Revitalize the Music Festival. This is the objective of the City of Saumur after several editions which tended to run out of steam after the release of Covid-19. A lack of breath and rhythm that the Effervescences festival programming teams intend to eradicate with the establishment of two distinct stages (the usual large stage on Place de la République and a small springboard stage on Place Dupetit-Thouars) and of localized themes (rock Place Saint-Pierre, dance Place de la Bilange) in agreement with the traders.
As for the headliner, French singer Jeanne Bonjour will take center stage from 10:45 p.m. to 11:45 p.m., Place de la République. The young author-composer from Rennes, spotted at Trans Musicales or Printemps de Bourges, has already opened for Benjamin Biolay concerts. Trained at the conservatory (violin, piano), the 22-year-old has been creating her own compositions since she was a teenager. She released two EPs, including “New Era”, in January 2024. Eight new pop songs on the theme of love delivered with energy, following a universe that is sometimes danceable, sometimes melancholic.
A small stage for local bands
Jeanne Bonjour will be preceded on the big stage by Drop Circle, DJ from the Angevin rap group Ar Mitik and member of the Non Pareil’ association. The artist with multiple influences (hip-hop, funk) will deliver afro house sets to put the audience in the mood from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. L’Harmonie de Saumur will start the ball on stage from 7:45 p.m. and the Spoink quartet, from the Parisian suburbs and already performing at Rock en Seine, will offer improvised and festive music, all played by combining acoustic and electronic elements, for the late evening until 1 a.m.
On the small stage of Place Dupetit-Thouars – the novelty of the year – the emphasis will be placed on local groups from the area. A sort of musical springboard for four groups. The Duplessis high school music workshop (covers), the groups Nojve (alternative pop rock), Night Shift (80s-90s pop rock) and Mikaher (rock) will make themselves known to the Saumur public from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Certainly, it is worth a detour.
Bands, choirs, rock, dance: everyone has their place
Especially since along the way, the public will find other groups: rue Roosevelt will be dedicated to bandas (the Brain-sur-Allonnes harmony from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., then the Band’Allonnaise and the Élan Saumurois from 20 to 10 p.m.) and the students of Point d’orgue (English pop, French variety) will perform on rue d’Orléans, from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Strollers can also continue further towards the MJC place Verdun transformed into a square choirs (with the choirs of the structure and those of the Chats Noirs de Saumur, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.) or to the church of Nantilly (organs from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.) and rue du Pressoir ( live concerts and DJs from 7 p.m. to midnight).
In the hyper-center, Place de la Bilange will therefore be devoted to dance (ballroom dance, country, swing) with initiations and demonstrations from three local associations while Place Saint-Pierre will take on a rock tone with the groups High Phone Tribute Telephone (7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.) and Cin’s Faro (10:45 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.). Rue Saint-Jean, the Places du Marché and Puits-Neuf will also be full of sounds with Adrien Privat (current music, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.), Fer Play (rock, 8 p.m. to midnight), K. Contact (variety , 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), Les Pompes bleues (rock, 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.), 25e hour (pop rock, 9:30 p.m. to 12 a.m.). On the rue Saint-Nicolas side, it’s time for hard rock with Crashtest (8:45 p.m. – 11:15 p.m.).
A wandering Afro marching band
As for the Kafi brass band (offbeat afro), colorful and dressed like kings, it will make two wandering tours of the city from 8:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. It’s impossible not to see it cross unless you have decided to take side roads on Offard Island with a Jam Session on Boulevard Charles-de-Gaulle entre les Ponts or in Saint-Lambert-des-Levées with Namastek (electro techno). With all this, it’s the audience who will end up out of breath!
