A land of jazz to escape to
Take the clef de champs by a clef de sol, but not just any clef... That's the promise of the Seine-et-Marne department, which offers a choice selection of jazz. With the Festival des 2 Rivières (formerly known as the Ferté Jazz Festival), La Ferté-sous-Jouarre has been bringing together emblematic figures from the French and international scene in mid-June every year since 2012. The three-day event features around twenty concerts and a rich program of Afro-American music, soul, blues, funk and many other surprises. Over the years, this increasingly popular festival has welcomed artists such as Kassav' (2021), Michel Jonasz (2019), Keziah Jones (2018), Marcus Miller (2012)... to name but a few. But the success of this federative event on a human scale is also due to its original and refreshing setting, a green space on the banks of the Marne. A unique feature in the department's DNA. Indeed, Seine-et-Marne has long been known for hosting numerous jazz concerts and other events in the midst of nature. It all began with Django Reinhardt who, in the last years of his life, settled between the Seine and the forest, in Samois-sur-Seine. To celebrate the artist and his genius, the "Django Reinhardt Festival" was created in the 1960s. Today, the event continues to delight fans of gypsy jazz and other trends. On the last weekend in June, it brings the sumptuous grounds of the Château de Fontainebleau to life. The party continues after the summer, at the Automne Jazz festival in the Parc culturel de Rentilly in Bussy-Saint-Martin, an eclectic session rich in talent. Other not-to-be-missed jazz highlights include the Jazz aux 3 Reines festival in Montceaux-lès-Meaux, held on the site of the Domaine Royal, in a vast wooded park adjoining the ruins of its Renaissance château... encounters that set artists and fans on a musical epic.
From classical to electro
In summer, since 2010, the Rosa Bonheur Festival has been taking place in Thomery, at the Château de By, owned by the famous animal painter, offering a wide range of classical and other concerts in July and August in an idyllic setting on the edge of the Fontainebleau forest, celebrating female artists. Musicians, singers, composers, poets and film-makers all celebrate their art with finesse: concerts on the lawn, film screenings under the trees... With a capacity of no more than 300 people per show, this festival is designed to be intimate and to create truly special moments. The Café-musiques du Val d'Europe association offers a variety of high-quality musical events. The département also hosts the classical music festival Musique de chambre aux champs. This initiative, led by the Inventio association based in Augers-en-Brie, organizes a number of concerts (recitals, duets, etc.), each taking place in a different commune. This program of top-quality "rando-concerts" takes in the whole department at well-chosen venues: churches, bandstands, small theaters, castles... On the electronic music side, the "La Douve blanche" festival has been awakening the senses since 2016 with concerts in the moat of the superb Château d'Égreville. Held over two days at the beginning of July, the original feature of this event is that it combines music and gastronomy. It's an event that has created a chill atmosphere, and one that's proving increasingly popular! Electro fans can also enjoy the Marvellous Island Festival on the Vaires-Torcy leisure island. Every year in May, this joyous festival takes over the site for a giant party around a lake, a beach and several stages, and of course with an energetic soundtrack provided by dozens of DJs. The May 2024 edition will have brought together Paula Temple, Yuksek, Folamour, Lilly Palmer, Massano, Stella Bossi... And, for those wishing to discover emerging rock bands, head to Tournan-en-Brie, to the Ferme électrique festival. Every two years, the venue plays host to a quality event run by a team of enthusiasts, with around twenty concerts taking place in an old farmhouse decorated by artists. Metalheads, fans of black metal, heavy metal, death metal, symphonic metal or trash metal are not left out in the département. The In Your Fest festival in Thorigny will delight them with artists such as Loudblast, Locomuerte, Dust In Mind and Despite The End. Another major event is the FBLO festival, which will welcome Sting in June 2024, in the grounds of the Château de Fontainebleau. Also not to be missed, the Muzik'elles festival in Meaux, promoting women's artistic creation; and above all Sam Sam, a bucolic festival organized on the banks of the Seine, in Samoreau, for three days of musical and culinary sharing. The Arts à Souppes-sur-Loing festival offers a wide range of exhibitions, shows and concerts. The department also offers a varied schedule of stages. From September onwards, the Château de Blandy-les-Tours offers a varied program every weekend: shows, brass bands, immersive theater, the European Heritage Days, the "Patrimoines en poésie" competition and Christmas in Blandy! As for Meaux, the end-of-year lights up its streets with Meaux et Merveilles. In Lagny-sur-Marne, the Espace Charles Vanel municipal theater, currently the largest performance venue in northern Seine-et-Marne, offers a fine selection of shows: dance, music, theater, children's shows, comedy and more. And let's not forget La Cartonnerie in Dammarie-les-Lys, an essential leisure center with a theater stage at the Espace Pierre Bachelet. At the end of September, the Les Affolantes festival offers 48 hours of entertainment in the heart of Melun. The program includes concerts, street arts, dance, clowning, circus, commedia , festive brass bands and theater - a whole range of entertainment accompanied by contemporary music.
