Aurillac street theatre festival is a four-day festival which forms an exclusive platform for the street performers. During the third week of August every year, this festival is hosted by the small and rather unsophisticated town of Aurillac. The performances are put up by professional companies as well as amateurs. Besides these, whoever is talented in the street theatre, find a stage in this festival.

Aurillac is a small town in a remote part of France. It is where the umbrella business flourishes and most of the umbrellas used by the French are made in this town. It is a quiet town for most part of the year with no crowded roads or rush of vehicles. You will enjoy a tranquil country atmosphere if you decide to visit Aurillac at any other time other than at the tail end of August. The only excitement is offered by the Chateau Saint-Etienne and the museum of the volcanoes.

In the third week of August the quiet and modest town transforms itself dramatically, teeming with activity. All sorts of street performers swarm into the town with their paraphernalia to showcase their talents. You can see some of the most bizarre installations on the roads of Aurillac during the four days in the third week of August.

More often than not, the adjacent villages also accommodate many of these performances. In short, the whole area will suddenly come alive with enthusiastic national and international performers. The first time when the Aurillac street theatre festival was organized in 1986, there were only 6 official companies and one unofficial company to take part in the festival. Now it has grown into international dimensions and 20 companies and innumerable other artists participate in this special festival.

You will meet very experienced jugglers, opera performers and circus acts in the festival. Every corner, park, street side and any available vacant space in the town becomes venue for Aurillac street theatre festival. The acts showcased in the fest range from simple to very sophisticated and carefully choreographed performances. Every year the festival grows and more and more modern and futuristic performances are put up in this spectacular event.

Aurillac becomes a coveted summer destination for tourists from all over Europe and the world over. The spontaneous and unsophisticated performances of the artists sometimes present great variety in the festival. The more sophisticated street theatre is always led by professional and world renowned artists and actors. Excellent accommodation and catering are provided to the tourists in many hotels of the area. It will not be an exaggeration to say that the Aurillac street theatre festival has become a brand of the French culture.

 by Marina Chernyak