bluegrass in la roche
july 30 - august 1, 2021
FOR FULL INFORMATION ABOUT BANDS, CLICK HERE

 seat reservations are now on general sale

Festival update July 19 - Capacity increase and entrance becomes free
Following the announcement by President Macron on Monday July 11, here are the latest decisions taken by the organising committee.
  • Capacity is increased to 2990. The original capacity was set at 990 to avoir having to use the Vaccine Passport, which is now obligatory for events with over 50 people.
  • With the increased capacity we have decided to make entrance to the festival free and with no  reservation required (up to the limit of 2990 on the site)
  • People who have already paid for their ticket will be offered the choice of a refund or the possibility to have a guaranteed seat in front of the stage. All seats in this area will be reserved for people who have paid.
  • There will be no standing right against the stage to block the view of the people in the seating area.
  • Everyone entering the site will be required to show their vaccine passport with two shots or a test from less than 48 hours. The nearest PCR test centre in in Bonneville (10 kms) but pharmacies in La Roche can give the lateral flow test with immediate results.​
Festival update July 12 - Camping Cars
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We have received authorisation from the town to reserve part of a town car park for camping cars. Note, there are no public conveniences nearby.
​Click on map to enlarge
Festival update July 3
  • Tickets are now on general sale at the link above.
  • Please note masks are still required at the festival although we do not require a Covid Passport for events under 1000 people (our approved capacity is 990, including artists and volunteers)
  • There will be seats in front of stage and it is now allowed to stand. The standing area is behind the seated area. There will be no standing in front of the seats against the stage pit.
  • There is a disabled viewing area immediately behind the seated area and in front of the standing area.
  • There will be food and drinks as every year. Service at the counter, meals and drinks to be taken seated. There will be plenty of tables and benches. Today the maximum per table is 6 people, but this may be increased to 8 before the festival.
Prices
  • Friday and Sunday 1-day pass (3 shows) : 8€ adults, 4€ children 4-11 years (entrance free for under 4)
  • Saturday 1-day pass (6 shows with 2 headline acts) : 12€ adults, 6€ children
  • 2-day pass (Friday & Saturday or Saturday & Sunday) : 15€ adults, 7,50 € children
  • 3-day pass (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) : 20€ adults, 10€ childre
Press Release June 1, 2021
  • The festival will go ahead as planned from Friday July 30 to Sunday August 1 with a name change for  2021 : Bluegrass In La Roche - There will be Bluegrass and it will be in La Roche.
  • 12 bands from France and neighbouring Switzerland and Italy will perform.
  • Capacity will be set at 990 people (including volunteers and artists)
  • The site will be organised to be Covid compliant and all protocols in force at the time of the event will be respected.
  • ​Steet Festival is cancelled and jamming may be possible in town.
  • There will no festival market, instrument check, luthiers hall, workshop, campsite or shuttle services.​
Download the full Press Release with detailed explanations about organisation, ticketing and pricing.

La Roche Bluegrass Show EP. 7

Uploaded June 24. Episode 7 of La Roche Bluegrass Show is now on line on our YouTube channel.
Milkeaters from Czechia
Long John Brothers from Switzerland
Erwyn from Austria
Full details on La Roche Bluegrass Show page (link above)

new from La Roche Bluegrass Festival 

​La Roche Bluegrass Show

la roche Bluegrass youtube channel
A new project from La Roche Bluegrass Festival to promote the Best of Bluegrass in Europe.
A monthly show hosted by Christopher Howard-Williams showcasing 3 different acts from all around Europe.
To find out more about the show, about the artists featured and about being a guest on the show see our La Roche Bluegrass Show page on this site.
We have curated all our videos of La Roche Bluegrass Festival into a new YouTube Channel.
You can see videos of past shows, promotional clips and all La Roche Bluegrass Shows will be curated there from now on.
To help us get traction please subscribe to the channel and like the films. With 100 subscribers we can have our own YouTube channel address. Thank you!

other news from the festival

virtual 2020

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Our virtual festival featutred 17 shows filmed during previous festivals with 7 bands from Europe (6 countries) and 10 bands from the USA.
And, 17 interviews with the artists by festival president Christopher Howard-Williams  recorded in July 2020, in English with direct translation into French. They give fascinating insights into the artists' life in lockdown, their prospects for the near future and their stories from La Roche Bluegrass Festival.
Thanks to you, we raised nearly €6,000 which were distributed to the artists.
The shows and the interviews can still be viewed on our YouTube channel

new festival film

Our friend Fred Glas, banjo player from Lyon, made us 2 promotional films, released in March 2020. See our YouTube Channel for more
See the full 9-minute version
Or just watch the 1-minute teaser!

remember the good times

Check out our gallery of past years with videos, reports and photos. And remember, the good times will come again.

new TOWN HALL STAGE

A growing number of duos and trios apply to play the festival. 
With the current configuration it is difficult to schedule more than one or two each year, even though many of them are talented and play music close to the Bluegrass traditions. 
For this reason, we would like to test a 3rd stage exclusively for duos and trios. The stage will be on the main square in front of the Town Hall and will operate from 4 pm to 8 pm on Friday and Saturday. Bands will play 45-minute sets and play under the same conditions as other bands.
IBMA DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMMENT AWARD FOR CHRISTOPHER HOWARD-WILLIAMS
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Christopher with Alison Brown
La Roche Bluegrass Festival is proud that Nashville Based IBMA gave its second highest award (after Hall of Fame) to La Roche Bluegrass Festival founder and chairman Christopher Howard-Williams at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards Ceremony in Raleigh, North Carolina on September 27, 2018.
The award was presented by Compass Records founder and CEO Alison Brown, herself an IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award recipient, IBMA Banjo Player of the year and 2-time Grammy winner.
See article in Bluegrass Unlimited on Christopher Howard-Williams 

festival security
 In line with measures taken throughout Europe on safety in public places, all people a onto the site will be submitted to a search of their belongings by our security staff. We thank you for your cooperation and your understanding.