association, will be a series of performances and shows based on the theme "amplified music and scenography".

The programme, stretched over 5 days, includes concerts, installations, conferences, films with live music and a number of exhibitions. The shows will be taking place in a number of venues from Le Mans to Allonnes.

Pictures of a floating world…

This exhibition is an invitation into the world of Japanese printmaking - this journey will be fuelled by the Angers museum's collection of unique art prints. Au Pays de l'estampe is focused on the period between 1760 and 1840 which was the golden age of Ukiyo-e (or "pictures of a floating world"), the classical Japanese woodcut tradition.

The exhibit will be organised around 4 themes: women's prints; "surinomo" or prints for the Japanese new year, theatre actors, and Japan through the eyes of Hokusai and Hiroshige, two of the nation's greatest Ukiyo-e masters.

A potter at heart.

Louis-Léopold Thuiland, born in Prévelles in 1862, was a famed potter of the Sarthe region. His life was a tragedy in itself, a paragon of misery, in stark contrast with the joy and energy associated with his creations.

His life work is a touching testimony of village culture in the pre-war era and also provides a strong example of the tradition of varnished pottery, characteristic of the Sarthe area.

Industrial hemp-growing in the Saosnois.

The Maison de la Ruralité in Saint-Rémy-du-Val houses a permanent exhibition that reveals the economic importance of hemp-growing in the Saosnois (northern Sarthe).
The CLE des Valois association has gathered a collection of machines once used in hemp-growing, and explains the traditions of the hemp-farmers.

Images of five continents.

Discover over 1,200 animals, 120 species from 5 continents, surrounded by luxuriant vegetation in one of the top five zoos in France, famous for its fantastic shows featuring sea-lions, birds of prey and parrots.
Stunning presentations in natural settings await you during your visit: an underwater view of a polar bear, tiny Chinese pandas, an African savannah for the elephants, a pack of Arctic wolves unique in Europe.
The zoo also offers exciting new habitats such as the Argentine pampas, the Australian bush, the taiga where the Siberian tiger roams, or the miniature Malagasy farm.

Wonderful memories of bygone years...

In the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional Normandie-Maine, on the fringes of the forest of Perseigne, cycling museum La Belle Echappée relates the history of the Tour de France cycling race and its accompanying advertising caravan.
A unique collection amassed by a dedicated race fan (consisting of famous cycles and jerseys, posters, games, toys, etc.) plus interactive and video spaces with original lighting, guaranteed to recall wonderful memories of bygone years.

French formal gardens.

The Grand-Lucé gardens, redesigned and opened to the public in 1999, take their inspiration from 18th century texts.
The French-style gardens with their shaped box-hedges, green rooms and exotic garden culminate at the great staircase leading to the floral kitchen garden.
In the distance, the view opens out onto the landscaped park with its reflecting pool mirroring the image of the chateau, its crown of lime trees and its ha-ha, or sunken fence.
The adjoining forest covers 17 hectares, crisscrossed by rides dotted with statues.

A village recounts its memories...

In the heart of the forest of Perseigne, a village recounts its memories in the Maison du Sabot (clog museum).
Neufchâtel-en-Saosnois showcases the skills of those who worked with wood: clog-makers, woodsmen, carpenters, cartwrights and wheelwrights, etc.
The collection of woodworking tools are witnesses to a common past.