The quaint town of Craponne-sur-Arzon in many ways could be in the southern states of the USA – enormous swathes of giant pine trees, huge logging plants and timber companies, rolling farmland, and even a John Deere supplier. And for one long weekend a year at the end of July the town is decked in American flags and rings out to the sound of country music, attracting fans from all over the world.
The Festival Site: Parc des Étoiles
The festival site – Parc des Étoiles – has welcomed country artists for decades, and in the heyday of the 90s and 00s hosted the likes of Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris and Tanya Tucker. Post-Covid the festival has been reborn on a smaller scale, managed by a new charitable association and staffed entirely by around 250 volunteers.
2024 Edition Highlights
The 2024 edition took place from 25-28 July and was the most ambitious since the reset and welcomed three US acts – honky tonk Austin workhorse Ellis Bullard, Californina Jamgrass pioneers Broken Compass Bluegrass and the crazy Vandoliers, cowpunkers from Dallas Fort Worth. The festival also shares its stage with the best of European artists, this year French rockers Calibre 12 and rockabilly favourites The Shakers (France) and Skinny Jim & The Wildcats (Sweden) joined the bill. Thousands of fans stayed up until 1am on Saturday night to see Josh Fleming of the Vandoliers fly around the stage while the mountain air sang with fiddle and pedal steel guitar.
Ticket Information and Free Town Concerts
Tickets for the festival started at €46 for the weekend (for the earlybird prices), and in complement the town puts on free concerts across five stages in the town centre of Craponne-sur-Arzon.
2024 saw folk, gospel, bluegrass, and modern country anthems, something for all tastes.
The fringe festival also has rallies of vintage and American cars, bikes and trucks, flag displays, barbecued smoked lunches, and kids’ entertainment.
Country Music in France: A Growing Trend
Now, when you think of country music you don’t automatically think of France yet at least once a week in almost every town you’ll hear Luke Combs or Cody Johnson ringing out from the local community centre. Most villages have a line dance club and hundreds of people flock to the Craponne festival to take advantage of four days of workshops, dance nights and the hardwood floor built on the main street where there are demos and initiations.
Daytime Activities and Attractions
The Parc was open for free during the day so fans can hear the soundchecks, grab official merch from the boutique, taste the local food and pick up new boots, a shirt, customise their jackets or get a new tattoo. There were pony carriage rides to ferry you back and forth to the town but there was free parking on site too.
Accommodation and Campsite Experience
Accommodation was available at local gites, hotels or chambres d’hôtes but the best atmosphere was in the forest campsite. As the festival attracts fans and musicians alike, there’s always a jam session going on somewhere; officially the Saloon Bar has live music and a BBQ on Friday night and next year a Nashville Nights style dance party is planned in the Parc. The Campsite opened at lunchtime on the Wednesday until Monday morning; 2024 prices started at only €10 per person.
Looking Ahead to 2025
The Craponne-sur-Arzon Country Music Festival is already gearing up for its 2025 edition, promising to build on the success of previous years. Scheduled for the last weekend in July, the festival will once again transform the quaint town into a vibrant hub of country music and Americana culture.
If you fancy a roadtrip to France in 2025 keep an eye on their socials and the last weekend in July free !
