Their last visit to Nantes dates back to 2014. From Friday and all weekend, the street theater company Royal de Luxe and its Géants return for a new show, completely free, in the Cité des ducs and in Saint- Herblain. Despite the usual dose of mystery, here is everything you need to know so you don’t miss a single thing about the party.
Two superstar dogs
Don’t look for the Grandmother or the little Giantess. This time, the stars of the show, already performed in Antwerp (Belgium) in preview, will be two dogs. One is already known to the people of Nantes since it is El Xolo (pronounced cholo), this majestic and fast Mexican canine already seen in the streets during a previous show. The Bull Machin, an enormous English bulldog with piercing blue eyes (born in Villeurbanne in 2022), will be facing him. Both will live their lives separately, in the middle of the buildings, before engaging in a “spectacular race”, accompanied by around fifty Liliputians.
A show over three days
Before the big final sprint, Place de la Petite-Hollande, residents will be able to see the two dogs waking up, wagging their tails, training, sniffing each other, then “sniffing the asphalt like two conquerors ready to chase their dreams the craziest.” The show will therefore start in the Bellevue district on Friday, which the Royal de Luxe company has been responsible for hosting for several years, thanks to the recurring and always noticed appearances of a character named Monsieur Bourgogne. On Saturday, the animals will meet in the city center of Nantes with, as a highlight, on Sunday “this unique race of more than 1 km” which will be punctuated “with numerous difficulties, including a dangerous turn to make things worse!” » A dinosaur bone will be awarded to the winner. But who will win this event?
Where and when to see the parades?
Royal de Luxe has just announced the parade routes and schedules. On Friday, the two mascots will be visible in Bellevue between 9:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. then between 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, meet in Nantes around 10 a.m. at Place du Cirque or at Miroir d’eau, to wake up the dogs, who will wander all day over a large area (between Graslin, Talensac, and the Château des Ducs) with a route common in the morning during the 50-Otages. At 3:30 p.m., they will take a tour of the island of Nantes before meeting for the weigh-in at Place de la Petite-Hollande, around 6:15 p.m. They will get back into action on Sunday morning (10:30 a.m.) to stretch their legs before taking part in the famous big race, Place de la Petite-Hollande from 3 p.m.
Please note, the dogs will be smaller than the Giants from previous shows (nearly 3 meters high compared to more than 7 meters). It is therefore better to find a good place to make the most of it, especially as tens of thousands of people are expected. Also be sure to leave the car in the garage since very serious traffic and parking restrictions have already been announced.
Who will be your favorite dog?
Before seeing them in real life, here is some information on each of the doggies, to already determine which one will be your favorite. Made of light steel and alloys, with a black papier-mâché skin, the Xolo weighs 218 kg and measures 3.50 m including the tail. Its running is described as “lively and light” and can go up to 18 km/h. The public could see him enjoying a manicure session with a grinder, or, when he’s in a playful mood, having fun with a scooter! The Bull Thing, which drools and sticks out its tongue, is much heavier (877 kg!) and therefore runs a little slower. The hound likes to sleep on a mound of tires and never says no to a cigar break.