Less than a month before its opening, the Festival de Cornouaille unveiled, during a nearly two-hour press conference held on Thursday in Quimper, the main directions of its 103rd edition, which will take place from July 23 to 26.
Less than a month before its opening, the Festival de Cornouaille unveiled, during a nearly two-hour press conference held Thursday in Quimper, the main directions of its 103rd edition, which will take place from July 23 to 26. New performance spaces, an openness to new musical aesthetics, and strengthening ties with the actors of Breton creation: the festival aims to combine fidelity to its roots with new dynamics.
L'affiche 2026 crée par Pierre Toulhoat“For over a century, the Festival de Cornouaille has made the heart of Quimper and Brittany beat. It was born from a popular celebration that has become a major event. Today, it is one of the places where a deeply vibrant Breton culture is expressed, lived, and shared.” — Éric Vighetti, president of the Festival de Cornouaille
New Stages
Among the new features is the creation of new performance spaces, including the Viviane Hélias stage, named in honor of a bigoudenne embroiderer, and the Roparz stage, which will enrich the network of concert venues in the heart of Quimper.
Jazz Invited to the Festival
The festival will also give significant space to jazz with three open evenings featuring six groups. For the organizers, jazz fully belongs to the family of traditional music due to its history, transmission, and popular practices. The famous internationally acclaimed trumpeter from Quimper, Éric Le Lann, will be among the invited artists.
## A Charter to Better Disseminate Music Created in Brittany
One of the highlights of the conference was the presentation of the collaboration initiated with the new association Musiques en Bretagne, launched at the initiative of singer Brieg Guerveno. The association aims to promote better dissemination of works produced in Brittany — whether in Breton, French, or instrumental — in shops, supermarkets, waiting rooms, and more broadly in all places that broadcast ambient music.
This initiative follows the opinion piece published by Brieg Guerveno in Le Télégramme The association intends to promote the dissemination of music created in Brittany, regardless of genre or language, in everyday spaces, essentially aiming to no longer limit the dissemination of these creations to festivals!
A charter is currently being drafted by the association. The festival director, Gwenola Le Corre, announced that the Festival de Cornouaille would be a signatory of this charter.
Brieg Guerveno will also be present on stage with a concert dedicated to his latest album “Un noz a vo !”, presented as a more serene “rock folk” universe.
Bagadoù in the Spotlight
The bagadoù remain at the heart of the festival's identity. The first edition of the Battle Noz Bagadoù, organized at Kostum Park, will notably bring together Bagad Kemper and Bagad Cap Caval. Together, these ensembles hold 34 titles of Breton champion, promising a high-level confrontation. The public will also be able to discover the youth bagad, showcasing the next generation of this musical tradition.
Election of the Queen: An Incomplete Evolution
Regarding the election of the Queen of Cornouaille, the organizers announced that a journalist would sit on the jury this year. However, the memoirs written by the candidates will still not be made public, not even that of the elected Queen, despite the request made by ABP two years ago to better publicize the research, backgrounds, motivations, and commitments of the candidates for the title.
The complete program for this 103rd edition is available on the official website of the Festival de Cornouaille: Program 2026 of the Festival de Cornouaille
