A spectacular summer of Sounds and Lights shows!
When summer arrives, let the show begin! As soon as night falls, monuments buzz with cheerful yet refined excitement: here and there people patiently wait for the first sound and light shows to appear, heralding the start of the evening. Whether very contemporary creations or historical frescoes, these events reveal another face of the tufa giants, further magnifying their architecture through subtle lighting.
Sounds, lights and fabulous evenings!
As the sun goes down, visitors are immersed in a welcoming sweet, dreamlike atmosphere. In the gardens at Villandry, for example, we enjoy the countless candles that make up the fairy-tale decor of the nights of a thousand lights.
A perfect romantic outing, like the evening walks in the park of the Château de Chenonceau, set to the music of the great Italian composers of the Renaissance. On the other hand, don’t miss a wine tasting underneath the stars, on Saturday 20th July 2024, with the local wine growers of the AOC “touraine-chenonceaux”.
At the château du Clos Lucé, two events have been announced: the “nocturnes théatrales” (11 and 13 July 2024), and the evening strolls on 9 and 10 August (musical and theatrical activities).
Wine tasting under the star - Château of Chenonceau ©Dominique Couineau
Nights of a thousand lights - Villandry ©Loïc Lagarde
The Château du Clos Lucé ©Gillard et Vincent
Historical shows
Many spectators discover during the summer the night show in Semblançay (Scénoféerie de Semblançay), which unfolds before our eyes the history of Touraine through the centuries. For the past 30 years, enthusiasts have been putting on about fifteen performances of this sound and light show each year, to the delight of audiences of all ages. Here is a small preview:
On the banks of the Loire, the Royal castle of Amboise will be the beautiful setting for a brand new summer night show, performed every Wednesday and Saturday: “Amboise, destinées royales“!
L’Islette by night
If the love story of Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel, regularly hosted here, attracts a substantial number of visitors during the day, a large audience also converges on the Château de l’Islette in the evening. In addition to the Friday jazz aperitif picnics, extended on Saturdays by musical picnic evenings, there are the magnificent “L’Islette à la belle étoile” evenings on Wednesdays. All good reasons to spend at least one evening on the banks of the Indre every summer!
The chateau of L’Islette – Azay-le-Rideau
Nocturnes at the Château d’Azay-le-Rideau
The nocturnes will plunge visitors into the world of live entertainment as they follow a sound trail. From 10 July to 24 August, four evenings a week from 7pm to 11pm, the château and the costumes in the “Dressing for Wonder” exhibition will be at the centre of a musical and luminous atmosphere, inviting visitors to daydream and stimulating their imaginations.
Editor’s note: following on from the Nuits solaires, the legendary evenings will bring the charming village of Montrésor to life in fine weather.