2026 Festivals in France
Don’t miss a show with our curated selection of France’s and Europe’s most anticipated festivals!
France boasts an incredible diversity of high-caliber performing arts festivals that span the country—from the northern regions to the sunny streets of the South. Whether you’re drawn to the outdoor performing arts scene like Chalon dans la Rue or the Festival d’Aurillac, dance and theater field with the unmissable Festival d’Avignon, Montpellier Danse and Festival d’Automne, or the world of contemporary circus with CIRCa and Le Mans fait son cirque, you’ll find the perfect festival for your interests and professional fields!
Summer 2026
When? May 20-31
What? Circus
Where? Le Mans
Celebrating 25 years of existence at this edition, Le Mans fait son Cirque festival offers to take a glance at the most contemporary circus creation, presenting both intimate and large-scale works, including many suitable for international touring. During 10 days, the festival, organized by Le Plongeoir, National Circus Center, proposes innovative circus forms, non-verbal performances and family-friendly programming.
This edition’s opening weekend will include a celebration imagined and performed by companies CirkVOST and Sapage Nocturne, under the tallest big tent in Europe, one of the many festival highlights. The city itself will turn into a light spectacle designed by Denis Deschamps (Pas Sages company).
With MPTA-Mathurin Bolze, Galapiat Cirque, CirkVOST, Cie Mesdemoiselles and more.
When? May 11 – June 13
What? Dance
Where? Seine-Saint-Denis
“Les Rencontres Chorégraphiques” aim to present a new generation of contemporary choreographers alongside established artists from around the world. This project places itself at the heart of communities in Seine-Saint-Denis, generating dialogues around the contemporary art scene. Dedicated to diverse and socially conscious choreographic works, each edition is a meeting point for innovation, diversity, and the shared discovery of today’s choreographic voices. It presents works that offer a sensitive and poetic perspective on our constantly evolving world and explores different relationships with audiences through a dynamic of mobility and closeness.
The 2026 edition will feature over 40 artistic teams in 27 different venues.
With Mathilde Monnier, La Ribot, Daniel Larrieu, Olga Mesa, and more.
When? June 2-6
What? Circus, Street theater
Where? Châlons-en-Champagne
The Furie Festival of Circus and Street Theater has been held in Châlons-en-Champagne since 1990. It was founded by the multidisciplinary artistic collective Turbulence, which launched the event in by bringing together artists from all backgrounds for five days in the streets and venues of Châlons.
Since then, Furies has expanded its projects and broadened its scope while maintaining its original goal: supporting contemporary creation and provide a welcoming platform for artists.
Dedicated to the “sister arts” of street theater and circus, Furies supports companies, particularly through residencies, and works to build a “circus hub” in Eastern France. In direct engagement with the public and local communities, these moments of performance and creation are accompanied by artistic outreach programs aimed at locals.
When? June 3-7
What? Dance
Where? Uzès
La Maison danse Uzès festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an edition paying tribute to choreographers who have left their mark on the world of dance, such as Maguy Marin, who opened the very first edition of the festival 30 years ago. Her iconic work, May B (1981), now a contemporary classic, will be performed once again. Other tributes will be featured, including FUGACES, in which Aina Alegre invokes flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya, while in La cour des anges, Laurent Pichaud celebrates the legacy of Dominique Bagouet.
With Aina Alegre, Laurent Pichaud, Fabrice Ramalingom, and more.
When? June 4-26
What? Dance
Where? Lille
This 24th edition of the Latitudes Contemporaines festival will feature a program with a particular focus on artistic voices from the Mediterranean region, with special attention given to Lebanon, Palestine, and North Africa. With internationalism at its core, the festival will also welcome artists from other parts of the world: Afghanistan, Belgium, Cape Verde, Serbia… These landscapes will be traversed by the unfolding, on stage, of intimate narratives that shift our frames of reference and help us see the world in a new and revolutionary light.
For more than three weeks, in the Lille metropolitan area, audiences will encounter artistic forms where fiction and documentary, collective memories, and living archives intersect.
When? June 11 – July 4
What? Dance
Where? Montpellier
Montpellier Danse holds a unique and recognized place on the international stage through its boldness, curiosity, and generosity. This year the 46th edition of the international festival marks the first edition with a collegial direction and co-curation of Jann Gallois, Dominique Hervieu, Pierre Martinez and Hofesh Shechter. Montpellier Danse also serves as the cornerstone of Montpellier’s festival season, bridging the gap with the Printemps des Comédiens by presenting several performances at the Domaine d’O, including the grand finale of the festival.
With (LA)HORDE, Dimitri Chamblas, Aurélien Bory, Carte Blanche and more.
