The “Au fil de l’eau” festival is back in 2026.

Building on the success of its first edition, the Au fil de l’eau festival returns from 1 to 22 August for a new artistic journey along the canals.

After its first edition in 2024, which transformed the canals of the Alsace–Lorraine region into living stages blending music and performances on and along the water, the festival continues its ambition :

For this new edition—and for the first time as a cross-border event—several artistic companies will once again take part, bringing life to the harbours and riverbanks with the rhythm of unique and immersive performances:

Saturday 1 August will mark the opening of the Au fil de l’eau festival and a new stage of the journey with an evening taking place in Saarbrücken, along the banks of the River Saar. In this distinctive setting, between lively quaysides and reflections on the water, the festival invites audiences to share a convivial moment where music, live performance, and artistic encounters come together in a warm and festive atmosphere.

The programme for the evening will showcase a variety of artistic worlds, offering audiences an immersive experience shaped by discovery and emotion.

From 7:00 PM, the Calligraff Company will take over the banks of the Saar with a colourful roaming performance. On stilts and accompanied by accordion music, the artists will move along the quays, meeting the public. Blending music, juggling, and improvisation, their whimsical characters will engage passers-by and bring a vibrant festive spirit wherever they go.

From 9:30 PM, audiences will discover Richard B Brown. Blending folk, jazz, blues, and ballads, this authentic and energetic band offers a rich musical universe filled with emotion, combining festive, uplifting, and powerful melodies. Through original compositions and a unique artistic chemistry, the musicians invite the audience on a sincere and captivating musical journey, touching both heart and mind.

For this edition of the festival, Richard B Brown will offer a special experience by performing on a floating stage. This unusual setting will echo the itinerant and poetic spirit of their music, creating a suspended moment that promises to leave a lasting impression.

On Saturday 8 August, the itinerant festival will stop at the Sarralbe river stop for an evening dedicated to poetry, performance, and wonder. In this natural setting, ideal for daydreaming, artists will take over the waterside to offer audiences an immersive experience where music, fire arts, and aerial performances come together in a magical atmosphere.

The programme promises a rich artistic journey filled with emotion, combining musical virtuosity and spectacular performances.

As the opening act from 7:00 PM, Saxs’Union will launch the evening. Made up of five saxophonists from various wind orchestras across the Alsace Bossue and Lorraine regions, the ensemble enthusiastically shares its passion for the saxophone. Through an eclectic repertoire, the musicians create a dialogue between styles and eras, offering a warm and accessible musical moment for all audiences.

At nightfall, Showflamme will present its new creation developed in collaboration with the Belgian company Moving Fire Arts: Fire on the Water. Bringing together fire performers and acrobats, this show transports audiences into a dreamlike world where water and flames respond to each other in a captivating play of reflections.

Performing on floating boats drifting like islands on the water’s surface, the artists multiply visual effects and create highly poetic tableaux. Through acrobatic feats, fiery choreography, and an enchanting atmosphere, they draw the audience into a world of magic and mystery, promising an unforgettable moment at this stage of the festival.

The Maralpine company invites audiences into the captivating world of Only a Dream, a spectacular performance combining live music, fire juggling, and aerial rigging, all unfolding on the water. Through this poetic and immersive creation, the artists lead spectators into a dreamlike universe at nightfall on Friday 14, Saturday 15, and Sunday 16 August, where reality gradually begins to feel slightly unsettled.

As the performance unfolds, audiences are drawn into a shifting world of dreams—fascinating and increasingly uncanny—where something subtle seems to drift out of balance.

On Friday 14 August, the itinerant festival will stop in Lutzelbourg, along the canal quay, from 7:00 PM onwards. This evening will take place at the heart of “Lutz en fête”, a major summer event organised for the past seven years by the Lutzelbourg Interassociation. In a warm and festive atmosphere, residents and visitors alike will be able to enjoy the many activities offered throughout the village, explore the creators’ market set up at the school grounds, and share a convivial moment by the water as night falls.

