Blues & Polar Festival 2026 - 22nd edition

Côté musique Blues : le trio Palooka ouvrira le festival le samedi 29 août à 16 h dans la chapelle de Toutes-aures à Manosque with a tribute to Tom Waits, the great American bluesman with profound lyrics.

Singer-pianist Pierre Meige will provide the evening swing aperitif at the Bar des Amis de Blues & Polar.

Michel Ivonio's "Opéra des résistances" (Opera of Resistance), dedicated to the poet and writer René Char, leader of the Resistance in the South Luberon, will be performed on Sunday, August 30th at 16:30 pm in the chapel of Toutes-Aures. With Michel Ivonio (vocals), Sébastien Lalisse (piano), and Sébastien Antoni (percussion and drums).

The John Chris Meyer group will close the 22nd Blues & Polar festival at Manosque Sunday August 30.

John Chris Meyer & The Mood Trackers (Live at Sonograf - April 2025) https://youtu.be/2wLlNDblbeg?si=zmPAMEGWobuV14ao

Côté livres et Polar : Karine Giebel sera notre Grand Témoin 2026, la Rencontre littéraire animée par Jean-Pierre Tissier et l’écrivain René Frégni parrain historique du festival accueillera également Pierre-Yves Touzot, Ingrid Astier, Paul Beaupère, Valentin Doyen, William Irigoyen.

You’ll find here:

Saturday, August 29

16 h : ouverture du festival avec le trio Palooka, autour du répertoire du génial songwriter américain Tom Waits, s'apparentant à une plongée au sein de son univers baroque, poétique et déjanté, depuis ses débuts avec "Closing Time" jusqu'à "Bad As Me" sorti en 2011. Avec Stéphane Balmino (chant-guitare), Philippe Lecat (violon-choeurs) et Yannick Benahmed (contrebasse-choeurs).

18 p.m.: Literary meeting hosted by Jean-Pierre Tissier and René Frégni with the writers "Blues & Polar/Counts of Provence 2026 Favorites"
- Pierre-Yves Touzot “The Secrets of Old Forest” (trilogy) (La Trace).
- William Irigoyen “34 rue Neuve my grandmother’s tobacco shop” (Fayard).
- Paul Beaupère “Twelve bullets for Marie-Thérèse” (City editions).
- Ingrid Astier “Ultima” (Gallimard).
- Valentin Doyen “Émile” (Fayard).
- Karine Giebel (Grand Witness of the 22nd festival) “And each time die a little” and “I love your fear” (Pocket Récamier noir).

19:30 pm: Book signing by the authors of "Blues & Polar 2026 Favorites", and a swing happy hour at the Bar des Amis de Blues & Polar with Pierre Meige. Pistou soup from the Disciples of Escoffier, ice cream, and a food truck on site.

20h45. Projection film en plein air "Dans la brume électrique" de Bertrand Tavernier avec Buddy Guy et Gian Maria Volonte. (1h 57 mn).

Sunday, August 30

14h - 19h : Stand des éditions marseillaises Melmac et auteurs indépendants (Patrick Coulomb, Pierre Meige, Bruno Carpentier… ) sur le parvis de Sant Brancaï.

16:30 p.m.: Poetic concert at the chapel of Toutes Aures “The Opera of Resistances” by Michel Ivonio in homage to the poet-writer René Char, leader of the South Luberon Resistance, with Sébastien Lalisse (piano) and Sébastien Antoni (drums-percussion).

18pm: Swing aperitif at the Bar des Amis de Blues & Polar with Pierre Meige. Ice cream and food truck on site.

19:30pm: closing concert: John Chris Meyer group & guests, tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

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Literary meeting around the books: Blues & Polar favorites.

Each year, a theme is chosen. Readings, literary events, book signings, concerts and open-air film screenings are on the program.

Jean-Pierre Tissier, a former journalist at the newspaper La Provence, has been the organizer of the Blues & Polar festival for 22 years.

René Frégni, the Marseilles writer who lives in Manosque, has always been the historical sponsor of the Blues & Polar festival.

The Blues and Crime Fiction Festival takes place every year at the Chapelle de Toutes Aures in Manosque, within Alpes de Haute Provence.