Festival Cluny Danse
Contemporary dance in the streets and theatres of Cluny over the Ascension week.
- Culture
- Cluny
- 1 h 07 from Beaune
€240one way from Beaune with a private driver
Book a driverAt a glance
- Nearby
- Cluny Abbey
- Organised by
- Compagnie Le grand jeté
- Official website
- festivalclunydanse.com
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 07 by road (87 km), €240 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the event
Festival Cluny Danse brings professional companies of contemporary dance and circus to Cluny, alongside local schools and conservatoires who perform before the headliners. Free workshops and a public flash mob invite everyone to join in.
What to expect
Performances take place in the streets and venues of the medieval town, from energetic contemporary pieces to circus and inclusive dance projects. Workshops are free and open to all levels. In 2026 the Saturday evening brought Mosaïk by Mourad Merzouki's company, and at midday the public joined a flash mob on Place du Commerce, choreographed by Sylvain Riéjou. The festival also works to limit its footprint: it encourages refillable bottles at water points, favours local, seasonal food and sorts and composts its waste.
History
The festival reached its 14th edition in 2026 and is organised by Le grand jeté, a contemporary dance company. Its shows are pay-what-you-wish, to keep culture open to everyone: at each performance volunteers pass a hat through the audience, and the money helps balance the festival's budget, since the artists themselves are paid under contract.
Good to know
Tips for the day
Shows are pay-what-you-wish; a few need a reservation, and masterclasses cost 10 euros. If it rains, every show still goes ahead in an indoor venue such as the Théâtre de Cluny or the Écuries Saint-Hugues. Vibrating vests, which let deaf and hard-of-hearing spectators feel the music, can be borrowed at the festival's info point in the Parc Abbatial. Cluny is roughly an hour and a quarter from Beaune; an Ascension weekend day here can combine the abbey, a show and dinner, with a driver for the return.
Around here
What to combine with Festival Cluny Danse on the same day, nearest first.
- Music
Festival Musique au Chambertin
Long held over five days in late August and early SeptemberGevrey-Chambertin - Culture
Mois des Climats
Each year over several weeks in late spring and early summer, usually ending in early JulyBeaune - Music
Festival De Bach à Bacchus
Usually the first half of July, with a prelude of concerts on weekends in MayMeursault - Wine festival
Chardonnay Day à Chardonnay
A Thursday in May, from late afternoon into the eveningChardonnay
Viré-Clessé
14 km awayPouilly-Fuissé
18 km awaySaint-Véran
21 km away
Questions
The 2027 dates of Festival Cluny Danse have not been announced yet. Usual timing: the week of Ascension in May; the 14th festival ran from 12 to 17 May 2026.. The organiser publishes them on festivalclunydanse.com.
Did you know? Amateur dancers from the region's conservatoires, schools and associations perform on stage before the professional companies.
Sources
A private driver for the day
No parking to find, no one left as the designated driver: everyone enjoys a glass.