From 2 July to 20 August 2026 Montpeloux Volcano Festival in Saillant

Basaltic and volcanic festival

Every Thursday throughout the summer, a volcano in the Livradois-Forez becomes a concert venue. Under the stars, wrapped up in a blanket or in the arms of your loved one, you can enjoy an extraordinary concert. Under the stars and in the middle of its natural cirque, the Montpeloux volcano welcomes you with a programme full of twists and turns. So that your evenings in Auvergne are like no other.

A volcanic setting for a sparkling show in Montpeloux

First of all, seventy-metre-high basalt columns dominate the illuminated waters. And eighteen million years are staring back at you. At the bottom of the crater, the scene over the water seems almost as fragile as we are. The summer night is star-studded, however, and these few trailing clouds won’t change a thing. What’s more, there’s something unique about the atmosphere here. The notes come, the words perhaps. Dancers appear in full light.

The Montpeloux site is unique in the Forézien landscape. Its sculptural nature makes it the perfect place for a performance. A basalt quarry until the 1990s, the Montpeloux has been at the heart of a rehabilitation project ever since its industrial use ceased. The rehabilitated and revegetated quarry became an open stage in the heart of the Ance Valley. In 2006, a 200-seat theatre was inaugurated, which has since hosted the Montpeloux Volcano Festival.

Festival du Volcan du Montpeloux — ©© Prod03

Connected to eclectic current

All year round, a team is busy putting together this eclectic programme. The stated aim? To discover the unknown and provoke thought. All the while inspiring audiences to dream and travel. Journeys around the world, through time, guided by generous artists capable of transporting the imagination.

The Festival du Montpeloux doesn’t shy away from any particular horizon or genre. Music, of course, storytelling, which finds an incomparable backdrop here, theatre, dance… On the Montpeloux’s waterfront stage, everything comes together, especially talent. Modernity and tradition share the summer in perfect harmony. In a way, it’s “touching everything to touch everyone”.

Montpeloux volcano : in the heart of nature

Montpeloux is one of the rare examples of volcanic relief in the Monts du Forez, on the edge of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Long used as a promontory for a powerful fortified castle, the Montpeloux was gradually eroded by the work of a basalt quarry, which today allows us to penetrate into the belly of the volcano.

The Ance Valley

In 2000, the former communauté de communes de la Vallée de l’Ance set about rehabilitating this “industrial wasteland“. Faced with the sculptural immensity of the volcano, the basaltic cliffs and geological sections, the idea of a performance venue became obvious. The project fully embraces the site’s industrial heritage, while maintaining its open, grandiose character, which is now perfectly safe. This natural site also encourages the recolonisation of vegetation around the car park and on the upper esplanade.