© Jean-Michel Niron
LA GACILLY PHOTO FESTIVAL
Created in 2004, La Gacilly Photo Festival has become Europe’s largest open-air photography festival, welcoming over 300,000 visitors. Over four months every summer, the Breton village of La Gacilly is transformed into a real-life open-air exhibition gallery that is accessible to all, free of charge.
The streets, alleyways and gardens of La Gacilly become open-air galleries that are fully accessible, as the photographs featured part in the Festival are placed in the heart of a living and breathing space that is constantly in motion.
Ever since it was founded, La Gacilly Photo Festival has been committed to environmental and social issues, and its ambition to move people, raise awareness and share ideas in the hope of creating a more ethically minded world continues to grow.
FESTIVAL COMMITTED TO IMPORTANT SOCIAL ISSUES
Each year, a dual theme is developed, combining a focus on contemporary creation specific to a country or continent with a societal and environmental issue. By addressing these major themes through an artistic and aesthetic approach, the Festival echoes the concerns of everyone.
Through its exhibitions and the photographers' perspectives, the La Gacilly Photo Festival has been a vehicle for information, awareness-raising and mobilisation of the general public on environmental and societal issues for over 20 years. The association's project is centred on promoting knowledge of peoples around the world in the service of a humanistic vision of society.
In tune with the times, it challenges, denounces, surprises, reassures and is also a source of hope. The message is clear: in order to live in harmony with themselves and with nature, humans must maintain a sustainable relationship with the Earth. In the face of socially and ecologically destructive modes of production, the Festival promotes harmonious coexistence and peaceful openness to others, a fulfilling way of life and a virtuous economic model.
© Emma PESTRE / Festival Photo La Gacilly 2024
A UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE CONCEPT: AN OPEN-AIR ART GALLERY
Through its artistic excellence and local roots, the Festival offers each visitor an immersive and ambulatory experience as they stroll around 20 or so open-air galleries and discover large format pictures, some reaching nearly 80 meters high.
Photographs adorn the streets, gardens and alleys of La Gacilly, which is turned into a village nestled amongst imagesmétamorphosé en « village dans les images ». The town's outstanding built and natural heritage provides a perfect backdrop to the thousand or so images on display.
Public space becomes a stage, shared and open to all, free of charge. Thus the Festival can be appreciated by devoted regulars as well as complete newcomers.
© Jean-Michel Niron
AN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
Since 2018, the La Gacilly Photo Festival has gone international and expanded to Baden, Austria. An imperial and spa town nestled in a natural setting 30 kilometres south of Vienna, Baden shares La Gacilly's commitment to environmental sustainability and love of art.
12 June > 11 October 2026
9th edition – So British!
© Tamara Dean / Festival Photo La Gacilly-Baden
© Brassage Photographique
of La Gacilly-Baden
Photo Festival
DRAC - (Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles de Bretagne)
Région Bretagne
About the Regional Council
Being useful in the daily life of Bretons and Bretons, investing for their future and that of the territory, this is the meaning of the action of the Brittany Region. Its fields of intervention are numerous; in particular, it accompanies numerous associations and events and thus supports the cultural, sporting and linguistic vitality that makes Brittany a welcoming and open region. It also ensures that the cultural offer is balanced throughout Brittany.
Why support the La Gacilly Photo Festival ?
Brittany is at the forefront of the regions where festivals and artistic and cultural events are born. The Region supports and encourages this vitality. It supports ambitious projects that are anchored and innovate in the territories, from performing arts to the visual arts or photography.
By focusing on promoting contemporary creation, supporting emerging talents, investing in many professional networks and developing artistic and cultural education as a strong axis, the La Gacilly Photo Festival converges with cultural, artistic , environmental and societal issues that are at the heart of regional policy.
It is in the name of these shared values that the Region supports it.
Our common values for a sustainable future
In 2017, the Region chose to collectively build a future project for a sober and sustainable Brittany in 2040. From this approach was born the Breizh COP. Today, fully committed to this dynamic, the Region works with cultural actors around three sustainable development issues: ecological transition, equality between men and women, consideration of cultural rights.
Issues shared by the La Gacilly Photo Festival which, through its manifesto, attests to its desire to act in favor of ecological and societal transition.
Facebook: @regionbretagne.bzh
Instagram: @region.bretagne
Twitter: @regionbretagne
LinkedIn: @region-bretagne
Rocher Participations
About the Regional Council
ROCHER PARTICIPATIONS is the investment holding company of the ROCHER family.
It is held exclusively by the members of the ROCHER family, whose shareholders are the direct descendants of Mr Yves Rocher.
It is a French holding company, solidly established in its home territory, La Gacilly, in accordance with the wishes of its founder, Mr Yves Rocher, and with its purpose.
We are a Breton family holding company, convinced that well-rooted trees are more resistant to the vagaries of time.
Since 1959, our family adventure has been part of the world's changing times.
As early as 1971, Mr. Yves Rocher was already giving pride of place to Art by developing the establishment of numerous craftsmen in order to develop the economic growth of the commune of La Gacilly. More than fifty years later, these craftsmen are still present.
Why support the La Gacilly Photo Festival ?
By becoming a partner of the Photo Festival, ROCHER PARTICIPATIONS has perpetuated this commitment, using the photographic medium as a tool to bear witness to social and environmental issues addressed to the general public.
Our common values for a sustainable future
ROCHER PARTICIPATIONS also cultivates authentic encounters with its local partners, to support the Breton ecosystem and offer events accessible to everyone.
Morbihan - Conseil Départemental du Morbihan (56)
Who are we?
An actor of proximity, the Department supports its inhabitants daily in almost every aspects of life: family, education, environment, culture, social matters… The Council is a guarantor of a harmonious development of the territory.
Why support the La Gacilly Photo Festival?
More than a financial partner, the Department of Morbihan is the sponsor of this Festival. Every year, the Council gives a free pass to a photographer who goes and meets men and women who, like the Department, participate in building the territory.
Facebook: @departementdumorbihan
OBC - De L'Oust à Brocéliande Communauté
Who are we ?
“De l’Oust à Brocéliande communauté” (OBC) covers a geographical area gathering nearly 40,000 inhabitants and 26 communes around Malestroit, Guer and La Gacilly. In consultation with them, OBC proposes and develops proximity and valorization missions.
Why support the festival ?
One of our main objectives is to promote the territory, by accompanying and encouraging cultural activities for example. The Photo Festival totally reflects our educational ambition. It offers a high-quality exhibition, with famous photographers and selected works that convey an artistic and educational discourse that we adhere to and support. By its originality, the beauty of its setting and its free entrance, it also represents one of the main spearheads of our tourist offer. OBC is proud to be part of the public partners of the Photo Festival and wishes that this meeting rich of discoveries keep on questioning us many years.
Facebook: @oustbroceliande
LinkedIn: @de-l-oust-à-brocéliande-communauté
Commune de La Gacilly
Who are we ?
Since January 1, 2017, the three towns of Glénac, La Chapelle Gaceline and La Gacilly have become one: the new town of La Gacilly.
Why support the festival?
It seems indispensable to us to help one of the biggest Outdoor Photo Festival in Europe. Created 17 years ago, the La Gacilly Photo Festival brought together millions of visitors around the world's leading photographers. More than 1000 large format photographs displayed in the streets, gardens, alleys of the village of La Gacilly. It gives a cultural access of exception free family, between friends in our rural setting.
Facebook: @Unispourbienvivreensemblealagacilly
