Chants d’Elles: five live music picks around Rouen this November
by 
Babylon Radio
Listen nowNina Attal and her band at Detmolder Sommerbühne, 2016. Archive photograph: Tsungam / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped for display.
From an adventurous voice-and-piano duo to French and Yiddish songs and a Brazilian closing celebration, Chants d’Elles offers several ways into live music around Rouen this November. The festival’s 27th edition began on 5 November and continues until 22 November 2026, putting women’s voices at the centre of a programme spread across the city and surrounding towns. The City of Rouen’s preview describes an edition reaching 20 communes.
You can follow the music out to Oissel, Cléon or Saint-Saëns, or start with an intimate concert in Rouen itself. These five picks favour the festival’s second and third weeks, with different sounds and settings to choose from.
Voice, piano and a quieter folk evening
At Studio Accès Digital on Wednesday 11 November, Leïla Martial’s Karma Bazar pairs the singer with pianist Elie Dufour. The instrumentation extends beyond piano to Moog and organetto, while Martial brings a playful approach to vocal performance. The organiser describes a meeting of musical exploration and clowning rather than a conventional recital.
There are two performances, at 7pm and 9pm, at 6 bis rue Edouard Adam. Full-price tickets are listed at €15. The room has limited capacity, and the festival recommends reserving ahead. A €12 rate is listed for students, under-18s and other specified concession groups, as well as festival pass holders. Check that your chosen performance time matches your reservation.
For a more meditative choice, Awa Ly brings her folk music to Espace Aragon in Oissel on Thursday 12 November at 8.30pm. The programme frames her work around spirituality, inner roots and shared human experience. The venue is on Place du 8 mai 1945, with a listed full price of €13.40.
Leïla Martial at Paris Jazz Festival, 2019. Archive photograph: Bokken / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized by Wikimedia, not cropped.
Two guitar voices at La Traverse
Friday 13 November brings Carolyn Wonderland and Nina Attal to La Traverse in Cléon at 8.30pm. Wonderland’s programme description moves between blues, soul, Tex-Mex and rock ’n’ roll. Attal’s music draws on 1970s rock alongside folk and blues, making this a tempting shared bill for listeners who like their singing accompanied by electric guitar.
La Traverse is at 37 rue Luis Corvalan. The festival lists full-price tickets at €24 and a reduced rate of €20. Follow the event’s booking link for the applicable ticket conditions and current availability.
Two Sunday afternoons, two different journeys
On 15 November, Elishka performs at the Cinéma-Théâtre in Saint-Saëns at 4pm. Elsa Signorile combines guitar and accordion with songs in French and Yiddish. The programme promises an intimate setting and a repertoire that moves between nostalgia, dancing rhythms and songs with a message.
The theatre is on Place Maintenon. Tickets are listed at €10, or €5 for children under 12. This is the afternoon choice for anyone curious about how two languages can sit together in one singer’s repertoire.
The following Sunday, 22 November, the festival finale heads to Centre socioculturel Georges-Déziré in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray. Local school performers open at 3pm, followed by an interval, with Rita Rita scheduled for 3.50pm. Rita Macedo, Jaime Chao, Brice Matha and Louis Lubat bring a Brazilian programme drawing on forró and coco, with accordion, saxophone and percussion in the mix.
The centre is at 271 rue de Paris. Full-price admission is listed at €13, with specified concessions at €10.
Choose your concert, then plan the journey
Start with the sound that appeals to you, then check the town and venue before arranging travel. These performances are spread across several places, not gathered on one festival site. The individual listings give addresses, prices and booking details, making them a useful starting point for an evening out or a Sunday afternoon.
Check the live festival programme again before setting off. As checked on 6 November, it already flags cancellations and sold-out events elsewhere in the schedule. The prices above are advertised rates, not a promise that tickets remain available.