ÉVÉNEMENTS / The Fabulous village or flottin's legend

From 12 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, Evian (74)

A tale for Evian

"Listen...listen! And you will hear.

If you want to believe, you'll believe! Wherever you are... Spread your shells, clean your big leaves!

Since the dawn of time, from all over the Alps, the family of elves, mermaids, undines, witches, fairies, leprechauns and other goblins has washed up on the beach at Evian. From bad weather to avalanches, from streams to torrents, from torrents to rivers, from rivers to rivers, a river here, a Rhone there, led on their driftwood steeds by the whims of Mother Nature, they arrive on the shores of Lake Geneva, a magical lake where they find rest. These elves, gnomes and other lake dwellers are known as flottins and flottines...".

Every winter, the flotsam and jetsam live in a village made from driftwood carried down by the waters.

In this world of light, the daily lives of these merry travellers remain gentle and peaceful. However, one November evening, as Santa was flying over Lake Geneva on a simple training flight, a squabble between the reindeer in the lead pack forced him to ditch his plane. Panic-stricken, the whole village swam to their rescue. And the legendary hospitality of the floats paid off, as that night they built a magnificent driftwood hut for the shipwrecked men. Every year since then, Father Christmas has visited his floaty friends before setting off on his long journey.

Since 2007, the ‘Fabuleux Village’ has been establishing itself as an alternative to Christmas markets, focusing on storytelling, orality, theatre and the visual arts. During this enchanted interlude, nothing is for sale, everything is for dreaming and imagining.

Every winter, the whole of Evian is adorned with driftwood sculptures. Over a three-week period, the town is transformed by storytellers, actors, musicians and circus performers in their own unique universe.

A unifying project

The ‘Fabuleux Village’ is an opportunity to bring together the various players in Evian:

town services, the Tourist Office, schools, colleges and lycées, associations, shopkeepers, etc.

The ‘Fabuleux Village’ is 3 weeks of events in the city, more than 150 tonnes of driftwood; more than 300 driftwood sculptures; 25 storytellers, musicians, actors, circus artists and sculptors; 4 highlights: the opening of the village, Santa's arrival, Santa's departure and the departure of the floats; more than 312,000 people over 2024...

For further information: www.lefabuleuxvillage.fr

A co-production Théâtre de la Toupine / Ville d'Evian