Festival en feu!
Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd August 2025
Les Inédits d’Amélie is nearly upon us – and with something for everyone, even the grumpiest among us, it already looks like it’s going to be yet another exciting and spectacular success!
Organised by the Association for Culture and the Arts in the Vallespir, a group of business people, professionals and artists all linked to Amélie, the mastermind behind the festival is Ian Stephens, former dynamic English theatre director. Now based in Amélie les Bains, he has created and run festivals around the world, and was responsible for bringing the ab fab ‘Sinatra & Friends‘ to Amélie four years ago, and Les Inédits for the past 3 years.
The festival is supported by the commune of Amélie les Bains and the Department of the Pyrénées-Orientales.
This two day festival (Friday 22nd – Saturday 23rd August 2025) is jam packed with events, shows, music, art….LOADS OF FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!
….AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT – IT’S ALL FREE!
The streets and squares of Amélie-les-Bains are set to come alive on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th August thanks to the transformative power of the annual Les Inédits d’Amélie festival.
The fourth edition of this festival, organised by the Association pour la Culture et les Arts en Vallespir, which organises cultural activities throughout the year in the town and the wider valley, continues to pull visitors from far and wide to this great street festival, known for the consistent quality of the entertainment provided.
Ian Stephens, President of the Association: ‘I’ve spent years visiting street arts festivals and found that some of the best were south of the border here. So we’ve been looking at festivals in Catalonia to bring some brilliant companies and shows to Vallespir. I really think we’re going to attract people from all over the department for this opportunity to see such eclectic artists here in the Vallespir.’
Programme
FRIDAY 22nd
Pop/rock music – Rue piétonne 19h
Kristina
, a favourite of Les Inédits with a stunning voice and charming stage presence, in a concert of rock and pop classics. A powerful and astonishing voice.
Fire show – Place de la République 20h
L’Oiseau de Feu – Company Cielo
Company Cielo, based in the PO, bring us their fire show, the Firebird.
Flying from a distant land, the Firebirds are adorned with glowing golden feathers radiating a mysterious light.
Once night has fallen, these graceful birds dance with their fiery wings, spreading a multitude of lights, sparks and fantastic smoke all around them…Let yourself be enchanted by this timeless ritual, during which torches, bolas, fans and other flaming objects are choreographed to a magical finale that sets the whole space ablaze!
Swing and dance music – Place de la République 21h
Dandy Swingsters
Style and class are guaranteed, with a repertoire of swing classics mixed with a few instrumental nuggets. The group performs songs by Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan, Louis Prima, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr, Cab Calloway, Michael Bublé and many more.
A small ensemble, led by Céret’s Gavin Hackett, with undeniable swing and a pulsating rhythm section. Since 2019, they’ve been getting audiences and swing dance fans up and dancing to their infectious rhythms.
Saturday 23rd August
Visual artists – from 13h30 to 17h30 -Place de la Nation, Palalda
Les Inédits invites visual artists from all disciplines to come and work together, this year in the main square in Palalda, drawing inspiration (or giving tips and tricks) from each other, and showing how they work to the public. Artists, come and create, exhibit or even sell your work, in a friendly, sharing atmosphere. Or if you prefer, just come along and watch the artists work and understand some of the methods they use; bring the kids and let them try too.
Indy pop – 18h Place de la RépubliqueAnimal Beige
We’ve put together a festival super-group, composed of three extraordinary musicians who have all played in previous editions of Les Inédits; all very well known from other groups and incarnations. On drums, Francis Koelsch ; on keyboard/vocals, Simon Malart and on guitar/vocals, Philippe Holmes.
Circus – 19h-21h – Place e la République, Rue piétonne etc.
Les Inédits font leur Cirque
The centre of Amélie will be transformed into one large circus space as street artists take over the town centre for two hours. Professionals and amateurs alike; hip-hop and street dancers, jugglers, acrobats and gymnasts, tightrope walkers, balloon sculptors, musicians and theatre artists are all welcome. The performers include hip-hop dance troupe ‘100 et or’ from Perpignan who will be performing at 19h30 and 20h30.
Americana music 21h Place de la République, Rue piétonne.
Blue Oak
The duo Blue Oak, originally from Boston, USA, and now based in the PO, plays Americana music, focusing primarily on folk, country, and bluegrass.
Laser, drums and dance show
Place de la République, Rue piétonne. 22h
Correllums – Cia Múcab Dans
Laser, drums and dance show
Using as a starting point the essence of the Catalan tradition the Correfocs as a cultural and social activity – where a group of devils flood the town squares and streets with intense moments of beauty, energy and celebration – Correllums takes these contagious images and emotions to create a visual spectacle of movement, smoke and colour.
The devils’ pitchforks, which usually give off sparks, are replaced here by rotating laser pitchforks that generate volumetric figures of light. This allows the creation of different images, synchronies, sequences and visual effects in space.
Detailed programme with times and places: www.lesineditsdamelie.com
All events are free
CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE FOR FULL DETAILS
Or contact: Ian: 06.24.65.00.15 or hpctheatre@yahoo.co.uk.