43rd Interceltic Festival of Lorient - Year of Asturias

This unique event in France, which has been held every year for over 40 years, is the meeting place for contemporary expressions from Celtic countries. Attracting nearly 700,000 visitors and spectators each year, it is one of the most important festivals in Europe.

This year, the Festival will focus on Asturias: the highlands of southern Celtic territory.

An autonomous principality in north-western Spain, with a 320 km coastline between Galicia and the Cantabrian Mountains, Asturias has a population of just over one million. A land of green mountains, it seems to have been forged by ‘the almost mystical fury of the Cantabrian Sea and the magical serenity of its mountains’. Its famous European peaks reach heights of 2,600 metres.

Oviedo, the capital of this principality, is the cradle of Asturian pre-Romanesque architecture, which is listed as a World Heritage Site. It is currently undergoing a transformation after a long period of mining industrialisation. Gijon, with its port, is the most populous city. Asturian, a Romance language, is known by 60% and spoken by 30% of the population.

Le Comptoir Irlandais is partnering with the Interceltic Festival and will be present throughout this event, which brings together a wide range of activities and concerts. Visitors will be able to discover our shop in the heart of the Interceltic market, close to the Palais des Congrès.