It’s a well known fact that when the French do music festivals, it’s go big or go home. Perhaps the country’s best known event (in the UK at least), Nuits Sonores, transforms an entire city into a weeklong celebration of music and art; but there is a much older – if less internationally recognised – festival that packs an equally powerful punch.

Now in it’s 36^th year, Trans Musicales (and its younger sister Bar En Trans), brings together the people of Rennes, plus what seems like half the population of France, for five days of groundbreaking music from around the globe. In a climate which seems to produce 50 new festivals each summer, with evermore mind-numbingly repetitious line-ups, Trans provides a breath of fresh air in the winter months. With so much on offer it’s hard to know where to begin but we’ve managed to pick out four indisputable reasons why you should join us in Rennes in 2015.

The production value is outstanding.

We’re not talking the audacious builds of StageKings here, but Trans displays solid design and planning. The locale, Parc Expo, is a series of converted aircraft hangars just outside the city, accessed by a bus service that runs every 15-minutes-or-so from open until close. Although they may not look much from the outside, stepping inside the hangars reveals incredible stages, with metallic constructs bearing TVs or lights, which extend out above the crowd; encapsulating to say the least. Separate hangars for drinks and stages ensure short queues for refreshments and a quiet place to sit is always available if needed.

The quality of the Parc, along with the extensive history of the festival is testament to the respect the French government has for the creative sector. As with many European countries, the French budget appropriately for an area which brings in such a large amount of money, and thus improves the cycle. Witnessing this first hand only further highlights the idiocy of our own creative cuts.

Diversity and creativity are top priority.

When you regularly read festival updates as we do, it quickly becomes apparent how many events rely on the same few acts. Granted whichever artists are “hot” that year will obviously receive more bookings, but forgive us if we find it all a bit boring. The same is not true for Trans Musicales. True the festival does book big name acts, with the likes of Massive Attack, Laurent Garnier and M.I.A. turning up in the past, but even amongst these names there is still a high level of forward-thinking, creative production.

This year, acts such as Rone, Friend Within, Boris Brejcha, Clap! Clap! and Ten Walls took centre-stage – again popular acts with overall unique styles – but it’s the lesser-known artists who really impress. Two of the most noteworthy are Cosmo Sheldrake, a less-hyperactive Beardyman, who samples and loops his voice alongside synth lines to weave intricate hip-hop sea shanties; and Vaudou Game, the shirtless, orange-trousered afro funk star, who brings along his uncle, the “Malian James Brown” (believe us he really can scream like the great man himself) and has a dance off with his band mid-set. Although both artists embody completely different ends of the spectrum, a sense of fun and creativity is of the highest importance to each.

Female acts are chosen on talent not sex appeal.

It’s actually a shame we even feel the need to mention this, since of course all acts should be booked due to their musical ability, however with many festivals still lacking female headliners we’re going to speak out. Naturally we don’t mean that the women in question, namely Courtney Barnett, Kate Tempest, C.A.R and Lizzo, lack sex appeal, but rather that they don’t use it as a marketing strategy. Each of these ladies presents an “I don’t give a f**k” attitude, enhancing the heaps of talent they already display.

Barnett not only lives up to the regular comparisons to Kurt Cobain, but in fact moves beyond the drone of the Nirvana frontman, offering a more subtle take on relatable trials and tribulations. Tempest’s raw, aggressive flow dances between rap, spoken word and singing – more than a performance, witnessing her set is an incredibly powerful experience. Finally Lizzo brings bold, confident hip hop straight from the U.S. of A. High energy, catchy bars and quick switches between beats means the set never lets up for a second. Lizzo also provides the only encore we witness, a practice obviously uncommon in France given the crowd’s mass migration from the arena before she can even return to the stage.

Who doesn’t love a massive party?

Our final point on Trans Musicales is simply based on the entire feel of the place. Rennes comes alive with music during the festival; the city’s many record shops are a pleasant surprise when so many have disappeared in the UK and can assist in researching artists performing at Parc Expo. Bar En Trans, the accompanying multi-venue festival, takes over the old town, becoming a haven of bohemian activity and offering smaller experimental acts such as indietronica duo Farabella.

An experience like no other, Trans Musicales offers an excellent opportunity to step away from the over-used acts of summer festivals, spot new talent for the following year and most simply, listen to some of the most intriguing, forward-thinking artists the world has to offer. A true music-lover’s festival, we’ll be heading back next year for sure and we highly recommend you do too.