Old Ploughs And National Treasures

Festival des Vieilles Charrues is sticking with its plan of running a fourth day and headlining with it a legendary French act because this year it’s managed to get Charles Aznavour to top the bill.

Last year the 50,000-capacity Brittany-based event opened a day earlier to fit in a show from Johnny Hallyday. It was so successful that the organisers are looking to invite more national treasures.

The diminutive 83-year-old Aznavour, who some critics have nicknamed Aznavoice, will headline a July 19-22 lineup that includes Peter Gabriel, Arcade Fire, Scissor Sisters, Kaiser Chiefs, Bryan Ferry, Rickie Lee Jones, Klaxons, and Sinead O’Connor.

He’ll appear July 19, supported by Les Rita Mitsouko, Sanseverino and Philippe Katerine. The separate one-day ticket costs euro 35. Festival tickets are euro 26 per day or euro 66 for a three-day pass.

Festival des Vieilles Charrues, or Old Ploughs Festival, has moved site twice as it’s grown to become one of France’s major outdoors.

It attracts widespread TV and radio coverage and about 500 newspaper and magazine journalists.

The first installment took place 16 years ago in the small village of Landeleau, about 10 miles from Carhaix, and pulled about 500 people.

Due to a dramatic increase in the numbers, it shifted to the centre of Carhaix in 1995 and in 1998 moved to the nearby natural amphitheatre at Kerampuilh.