Bourges celebrates its 50th Spring with Patti Smith, Gims and a traditional ball

Patti Smith opens the ball of this anniversary edition, which promises to attract a large number of festival-goers.

Published on: April 12, 2026 11:33

Reading time: 2 minutes

Caption: Patti Smith at the 30th anniversary of “Democracy Now!” at the Riverside Church on March 23, 2026 in New York. (ROB KIM / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA)

The Printemps de Bourges kicks off its 50th edition on Tuesday with Patti Smith, demonstrating its ability to reinvent itself despite challenging circumstances and with an expected high attendance.

“We’ve never sold so many tickets in 20 years,” stated AFP’s Jean-Michel Dupas, the event’s programmer, running for four days from April 14 to 19 in the city of Cher, marking the beginning of the festival season.

Bourges, in a financially constrained environment with rising costs and reduced funding affecting all festivals, manages to maintain financial stability, according to Michel Dupas.

The audience shows its loyalty to this independent festival, renowned for its lineup of headliners and emerging talents showcased through its platform, Les Inouïs. Two exhibitions will commemorate this musical adventure.

On stage, rock maven Patti Smith, 79, will lead her “Horses” (title of her first album) and guitars in a quartet formation. “To open the Printemps, we wanted an artist with a bit of a punk attitude, and who better than Patti Smith?” remarked Boris Vedel, festival director.

The rest of the festivities are tailored for all ears, including performances by Camille in a symphonic version at the cathedral, Helena, Mosimann, and La Mano 1.9.

Gims is set to close on Sunday: the singing and rapping star continues his concerts, nearly a month after being indicted and placed under judicial supervision in a suspected money laundering case.

Among the new faces, Sam Sauvage, a revelation from the latest Victoires de la musique, Asfar Shamsi with his hybrid music, and the metalheads Revnoir will also be part of the event.

The festival remains a hub of creativity, like the auditory journey curated by producer DeLaurentis, tracing the history of electronic music pioneers, most of whom remain unseen.

In parallel, Bourges will host its “Bal des rives” from Wednesday to Saturday, following the trend of traditional balls and revived folk dances.

“Dancing is truly a cool element!” exclaimed Boris Vedel. With 50 editions under its belt, the Printemps aims to prove that it’s still in the game.