Before thrilling audiences around the world, several Disney and Pixar masterpieces took their very first steps… right near Lyon. It was, in fact, on the shores of Lake Annecy, during its legendary animation festival, that audiences were treated to an exclusive preview of the very first images from Moana, presented by John Musker and Ron Clements in 2016, as well as the first secret glimpses of *Coco* in 2017.
Today, this regional magic is back in action: the Candlelight: Disney Journeys concert is coming to a venue near Lyon to bring to life, by candlelight, those now-iconic melodies—from “Pour les hommes” to “Un Poco Loco,” including “Immortals” from “Big Hero 6.”
Candlelight: Disney Journeys near Lyon
26 February 2027 19:00
Centre de Congrès Impérial-Grand Annecy
23 January 2027 19:00
Casino de Royat
The composers behind the sixteen songs
For one hour, a string quartet reinterprets the music from the Disney and Pixar universes by candlelight (presented under license from Disney Concerts). Here, there are no singers: the instruments alone convey the emotion of these 16 melodies from the four corners of the globe.
As for the legends, we revisit the golden age of the studios through the compositions of Alan Menken (in collaboration with Howard Ashman or David Zippel for *Aladdin*, *Beauty and the Beast*, and *Hercules*), Elton John and Tim Rice (*The Lion King*), Phil Collins (*Tarzan*), and Randy Newman (*Toy Story*, *The Princess and the Frog*).
The new generation spotlights Lin-Manuel Miranda (solo on *Encanto*, and in a trio with Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina on *Moana*), the Oscar-winning duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (*Frozen*), Germaine Franco and Adrian Molina (Coco), not to mention the pop-rock sensation Fall Out Boy (Big Hero 6).
A lakeside luxury hotel and a Belle Époque casino
Two historic venues are hosting this musical interlude:
Annecy: The Imperial Palace (facing the lake)
Allée de l’Impérial – Impérial Convention Center (wheelchair accessible)
Inaugurated on July 14, 1913, after ten months of construction, this jewel of the Belle Époque overlooks the waters of Lake Annecy. Left abandoned after its closure in 1967, the palace regained its former glory in the early 1990s, reborn as a hotel, casino, and convention center.
Clermont-Ferrand: The Casino de Royat
Allée des Soupirs, Chamalières (just outside Clermont-Ferrand)
Built in 1891–1892 by architect Théodore Charpentier, this historic theater has seen legendary figures such as Sarah Bernhardt, Aristide Bruant, and Édith Piaf take its stage. Rebuilt in an elegant Art Deco style by Guillaume Tronchet following a fire in 1919, the venue offers a cozy and timeless setting.
