National stages
6 of Gironde's stages have the "Scène nationale" label, making them the leading network for the production and distribution of live entertainment in the region. National stages reflect the main trends in current French and international creation.
Bordeaux is home to 4 of them: theOpéra National de Bordeaux with the Orchestre National de Bordeaux-Aquitaine and the ONBA, the TnBA(Théâtre national de Bordeaux Aquitaine), the Glob Théâtre and the Manufacture CDCN (one of the 13 Centres de Développement Chorégraphique National). Offering a program as prestigious as it is eclectic, the 118 musicians, 37 choristers and 40 ballet dancers of the Opéra National de Bordeaux perform either in one of the world's finest 18th-century auditoriums, the Grand-Théâtre, or in the Auditorium. The result of the marriage of Le Carré in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles and Les Colonnes in Blanquefort, the Carré-Colonnes national stage offers 300 performances and welcomes 100,000 spectators every year. It also organizes 2 festivals: Échappée Belle in June and FAB (Festival International des Arts de Bordeaux Métropole) in October. In Gradignan, the Théâtre des Quatre Saisons (or T4S) pays particular attention to international creation.
Theatre, opera, dance and circus
Meet, discover, share... Accessibility and the transmission of artistic and cultural practices are two of the Gironde's strong points. For an evening with just the two of you, with family or friends, are you more the type to vibrate to the fervor of a theatrical improvisation match or to attend a dramatic comedy? Are you more into opera ballet or contemporary dance? And what about the circus arts? Paris may be one of the world's most prestigious cities of art and culture, but the Gironde region has nothing to be ashamed of in terms of the diversity of its artistic offerings.
Vanessa Feuillatte, principal dancer at the Opéra National de Bordeaux, is one of the world's rising dance stars. At the helm of three Bordeaux theaters, Xavier Viton has established himself as a leading figure in café-théâtre and comedy, while Loïc Rojuan, at the Théâtre des Beaux-Arts, has made his mark. And there's so much more talent to discover, whether in the intimacy of a small venue or on the stage...
Music and concerts
The Rocher de Palmer, the Krakatao, the IBoat (associated with the Parisian boat the Batofar), the Pin Galant... From traditional music to electro and reggae, the Gironde vibrates to the rhythm of the chords. Organized by Bordeaux's Rock School Barbey, the Tremplin des 2 Rives is a must-attend event for discovering Bordeaux's new music scene. Offering a real concert venue worthy of the name in Bordeaux, the Arkéa Arena flagship opens the "voice" to tours by national and international artists such as Depeche Mode for the inauguration on January 24, 2018, Sting, Guns'n'Roses, Eddy de Pretto, Björk and Shakira. Since its opening, the venue has welcomed over one and a half million spectators at more than 300 events. It is one of the largest venues in France, and ranks 1st in terms of attendance (outside the Paris region). Coming in 2025: Mika, Grand Corps Malade, Cirque du soleil, Shaka Ponk... And many more! With Europe's largest orchestra pit, the Auditorium offers exceptional acoustic sensations for classical music concerts and film-concerts.
Cultural events and festivals
Fest'Arts, Jazz en liberté, Reggae Sun Ska Festival (France's biggest reggae festival), Festival International du Film Indépendant de Bordeaux (FIFIB), Festival ODP, 24 heures du swing, Les Toiles Filantes, Chahuts, Ouvre la voix, Les arts mêlés, Les riches heures de La Réole, Festival international des arts, Fous Rires de Bordeaux, Vibrations Urbaines, Nuits atypiques, Dansons sur les quais.. Gironde has no shortage of great events.
With over 500 events, more than half of which are free, Scènes d'Eté en Gironde and Eté Métropolitain, which tour remarkable and unique venues throughout the Bordeaux metropolis, are the two highlights of the Gironde summer season. On the program: music, dance, street arts, theater, opera, visual arts and much more.
In July and August, the exceptional historical re-enactment of the Battle of Castillon features nearly 600 volunteers, including 450 actors and over 50 horsemen. A grandiose show not to be missed!
The cinema
Did you know that many film scenes have been shot in Gironde? In Bordeaux, these include Le Corniau, Robert Hossein's Les Misérables, Patrice Chéreau's La Reine Margot (with Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil and Jean-Hugues Anglade), A la folie.. pas du tout by Laetitia Colombani, Se Souvenir des belles choses by Zabou Breitman (with Bernard Campan and Isabelle Carré), Les Fugitifs by Francis Veber, Balzac by Josée Dayan (with Jeanne Moreau), Le Grand Soir by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern.. But also Claude Chabrol's La Fleur du mal in Arcachon and Cadillac, Bertrand Blier's Merci la vie in Lacanau, Le Pacte des loups at Château de Roquetaillade in Mazères, J'ai épousé une ombre in Pauillac, Michel Blanc's Mauvaise passe in Saint-Émilion, Le salon de musique at Château Cos d'Estournel in Saint-Estèphe, Thierry Binisti's La Bicyclette bleue , A ce soir in Uzeste, Grand appartement (with Pierre Arditi and Laëtitia Casta) at Le Mimbeau in Lège-Cap-Ferret, Thérèse Desqueyroux.. And let's not forget Guillaume Canet's Les Petits Mouchoirs and Nous finirons ensemble , starring François Cluzet, Marion Cotillard, Benoît Magimel, Gilles Lellouche, Valérie Bonneton, Pascale Arbillot, Laurent Lafitte and Joël Dupuch, now Cap-Ferret's most famous oyster farmer! The films Camping (with comedian Franck Dubosc) and Maman ou papa (with Marina Foïs and Laurent Laffite) were also shot in the Arcachon basin. More recently, the film Eiffel (with Romain Duris and Emma Mackey) tells the story of the Eiffel Tower since the construction of the Cubzac bridge. And on the TV series front, Section de Recherche and Famille d'accueil. With so many film shoots, both feature films and TV dramas, Gironde is a prime location for cinema!
