Discover Tatihou Island: a world music island festival backdrop
Tatihou Island is a tiny natural oasis of about 28 hectares off the coast of Normandy, in the Manche, facing Saint‑Vaast‑la‑Hougue (more details here). Managed by the Conservatoire du Littoral, it becomes a peninsula at low tide, allowing daring visitors to walk across oyster beds when the tide coefficient is high. In normal times, it offers a maritime museum, detailed gardens, a restored Vauban tower (a UNESCO heritage fortification built in 1694), and peaceful trails through bird‑rich nature and a botanical garden. Visitors can also stay at the island’s hotel‑restaurant or enjoy guided tours in surroundings that feel far removed from the mainland.
The festival Les Traversées de Tatihou
We have plenty of rural festivals in La Manche; there are also other kind of festivals. Every August, when tides are right, the world music island festival Les Traversées de Tatihou springs to life. Festival‑goers wait for low tide, cross on foot across the seabed, join the island, and enjoy concerts under a chapiteau set on the sand. Music ranges from Celtic traditions (Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Galicia, Québec) to groups from around the globe, blending folk, maritime tunes and global rhythms. When the tide begins to rise, the festival continues on the mainland in Saint‑Vaast‑la‑Hougue and Val de Saire, with free folk dances at night, artist meet‑ups in the médiathèque, and more until the return at low tide.
What’s new in 2025 edition – 9 to 13 August
The 31st edition of Les Traversées de Tatihou runs from 9 to 13 August 2025, on Tatihou Island and nearby venues in Saint‑Vaast‑la‑Hougue and the Val de Saire (full agenda). Over 40 concerts, several free night folk‑bals, Irish sessions in bars and markets, artist meet‑ups, workshops and artistic residencies are planned for more than 10 000 visitors across sites. Headliners include the Gangbé Brass Band (Benin), Le Mystère des voix bulgares, Solas, and Celtic Odyssée featuring Ensemble Magnétis, René Lacaille and more female‑led acts, highlighting the festival’s focus on women in music and world musical cultures. The programming also features workshops (violin, writing, bendir drum) and folk‑ball nights with artists like Jean‑Luc Thomas & Gab Faure, Manigale, Ma Petite — and culminating in a torchlit walk back to the mainland at dawn after the Nuit de Bals.
Sadly, La Becterie is fully booked and we can no longer host you this year. Nevertheless, we warmly invite you to go experience this super festival. It’s a rare chance to join a unique world music island festival, where nature, tides and tradition meet music and celebration.