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Les Ricochets En Territoire 2026 banner

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Pays de Fontenay-Vendée

On our way to the 31st edition

The Ricochets in Territory

The street arts festival that brings the Pays de Fontenay-Vendée to life all summer long!

From 7 July to 25 August 2026, Les Ricochets en Territoire will be taking over squares, villages and natural spaces with free performances.

From 7 July to 25 August

Every summer, the Pays de Fontenay-Vendée is transformed into a huge open-air stage. From Fontenay-le-Comte to Vouvant, from Mervent to Saint-Valérien via Doix lès Fontaines, Les Ricochets en Territoire invites young and old alike to enjoy evenings that are surprising, poetic and convivial.

For nearly two months, artists take over village squares, parks, neighbourhoods and natural sites to present a free programme combining contemporary circus, musical performances, clowns, light installations, dance and street art.

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Poster 2026 Les Ricochets En Territoire

An eclectic and varied programme Ricochets in the Regions 2026

Here, there’s no need for tickets or formal wear. Simply follow Les Ricochets as they make their way from one venue to the next and let yourself be swept away by the magic of live performance.

Every performance is a new adventure:

  • be thrilled by the feats of aerial circus
  • laugh with quirky characters
  • discover original artistic creations
  • share a picnic or a drink before the show
  • enjoying a summer evening in the region’s iconic venues

Les Ricochets en Territoire champions a culture that is accessible to all, bringing it as close as possible to residents and visitors alike.

Tuesday 7 July – 7.30 pm Fuego Gratte Ciel Theatre Company

A zany little show featuring dishevelled acrobats, FUEGO opens the Les Ricochets en territoire festival.

Everything is ready for a proper opening ceremony: a stage, a flag, an official speech… and fireworks. But beneath this well-oiled protocol, everything goes haywire. A pair of council workers rush about to ensure everything is ready, amidst acrobatics, the unexpected and gentle humour.

The Gratte Ciel company presents an intimate, funny, dynamic and decidedly explosive performance.

Everything is under control. Well, almost!

  • Genre: Burlesque circus
  • Venue: Esplanade between the Salle Omnisport Bel-Air and the Espace culturel René Cassin-La Gare
    Avenue de la Gare, 85200 Fontenay-le-Comte
  • Duration: 50 mins
  • Suitable for all
  • Free – no booking required

In partnership with the Town of Fontenay-le-Comte and the Réseau Chainon

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Fontenay Et Tournee Chainon logo

Tuesday 14 July – 6.30 pm Barolo Soul’O Barolosolo Company

Creation 2026

Beneath a bandstand full of surprises, a musician-acrobat is giving a concert when the rain begins to fall… Then everything shifts and spirals out of control…

He finds himself caught up in a physical, metaphysical and musical battle, before being hurled into another dimension, completely soaked.

Everything becomes poetic, aquatic, but above all, very funny!

A show that brings you as close as possible to the falling rain – just as you fall under its spell!

  • Genre: Clown and musical show
  • Venue: Étang des Rulières, 85570 Saint-Valérien
  • Duration: 55 mins
  • Suitable for all ages
  • Free – no booking required
  • Bar and food available on site after the show

The evening continues at Saint-Valérien Town Hall

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Saint Valerien logo

Wednesday 22 July – 7.30 pm On the Rails Lombric Spaghetti Co.

A zany trio teetering precariously on a moving barrier.

The LombricSpaghetti Company reinvents street circus in a burlesque and poetic world, blending juggling, acrobatic lifts and live music.

On the platform of a small freight station, three vagabonds wait for a train that will take them somewhere else…
In this suspended moment, their wandering takes on meaning: a life on the road, conflict and friendship that exudes a great sense of freedom…

A vibrant, absurd and deeply human show, blending imbalance, humour and freedom – perfect for the whole family!

