English presentation
Lorient Interceltic Festival
Lorient Interceltic Festival
PRESENTATION OF THE FESTIVAL
YEAR 2025
Ticketing
INFORMATION ABOUT TICKETING
Eat
WHERE CAN YOU EAT ON FIL ?
Transportation and accommodation
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR TRAVEL
Lorient Interceltic Festival : 31 july - 9 august 2026
In 2026, the Lorient Interceltic Festival is proud to welcome our cousins from Cornwall, a beautiful land in the heart of the Celtic Sea.
Eleven years after the last edition dedicated to our Cornish friends, this 55th edition will honour our Celtic neighbours from across the Channel. It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the vibrant maritime heritage and culture of Cornwall, to strengthen the deep cultural bridges between our two closely linked coastlines, and to deliver an edition of the festival with strong focus on the sea and the maritime identity of the Celtic nations of the Atlantic Arc.
As the world’s largest gathering of Celtic cultures, the Lorient Interceltic Festival (FIL) is one of the most prestigious events in Brittany, France, and Europe, attracting over 950,000 visitors and spectators each year.
Every summer in early August, Lorient brings together Celtic nations for ten days of unforgettable festivities across the entire city.
The Festival in Numbers:
- 10 days and 10 nights of concerts, shows, and vibrant activities in early August.
- Over 5,000 musicians, singers, dancers, visual artists, academics, and filmmakers from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Galicia, Asturias, and Brittany, as well as the global Celtic diaspora (including the USA, Acadia, Australia, and New Zealand).
- The Grande Parade of Celtic Nations, which draws more than 90,000 spectators to the streets of Lorient on the first Sunday.
- Over 1,600 dedicated volunteers.
- Around 300 shows and events across 12 stages.
- Daily activities including festù-noz (traditional Breton night dances), lectures, concerts on major stages and in local pubs, masterclasses for Celtic instruments, street parades, and bagpipe, gaita, accordion, Celtic harp, drum, and pipe band competitions.
- An artisanal craft market and a book market reflecting the festival’s Celtic theme.
- Sporting events, featuring gouren (Breton wrestling), traditional Celtic sports, rugby tournaments, and more.
- Art exhibitions showcasing works from across the Celtic world.
Discover our artistic program
The information on this page is due to be updated soon
Venus & Highlights
Le Stade
Located right in the heart of Lorient, this football stadium is transformed during the festival. It hosts the spectacular evening show “Horizons Celtiques” (which has welcomed over a million spectators over the past 30 years), the National Bagadou Championship (in partnership with the Sonerion Federation), and grand Breton dance performances curated by the Kenleur Confederation.
Le Kleub
This contemporary stage has quickly established itself as one of the festival’s absolute highlights. Every evening, Le Kleub showcases current Celtic music with modern, alternative sounds. Audiences can dance to electric acts from across the Celtic nations, followed by late-night electronic music projects and DJ sets.
La Place des Pays celtes
The ultimate social hub and continuous meeting point for foreign festival delegations. From morning until late at night, this stage features a non-stop programme of folk groups, pipe bands, harpists, and musical trophies. Traditional food stalls surround the square, offering iconic specialities such as Breton oysters, Irish stew, Cornish pasties, Welsh fish and chips, and Scottish haggis.
L'Allée interceltique
Commonly known as the “Interceltic Market”, this bustling avenue runs along the Quai des Indes between the Palais des Congrès and the Lorient Theatre. It features around sixty artisan and craft stalls selling unique jewellery, leather goods, textiles, cosmetics, and decorations, alongside several hot food stalls.
- Open daily from late morning until late night.
Le Marché du Terroir
- Open daily from late morning until late night.
Le Parc
An energetic, family-friendly area packed with sports and traditional games. Highlights include demonstrations, tournaments, and introductory sessions for Celtic sports, the International Cornish Wrestling Tournament, traditional Breton puck games (palet), the International Back-Hold Tournament (Scottish wrestling), and Breton Wrestling (gouren) Championship.
L'École Bisson
Throughout the week, the “Du fil au FIL” event offers live demonstrations, introductory workshops, and discoveries of traditional embroidery and textile arts. From needle felting and traditional bigoudène embroidery to basic stitching, macramé, and fabric painting, there are workshops available for all interests and skill levels.
La Galerie du Faouëdic
As part of its annual partnership with the festival, the gallery hosts summer exhibitions showcasing acclaimed Celtic artists. Visitors can explore exceptional works, such as the exquisite creations of Breton master embroiderer Pascal Jaouen, whose designs elegantly weave together Celtic folklore with silk threads, glass beads, and shells.
- Free admission (open in the afternoons throughout the festival period).
L'Espace Jean-Pierre Pichard
Le Palais
The hub for traditional learning and competition. Come along for morning masterclasses (gaita, uilleann pipes, Highland bagpipe, fiddle, and Celtic harp) and prestigious music competitions. It also hosts concerts, a showcase blending traditional and modern fashion, and a major Breton dance show featuring talented young artists.
Le Quai de la Bretagne
A lively quay entirely dedicated to Brittany! Enjoy continuous catering and bar services featuring classic Breton specialities, alongside a daily musical lineup of festoù-deiz (daytime dances), evening concerts, and late-night festoù-noz. Each evening, the stage hosts “La Bretagne invite” segment, where a guest foreign delegation performs a special opening set.
Les Terrasses du Festival
A prime dining spot by the harbour, perfect for enjoying seafood specialties and discovering our annual “Interceltic Signature Dish”. The Terrasses stage offers a lively programme, featuring traditional sea shanties in the morning, authentic Irish acoustic sessions in the afternoon, exclusive music camp creations, and live concerts in the evening.
La Salle Carnot
In the afternoon, Salle Carnot hosts friendly Breton and international dance workshops. When night falls, it transforms into a lively dance hall for traditional festoù-noz. Don’t miss the legendary “Nuit des Champions » featuring Brittany’s finest instrumentalists, special showcases for emerging young talent, and the festive Sunday Irish Céilí.
L'Espace Découvertes
Dedicated to sharing knowledge and inspiring curiosity, this space brings together charities, environmental organisations, and cultural associations to discuss commitments for future generations. This lively, intergenerational area features free daily activities, including traditional wooden games such as Skolig ar C’hoariou and a children’s play and reading area run by the Diwan Breton-language schools.
- Open daily from late morning to late evening.
L'Auditorium du Cercle Saint-Louis / CinéFIL
The CinéFIL (Place Anatole Le Braz) is the festival’s dedicated cinema space. Each year, it showcases a wide selection of films and documentaries from Celtic countries. Screenings are followed by Q&A sessions and discussions. The curated programme aims to introduce newcomers to rich storytelling of the Celtic nations while giving connoisseurs a chance to rediscover classic works.
Le Quai du Livre
Located on the Quai de Rohan, this book market brings together publishers and authors to celebrate Breton culture and Celtic heritage. Discover a wealth of travel diaries, thrillers, fantasy novels, children’s literature, poetry, and cookbooks, and meet authors during daily book-signing sessions.
- Open daily from late morning to evening.
La Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie, Quai des Indes
This venue hosts a series of academic lectures organised by the Université Populaire Bretonne in collaboration with Emgleb Bro an Oriant, covering the history, linguistics, and cultural challenges of the Celtic world.
- Free admission (subject to availability).