The Vieilles Charrues Festival (, ; , ; 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.
Lineups
2023
Thursday, July 13: Céline Dion (canceled), Robbie Williams, BigFlo & Oli, Disiz, Hyphen Hyphen, Morcheeba, Petit Biscuit, Orange Blossom Friday, July 14: Blur, Aya Nakamura, Gazo, Jeanne Added, Shaka Ponk, Ko Ko Mo, Agar Agar, Agoria, The Celtic Social Club, Meryl Saturday, July 15: Rosalía, Lomepal, Lomepal, Idles, Kungs, Pomme, Suzane Sunday, July 16: Soprano, Phoenix, Hot Chip, Jain, Lorenzo, Moderat, Paul Kalkbrenner, Adé, Acid Arab, Mademoiselle K Monday, July 17: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Skip the Use, Nova Twins, Silmarils, The Inspector Cluzo
2022
Thursday, July 14: Stromae, Clara Luciani, Last Train, Têtes Raides, Meute, Sch, Bianca Costa, Laeti, Vendredi sur mer Friday, July 15: DJ Snake, Angèle, Juliette Armanet, Matmatah (guest: Kevrenn Alré), Rilès, Vladimir Cauchemar, Aloïse Sauvage, Catastrophe, Dirtyphonics Live, Fatoumata Diawara, I Stand High Patrol, Saturday, July 16: -M-, Midnight Oil (substitute Queens of the Stone Age), Bob Sinclar b2b Pedro Winter, Izïa, Ninho, Vitalic, Celeste, Dewaere, Lous and the Yakusa Sunday, July 17: Orelsan, Madeon, Feu! Chatterton, Ibeyi, Metronomy, Polo & Pan, Vianney, Dinos, Contrefaçon, Gargäntua, Lolo Zouaï, Lujipeka, La Perla
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. 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).
2019
2018
Thursday, July 19: Depeche Mode, Soulwax, Marquis de Sade, Olli and the Bollywood Orchestra Friday, July 20 : Kygo, IAM, Liam Gallagher, Jain, Mogwai, Cœur de pirate, Portugal. The Man, Rilès, Hungry 5 feat. Worakls, N'To & Joachim Pastor, Lomepal, Therapie Taxi, Throes + The Shine, Kokoko!, Lysistrata, Altın Gün, Delgrès, La Tène, Revolutionary Birds Saturday, July 21 : Gorillaz, Massive Attack, MØ, Damso, Ofenbach, Rone, Les Négresses Vertes, Yuksek, Charlotte Cardin, Young Fathers, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Rebeka Warrior, Saro, Artus, 'Ndiaz, Maria Simoglou Sunday, July 22 : Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters, Fatboy Slim, Orelsan, Bigflo & Oli, Roméo Elvis, Véronique Sanson, Lorenzo, Oscar and the Wolf, Angèle, Eddy de Pretto, The Blaze, The Limiñanas, Inüit, Ÿuma, Ifriqiyya Électrique, Rizan Said Dour/Le Pottier Quartet
2017
Thursday, July 13: AllttA (20syl & Mr. J. Medeiros), Manu Chao La Ventura, Justice, Deluxe, Feder, Rocky Friday, July 14: Die Antwoord, Phoenix, Dropkick Murphys, Faada Freddy, Renaud, Kungs, MHD, Sônge, The Celtic Social Club Saturday, July 15: Arcade Fire, Jean-Michel Jarre, Kery James, Møme, Colorado, Clément Bazin Sunday, July 16: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, DJ Snake, Matmatah, Radio Elvis, Killason, Octave Noire, Acid Arab
2016
In New York City (Central Park) Saturday, October 1 : Matthieu Chedid (‑M-), The Avener, The Celtic Social Club (members of Red Cardell, The Silencers and others), Krismenn & Alem, Alan Corbel