Cultural scene
La Halle aux grains/The grain market – The national stage of Blois
For each season, the “Hag” offers a rich and diverse, high-quality program featuring several types of performing arts – theater, music, dance, etc. – suited to audiences of all ages. Consult the current programs (in French only).
Chato’do and the North Pole studio, dedicated to today’s music
Numerous nationally and internationally recognized artists participate, along with local groups, in Chato’do concerts. The styles are highly diversified: electronica, hip hop, rock, reggae, heavy metal… Programming and site management are attended to by the Mars (“Musiques actuelles, rencontres sonores”) association.
The site disposes of two spaces: a large concert hall (630 seats) and a club (150 seats).
Chato’do also hosts three fully equipped (sound reinforcement systems, guitar and bass amplifiers, drums, microphones, turntables) rehearsal studios placed at the disposal of musical groups. No less than thirty-five groups regularly rehearse in the studios, which also welcome conservatory students taking courses on modern music.
Bégon house
A cultural association located in the northern section of Blois, la Maison de Bégon offers an eclectic program dedicated to world cultures: shows, artistic practice, language courses, cultural action, support for festival creation and organization.
Each year in May, the Mix’Terres festival brings together a number of artists from all over the world in a spirit of cultural and artistic blending: dance, music, contemporary circus, street arts, etc.
In early July, the Bégon house organizes a guinguette (riverside café) event at the port known as la Creusille, with numerous shows and concerts, a bar… and a panoramic view on the Loire. Further information on the “Maison de Bégon” website, in French only
Quinière space
In the heart of the western section of Blois, l’Espace Quinière is a venue conducive to hospitality, solidarity, encounters and exchanges. Activities suited to all ages and tastes are proposed by teams on the site, the inhabitants who frequenting the space, the relevant departments of the town of Blois, and the association known as Alep (Association de loisirs et d’éducation populaire).
From April to September, a summertime agenda is put forward: “Quinière s’décale” (a participative workshop + a play). On the program: entertainment, spectacles in public space, strolls, games in the toy library, shared meals, musical evenings, open air movies, etc.
Mirebeau space
Located in the northern section of Blois, throughout the year l’Espace Mirebeau organizes numerous activities aimed at enriching daily local life: workshops for persons of all ages (cooking, sewing, etc.), sports, solidarity-based support, children’s leisure, social debates, etc.
Numerous practical services are also offered: infant daycare (“la Mirabelle”), leisure center without lodgings (ALSH) for 4-to-11-year-olds, social assistance facilities, success-in-education project facilities (PRE), toy library, etc.
Les Lobis cinema
Les Lobis is an art-house cinema located in the center of Blois. In parallel to film showings, it organizes more than seventy events a year: encounters with directors and comedians, meetings with local associations concerning films with thematic content, previews and theme-based evenings, jazz concerts, photography exhibits and/or debates on films during the major Blois film festivals (see links to Rendez-vous de l’Histoire, semaine Elles and bd BOUM, in French only).
On Sundays and during school holidays, the cinema is associated with the town in the projection of children’s films in the framework of Ciné dimanche. Throughout the year, it is associated with Ciné’fil in the programming of unusual and international films. Further information on Les Lobis cinema (in French only)
Libraries and media libraries in Blois
A library (la bibliothèque Abbé-Grégoire) and a media library (la médiathèque Maurice-Genevoix) are part and parcel of local cultural life. They host numerous cultural events in the framework of the major Blois festivals: women rights’s week, summer festival, winter festival, history rendezvous and bd BOUM.
Through common initiatives or documentary proposals, they provide supplementary facilities for some of the programs organized by the Grain market, Chato’do, Les Lobis cinema, All That Jazz, the royal château, the House of Music and the Foundation of doubt.
Last but not least, throughout the year the libraries organize exhibitions, encounters, conferences, film projections, musical entertainment, etc. You can visit “l’agenda des bibliothèques” (in French only).
Jeu de Paume arena
Opened in September 2017, located on avenue de Châteaudun, the Jeu de Paume arena hosts cultural, economic and sports events: basketball matches, trade shows, concerts, spectacles. It can welcome as many as 3000 persons. Discover upcoming Jeu de Paume programs (in French only).
La Fosse aux ours (bear pit)
In the Vienne neighborhood, in a one-time warehouse, 67 E, quai Henri-Chavigny, the bear pit displays the works of various artists. For further information, consult the Facebook page of la Fosse aux Ours (in French only).