To open this first stage of the Maralpine company’s itinerant performance, the local and well-established band Déclic will perform as the opening act. With a repertoire combining well-known covers, popular hits, and current songs, the musicians will create a lively and unifying atmosphere. Following the performance of Only a Dream, they will return to the stage to extend the evening in music, keeping the festive spirit alive at the heart of the Lutzelbourg celebrations.

On Saturday 15 August, the itinerant festival continues its journey at the Lagarde marina. In this peaceful waterside setting, audiences are invited to share an evening shaped by discovery, conviviality, and Mediterranean-influenced music, before being carried away into the dreamlike universe of Only a Dream.

As the opening act from 7:00 PM, Djeff will meet the audience with a repertoire rooted in Gypsy music, inherited from his family history and enriched by the warm sounds of rumba. A singer, rhythm guitarist, and composer, he will perform as a duo with a musician whose mastery of guitar solos and improvisation enhances and delicately complements his playing.

Driven by a deep passion for the stage and a desire to share the richness of Gypsy culture, Djeff conveys through his songs a part of his story, his roots, and his artistic universe. This musical journey opens the evening in a warm and authentic atmosphere.

On Sunday 16 August, the itinerant festival continues its journey along the water with an evening dedicated to conviviality and musical exploration. Before discovering the dreamlike universe of the Eklabul company, audiences are invited to share a warm and welcoming moment carried by the blended sounds of Tangerine Mist.

As the opening act from 7:00 PM, this guitar-and-voice duo presents an authentic and richly textured musical world, drawing both from Irish traditions and influences from the southern United States. Bridging jazz-rock, funk, rock’n’roll, and country, the artists bring different styles into dialogue with energy and sensitivity, offering a vibrant and generous repertoire.

Driven by lively melodies and a clear on-stage chemistry, Tangerine Mist takes the audience on a musical journey across multiple horizons. This warm and dynamic interlude sets the perfect tone for the penultimate stage of the Maralpine company’s itinerant performance before the festival continues.

On Saturday 22 August, the itinerant festival will stop in Mittersheim for its closing evening. Set in the enchanting surroundings of the marina, this final stage invites audiences to celebrate the end of the summer journey through a moment filled with poetry, music, and escapism. With reflections on the water and captivating melodies, the evening promises to conclude the festival in a warm and memorable atmosphere.

As the opening act from 7:00 PM, the duo Les P.D.G. will meet the audience with a warm and eclectic repertoire. Behind these initials are Patrice and David, accompanied by their trusted guitars, who have been performing across the region for many years. Blending French chanson, Anglo-Saxon folk classics, and original compositions, the two musicians share their passion for music with simplicity and good humour. Their infectious chemistry and sense of togetherness offer a friendly and authentic moment to begin this closing evening.

As night falls, the PianO du Lac company takes over with its new creation, Le Piano Bulle. Light as a soap bubble, this floating piano seems delicately placed on the surface of the water, surrounded by shimmering glass spheres. In this setting suspended between sky and reflections, the musicians invite the audience on a sensory and immersive journey, where music blends seamlessly with the magic of the landscape.

True to the poetic spirit of the PianO du Lac creations, this performance offers a timeless interlude—a moment of softness and wonder that brings the festival to a beautiful close, leaving spectators with memories filled with dreams and poetry.

The Au fil de l’eau festival is part of the Franco-German cooperation project RIVIERA, led by the association since 2025 and supported by the Interreg programme – SaarMoselle Eurodistrict Functional Area.

This project aims to develop a cross-border tourism destination around the River Saar and its canal network, highlighting waterside landscapes, soft mobility, and slow tourism. It also encourages exchanges between French and German territories through joint actions in tourism promotion, visitor hospitality, and cultural programming.

In this context, the festival helps bring waterways to life by offering artistic and convivial experiences that strengthen connections between residents, visitors, and partners on both sides of the border.

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