What to do this summer in France: Brittany opens its cultural doors!

Elise Bontemps
Publié le 11 July 2025
What to do this summer in France: Brittany opens its cultural doors!

This summer, we're heading for the North West. Where the freshness of the ocean mingles with the warmth of the land, where the sweet smell of golden delights mingles with seaside ice cream... We're talking, of course, about Brittany, which welcomes you to a new cultural season! From museums to workshops, the Breton region is decked out in its finest exhibitions to take you on a journey through time and cultures...

With their hooked noses, broomsticks and potions, witches are an integral part of mystical tales. These creatures, as fascinating as they are frightening, are the subject of the new exhibition at the Musée Pont-Aven, on show from 7 June 2025 to 16 November 2025. In partnership with the Musée d'Orsay, this exhibition looks at the representation of these creatures in art between 1860 and 1920. In a tour divided into three parts, the Musée Pont-Aven invites us to reflect on the themes of the night, the body and knowledge. Long perceived as evil ‘old women’, the representation of witches has evolved, questioned and sometimes even disturbed, reflecting a society in perpetual mutation.

Witches (1860-1920): fantasies, knowledge, freedom - Musée de Pont-Aven
Witches (1860-1920): fantasies, knowledge, freedom - Musée de Pont-Aven

At the heart of animal painting

Why not take a closer look at animals this time? The Fonds Hélène & Edouard pour la culture, located in Finistère, is hosting an exhibition of more than 150 works questioning the place of animals in artistic representations. With 130 artists on show, curator Christian Alandete takes you on a journey through the ages. Through these representations, the place of the animal, of man and of the bond that unites and separates them is brought to the fore. Long considered a subject of excellence in academic art, animal painting has never ceased to evolve and to question society. Available until November 2025, Animal?! will reveal all the secrets of a fauna that is as rich as it is mysterious and symbolic.

Annette Messager, ‘Eux et nous, nous et eux’, 2000 - Collection of the artist, © Annette Messager, © Adagp, Paris 2025
Annette Messager, ‘Eux et nous, nous et eux’, 2000 - Collection of the artist, © Annette Messager, © Adagp, Paris 2025

Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin, ‘Le Singe peintre’, About 1740 - Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures © Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Angèle Dequier
Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin, ‘Le Singe peintre’, About 1740 - Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures © Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Angèle Dequier

Open fields!

Why not give yourself free rein this summer? Rennes' cultural centre has heard you! With its library, Musée de Bretagne and Espace des Sciences, this unique venue has put together a colourful programme to suit all tastes.

If you're a science fan, the Incroyable cerveau exhibition is for you. Available until 31 August 2025 at the Espace des Sciences, this exhibition is the perfect way to understand what goes on in our body's most complex organ in a fun and immersive way. Accessible to children aged 8 and over, you can let yourself be guided around by 6 characters who will explore every nook and cranny of your brain with you! It's the perfect opportunity for the whole family to get to grips with myth and reality !

Photo: Sylvain Lefebvre
Photo: Sylvain Lefebvre

In a more festive mood? Don't worry, the Carnivals exhibition is still on until November. Tracing the history of carnival in Brittany and around the world, the exhibition is bursting with colour, costumes and good humour! Posters, videos, paintings and photographs are all on display to help you decipher the inventiveness of carnival-goers. Find out all about it on the museum website, right here !

Granville Carnival, Cécile Ballon- Report produced for the Granville Terre et Mer Tourist Office.
Granville Carnival, Cécile Ballon- Report produced for the Granville Terre et Mer Tourist Office.

Not your region? Don't panic, you can find all our articles on the various cultural events on offer throughout France on our web site!