Cultural production is a strategic activity at La Cité
La Cité acts as a producer, co-producer and co-director of festivals, concert seasons and exceptional events. Beyond its capacity to put on stunning shows and as a partner with extensive resources, La Cité demonstrates a strong commitment to working jointly with other local cultural organisations.
Our ambition has led to the creation of:
- Three festivals
– Les Utopiales, Festival International de Science-Fiction de Nantes
– Atlantide, Les Mots du Monde à Nantes : A literature festival organised by La Cité and Le lieu unique, Nantes national stage.
– La Folle Journée : One of the biggest classical music festivals in France and Europe.
- Three concert seasons
– Jazz en Phase, le parcours
The « Jazz en phase, le parcours » is a jazz festival designed to appeal to the population of the Nantes region. Staged in different music halls and towns, the concerts invite the public to discover modern Jazz. Eleven local cultural players take an active part in this beautiful adventure. The first season concert is traditionally organised at La Cité and features an international artist. An amazing array of jazz musicians have performed at La Cité: Richard Galliano, Chick Corea, Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Paolo Fresu, Omar Sosa or Trilok Gurtu, to name but a few.
– Baroque en scène
Launched in 2012 by La Cité and La Soufflerie – a publicly funded theatre in Rezé, to promote vocal music, the « Baroque en Scène » festival brings together the city of Nantes and the town of Rezé. The festival gives the opportunity to explore all the expressions of Baroque music, a fundamental artistic and cultural movement in our history.
– Les Éclats Francophones
Started in 2013 by La Cité and La Bouche d’Air, the festival « Les Éclats Francophones » is driven by the desire to show and experiment the diversity of music and songs in the French-speaking world. Reaching out to a wide audience, the event celebrates the wonders of the French language, lively, vibrant and modern.
- Exceptional Meetings
Every year, La Cité offers an impressive range of outstanding global events. Each one is the result of joint work between La Cité and one of the other cultural organisations based in Nantes. For example, La Cité has developed collaborative projects with Le lieu unique, Nantes national stage and Le Grand T, a local theatre. This joint work based on shared ambitions is a central element in staging successful events where the audience can enjoy world-class artists at a reasonable cost.
