Six-Pompes Beach recovers its emblematic site

The Beach finally finds the Place du Marché. A symbolic victory for a festival facing several challenges and which reveals its program today.

The Plage des Six-Pompes returns to the Place du Marché during the next edition, which will be held from August 3 to 8 in La Chaux-de-Fonds (NE). More than 125 performances will be performed by 55 companies. A particular focus was placed on street solos, young audiences or crazy circus projects.

“We had to fight four months with the City to return to our location on the Market Square. We had to find a way to live together with the terrace owners. The Beach is a migratory bird, which, like storks, had its original nest stolen by cuckoos,” said programmer Manu Moser on Tuesday.

La Plage preferred to return to Place du Marché, with a large stage to the west and a bar, and abandon that of Beausite.

That of the Market is closer to the other places of the festival. In addition, the Beausite site was not ideal this year with the work.

Fragile balance

The budget for this edition exceeds one million francs. The 40% is covered in particular thanks to sales at stands and bars, 40% by institutional support and 20% by sponsorship.

“Even if the demonstration extends beyond borders, financial balance is becoming more and more difficult, with drops in income and an increase in costs (security, energy, transport),” said Pauline Bessire, director. The organizers recalled:

The festival remains free access with remuneration of the artists at the hat. As since the 2023 storm, which led to the cancellation of La Plage, the organizers continue to offer artists a minimum session per performance.

The street festival changes configuration again.Image: Six-pump beach

The public will be able to pay with an e-hat via the mobile application or the website. On the bar side, it will be possible to pay this year with the local currency Chaux-de-Fonnière l’Abeille.

In terms of the program, this 2026 edition “is distinguished by the variety of themes addressed which testify to the richness of street arts and current artistic questions. At La Plage, we lay everything on the tarmac: mourning, rage, fatphobia, human poetry, hope and love in all its forms,” explained the organizers.

The Beach brings together all ages.Image: Six-pump beach

Three creations are specially intended for young people, even very young people, with an olfactory show for toddlers from six months old. This edition will also offer more monologues (street solos) than in the past. “It’s a fashion in France and Belgium linked to the lack of money for culture,” added Manu Moser. When you are alone, there is no need to share the recipe.

What are favorites?

The programmer’s favorite goes to the show Loves from the French company Muchmuche Compagny. This circus and live music duo questions all forms of love using the multidisciplinarity of new circus. “It’s a slap in the face,” declared Manu Moser.

In parallel with the IN programming, five emerging companies, including three Swiss, one French and one Franco-Belgian, were selected from 185 applications. They will test their creation in the making as part of the program The New Wave.

The Six Pompes Summer Tour has already hit the road since May 22 in Delémont. It will stop in nearly 35 Swiss towns or villages, including Rheinfelden (AG) on August 15-16. It will end on September 13 after having offered more than 120 performances.

In 2025, La Plage had attracted between 10,000 and 12,000 people per day to La Chaux-de-Fonds. (jah/ats)