  • Genre: Acrobatic and musical circus
  • Venue: Espace Jean-Jaurès, 32 rue du Gaingalet, 85200 Fontenay-le-Comte
  • Duration: 55 mins
  • Suitable for all ages
  • Free – no booking required

In partnership with the Town of Fontenay-le-Comte

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Fontenay logo

Friday 31 July – 9 pm Heavy Motors Society for the Protection of Small Ideas

Heavy Motors brings together three dreamers, a car that’s almost fixed, and a good dose of absurdity.

Between dance, acrobatics (almost impressive) and offbeat theatre, everything goes joyfully haywire!
A cat in the engine, no driving licence but a thousand ideas: here, we turn mishaps into feats.

This improbable, energetic and generous road trip celebrates the imagination and proves that we can always go further than we think.

Heavy Motors propels circus and car tuning into a wildly imaginative road trip!

  • Genre: Stunt driving
  • Venue: Place de Verdun, 85200 Fontenay-le-Comte
  • Duration: 50 mins
  • Recommended minimum age: 7 years
  • Free – no booking required

In partnership with the Town of Fontenay-le-Comte and the Chainon Network

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Fontenay Et Tournee Chainon logo

Friday 7 August – 9.30 pm The Song of the Poppies FredandCo

110 giant poppies in front of the Mélusine Tower; 110 lights, 110 breaths and heartbeats.

In the centre, two musicians beneath a small bandstand: diverse, unique, different, united, alike, complex…

As night falls, they seek together the voice of harmony.

Let yourself be carried away by the music and the magic of the moment!

  • Genre: Poetic light installation
  • Location: Place du Bail, 85120 Vouvant
  • Duration: 1 hour
  • Suitable for all
  • Free – no booking required
  • Feel free to bring a blanket to make the most of the show!

In partnership with the Festival Committee and Vouvant Town Hall.

While waiting for nightfall, make the most of the many dining options in the town, a food truck from 7pm, and the Festival Committee’s refreshment stand with its poppy-themed aperitif!

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Friday 14 August – from 7.30 pm La Martoche, a fairground attraction Compagnie Cramoisie

With this attraction that bears their name, the Martoche family is reviving the famous “High Striker”, a traditional game of strength and skill that was once a staple of old-fashioned funfairs.

True to their family motto, “All in the arms, nothing in the head”, the four cousins present this quirky fairground attraction, whilst frolicking between joie de vivre, cheerful silliness, outbursts and obvious neuroses.
With them, a few lucky players will have the chance to share an exciting slice of life, just like a real ride on a fairground carousel.

As for the audience, they need only let themselves be carried along to revel in spectacularly hilarious situations.

A joyful blend of fairground attraction and interaction, with a retro flea-market vibe!

  • Type: Game/fairground attraction
  • Location: On the esplanade between the village hall and the Town Hall (Doix) 85200 Doix lès Fontaines
  • Duration: open for 1 hour
  • A family-friendly, warm and welcoming atmosphere guaranteed for visitors aged 4 to 77
  • Free – no booking required
  • Bar and food available on site

The evening continues at Doix lès Fontaines Town Hall.

In partnership with the festival committee and Doix lès Fontaines Town Hall.

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Lox Doix Les Fontaines

Saturday 22 August – 7.30 pm The Promise of Emptiness Storm Warning Company

Stand up straight, take a deep breath, look up at the sky, and go for it!

It is this moment in life that transforms us forever that we are going to tell you about: the moment of departure, of the first step, of the leap into the void.

On a majestic structure, made of rust and wood, three circus artists and two musicians, driven by a single movement and united by this language: the circus, the body in suspension, music and words.

They are about to set off. They are ready. They are setting off…

A show set to music and high above the ground!

The Company is supported by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Council and the Charente-Maritime Departmental Council, the City of La Rochelle, and is supported by the DRAC Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

  • Genre: Aerial circus and music
  • Venue: Parc de la Mairie, 85200 Mervent
  • Duration: 45 mins
  • Suitable for all
  • Free – no booking required
  • Bar and refreshments available after the show

The evening continues at Mervent Town Hall.

In partnership with Mervent Town Hall.

Performance supported by the Office Artistique de la Région Nouvelle Aquitaine.

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Open-ended commissions to companies that have an agreement with the town of Fontenay-le-Comte