Festival Interceltique de Lorient

The Festival Interceltique de Lorient (“Le FIL”) is the world’s largest gathering of Celts.

For 10 days and 10 nights the festival puts on concerts, shows, entertainment and more, in early August of every year.

More than 5,000 musicians, singers, dancers, visual artists, academics, filmmakers attend from the Celtic nations and diaspora around the world.

A Great Parade of the Celtic Nations that attracts more than 80,000 spectators in the streets of Lorient on the first Sunday of the festival.

Nearly 950,000 visitors and spectators attended in 2023, assisted by more than 1,700 volunteers.

Around 300 shows and animations offered on 12 stages.

1.4 million viewers watch the broadcast of the Grande Parade on the France 3 National TV channel, with 2.1 million viewers (14.7% audience share) for the broadcast of Celtic Horizons (“Le Grand Spectacle”) on France 3 National.

As well as celebrating Celtic culture, taking place in the port of Lorient in Brittany, there is a strong maritime association, with a programme of nautical events and music forming part of the festival.

The Festival interceltique de Lorient (French), Emvod Ar Gelted An Oriant (Breton) or Inter-Celtic Festival of Lorient in English, is an annual Celtic festival, located in the city of Lorient, Brittany, France. It was founded in 1971 by Polig Monjarret.

This annual festival takes place in the heart of the city every August and is dedicated to the cultural traditions of the Celtic nations (pays celtes in French), highlighting Celtic music and dance and also including other arts such as painting, photography, theatre, sculpture, traditional artisanry as well as sport and gastronomy.

Participants come from Brittany, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall, Cumbria, the Isle of Man, Cape Breton Island, Galicia, Asturias, Acadia, and the entire Celtic diaspora.

The main festival sites are located throughout the city, with more formal events taking place at the Palais des Congrès, Grand Théâtre or Église Saint Louis. The larger events take place at the Parc du Moustoir (the home of Lorient Football Club which can hold up to 10,000 spectators), the Port de Pêche or in grand marquees.

The festival begins with the Cotriade (fr) or Kaoteriad (br), a traditional Breton seafood supper, which takes place in the Port de Pêche (fr) or Porzh Pesketa (br) harbour district accompanied by sea shanties and traditional Breton marine music.

On Sunday morning the Grand Parade of Celtic Nations takes place with over 3,500 musicians, singers, pipe bands and dancers from all over the Celtic world parading through the city streets in national costume.

The finals of the National Bagadoù Championship takes place at the Parc de Moustoir during the first weekend of the festival. In addition individual competitions take place for pipers.

There are demonstrations and tournaments in Celtic wrestling (Gouren, Cornish wrestling and Scottish backhold) with representatives from the Celtic nations taking part.

Master classes take place each morning. Afternoon events include folk and traditional music concerts and dance displays. Evening events include orchestral concerts, rock concerts and “Nuits Magiques”, displays of pipe bands, dancers, choirs and fireworks.

Throughout the festival the “Village Celtique” (fr) or “Marc’had Etrekeltiek” (br) is open in the centre of the city offering food, music and literature, clothing and crafts.

On the final Saturday of the festival folk and rock musicians perform at the fishing harbour for the Nuit de Port de Pêche.

There is also much activity on the festival fringe, with musicians giving free performances in many of the city’s bars and pubs every evening until late

The 53rd FIL took place between 12-18 August 2024.