Chalon dans la Rue
Four days of street theatre, circus and dance that take over the centre of Chalon every July.
- Culture
- Chalon-sur-Saône
- 35 min from Beaune
€125one way from Beaune with a private driver
Book a driver
At a glance
- Organised by
- Chalon dans la rue (CNAREP)
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 35 min by road (35 km), €125 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the event
Chalon dans la Rue is one of the leading festivals of street arts in France. For four days each July, around 150 French and international companies perform in the streets, squares and courtyards of Chalon, and the whole town centre becomes a stage.
What to expect
Performances run from morning until late at night, in the streets, on squares such as Place Saint-Vincent and in courtyards. Some shows are grand spectacles, others intimate or unexpected. Buy the festival guide, choose a few shows, then leave time to stumble on performances as you wander.
History
The town council launched the festival in 1987. Its founders and first directors, Pierre Layac and Jacques Quentin, also created L'Abattoir in 1991, a centre for street arts on the Quai Saint-Cosme. Now a national centre for street arts and public space, L'Abattoir organises the festival and hosts companies in residence all year.
The programme combines an invited selection, the In, with a larger Off chosen from open applications. Established companies share the bill with young artists, and theatre, circus, dance, clowning and digital art all have their place.
Good to know
Tips for the day
Around nine shows in ten are pay-what-you-wish and need no booking; a handful with limited capacity are ticketed online. Hotels in Chalon fill quickly at festival time, so staying in Beaune and being driven in each day works well, with no hunt for parking at the end of a late show. Wear comfortable shoes, carry water and expect crowds in the evenings.
Around here
What to combine with Chalon dans la Rue on the same day, nearest first.
- Culture
Mois des Climats
Each year over several weeks in late spring and early summer, usually ending in early JulyBeaune - Wine festival
Les Vin’dredis de la Halle
Friday evenings through the summer, from late MayGevrey-Chambertin - Culture
Lumières à Beaune
Every evening from late June to late September, and from the Vente des Vins weekend in November to early JanuaryBeaune
Questions
The 2027 dates of Chalon dans la Rue have not been announced yet. Usual timing: Four days in the second half of July; the 2026 festival ran from 23 to 26 July.. The organiser publishes them on chalondanslarue.com.
Did you know? The first edition in 1987 featured just 14 companies. Today around 150 take part each year, giving more than 700 performances over four days.
Sources
A private driver for the day
No parking to find, no one left as the designated driver: everyone enjoys a glass.