After a first promising edition in September 2024, the one and only americana Fest in France, Eldorado, returns to the village of Vancé in NW France (close to Le Mans) with its second edition on 26th and 27th June 2026.
Eldorado is styled as “a family-friendly festival on a human scale, a unique musical offering; specialised without being elitist”. A project imagined by Michel Pampelune, a passionate advocate and specialist of americana in France. Over the years, he has worked as a producer (for the late Fargo record label), record store owner, publisher, and booking agent.
Among the artists performing in 2026 are Alela Diane, Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter, and singer-guitarist Dylan LeBlanc. Jesse Sykes’ records were released in Europe via Fargo. In 2026, the festival will offer two full days of celebration. A carefully curated program designed both for curious newcomers and for americana lovers. It’s an impressive gathering of talent from the United States and Canada, as well as performers from France.
The festival starts on Friday, 26th, with an acoustic evening at Château de Poncé, a beautiful 16th-century Renaissance castle. It features Dylan LeBlanc in solo acoustic mode, celebrating the 10th anniversary of his key Cautionary Tale album, which was produced by Ben Tanner of Alabama Shakes. Leblanc will revisit the album during the show. He will be supported by Barbara Forstner, who is New York-based and returns to France for the festival.
On Saturday, 27th June, the festival proper gets underway at La Scierie de Vancé, which boasts a large outdoor stage and a smaller stage under the warehouse roof. A former sawmill, much of it covered, houses up to 1,500 festivalgoers. In addition to the live music, there will be food trucks, local wines and beers, plus an “americana market” (record store, bookstore, vintage clothing, tattoo artist, DJs, local products, etc.).
Acts performing include folk-singer Alela Diane, the shimmering psych-country folk of Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter, and Boston-based blues-rockers GA-20. They will be supported by folk/blues performer Luke Winslow-King, the Louisiana-inspired blues of Bordeaux-based Charb-On and Canadian four-piece Horsebath, who swap instruments and vocal duties in sets, punching all the compass points of americana’s constituents.
You can find further details at this link, while the ticket office is right here. Meanwhile, you can watch the trailer for the festival below.
