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La Folle Journée Unveils 2026 Lineup as Founder Faces Judicial Inquiry

The 2026 edition runs January 28 to February 1 with about 300 concerts after a three-week rebuild by the programming team.

Overview

  • Organizers confirmed the festival will proceed with a “Rivers” theme, presenting more than 300 concerts and over 2,000 artists in Nantes.
  • Founder René Martin stepped back on October 27 following harassment and toxic management allegations, which he denies, and a judicial inquiry is underway.
  • The City of Nantes ended its collaboration with Martin after an internal audit of Créa and said the case was referred to the public prosecutor.
  • Programming was finalized in roughly three weeks by a trio of Créa staffers, and officials avoided mentioning Martin during the press presentation.
  • Some regular performers are not on the bill, but organizers report no wave of refusals, and roughly 140,000 tickets are slated for release.