When? June 14 – July 8
What? Dance and Performance
Where? Marseille
The Festival de Marseille 2026 showcases a vibrant mix of dance, performances, concerts, cinema, and talks across various venues in Marseille. It features both local and international artists, focusing on fostering a creative dialogue that bridges Marseille with the global arts scene. The festival aims to be inclusive, targeting young and diverse audiences and integrating the local community into its programs.
When? June 26-28
What? Street performance
Where? Sotteville-lès-Rouen
A historic European street arts festival that celebrated its 30th edition in 2019, Viva Cité’s artistic direction is conducted by Atelier 231, National center for street arts and performance, since 2002. A must-see event for all street arts enthusiasts and professionals, for three days artists take over the city, its neighborhoods, its spaces, and its most unexpected spots; the city breathes to their rhythm, and spectators blend in, rediscovering it.
Link to register to Viva Cité’s professional newsletter for Street/Public space arts and performance: https://www.atelier231.fr/Accueil-Viva-Cite.html
When? June 30 – July 4
What? Mime, Theater
Where? Périgueux
MIMOS is the first event dedicated to the art of mime, held in Périgueux since 1983. The founding spirit of boldness and creativity continues to breathe life into this unmissable event for the people of the Périgord region and professionals in the fields of mime and the performing arts. Since 2001, the festival has been organized by association L’Odyssée, with national and regional support.
For its 43rd edition in 2026, the festival will once again take the city as its backdrop and fill its squares, alleys, parks, and performance venues, highlighting the vitality of this art form with its universal language, in order to introduce the public to the various facets of mime, its richness and its diversity.
When? July 2-4
What? Street performance
Where? Alès
Every first week of July since 1999, downtown Alès has been taken over by theater companies putting on impromptu performances on street corners. The downtown area transforms into a public theater during this street arts festival, featuring slightly off-the-wall and highly original shows. Around 20,000 spectators attend three nights of madness free of charge, where all kinds of humor come together. The invited artists draw on every artistic form to express contemporary life. Irreverent and daring, this street arts festival now enjoys an excellent reputation in France.
As every year, the festival will focus on creation in public spaces while offering a program of regional, national, and international performances. The 2026 edition of Cratère Surfaces will focus on the Basque Country by welcoming 7 basque companies. With 15 out of 18 companies, the 2026 programming is more than ever accessible to a non-French-speaking or hearing-impaired audience, proving the festival’s commitment to making culture accessible to all.
Click here for more information.
Important contacts for professionals:
Paco Bialek – Hospitality and professional meetings
paco.bialek@cratere-surfaces.com
Camille Grant – Hospitality
camille@productionsbis.com
When? July 4-25
What? Theater
Where? Avignon
The 80th edition of the Festival d’Avignon will start in the beginning of July, once again as one of the world’s most important contemporary performing arts events and the world’s biggest theater festival. Under Tiago Rodrigues’ direction, this year’s festival will feature 47 performances, including 27 directed by women, in 19 venues across 14 municipalities. The guest language that will be welcomed in Avignon’s performances this year is Korean. Once again making space for newcomers, more than half of this edition’s artists are invited for the first time at the Festival.
On July 4, in the Cour d’honneur of the Palais des Papes, Julien Gosselin, prominent French playwright, will open the 2026 edition with Maldoror, exploring, over the course of five hours, literature’s fascination with evil and the depths of human violence.
With Marion Siéfert, Rébecca Chaillon, Johann Le Guillerm, Mathilde Monnier and more.
When? July 8-21
What? Theater
Where? Villeneuve-lez-Avignon
A true extension of the Avignon Festival, the Villeneuve en Scène Festival serves as a showcase for touring theater productions. These artists choose to step outside the walls of the theater, reach out to audiences, and forge new connections with live performances. They set the movement in motion, offering unique, demanding, and generous forms.
Thriving in the heart of the Plaine de l’Abbaye, within a protected natural area, the Villeneuve en Scène Festival has established itself as a true artistic celebration. An invitation to get some fresh air, a getaway that fosters encounters between artists and audiences and offers a step aside.
Nationally recognized for the quality of its programming and its eco-friendly approach, the Villeneuve en Scène Festival is deeply rooted in the Avignon landscape and provides everyone with greater access to the performing arts, in the service of cultural democratization.
When? July 4-25
What? Theater, Street Theater, Circus, Music, Dance
Where? Avignon
The Festival d’Avignon Off, often simply called the “Off,” is the largest performing arts market in France and one of the biggest in the world. It runs concurrently with the official Festival d’Avignon (“In”) every July in the city of Avignon. Un-curated, as always, the Off 2026 will offer more than 1,500 different performances where both amateur and professional artists present their work, ranging from theater, dance, music, to circus arts and street performance.
When? July 17– August 1
What? Dance
Where? Venice, Italy
Emblematic Venice Biennale will celebrate the 20th edition of its International Festival of Contemporary Dance this July, under the artistic direction of British choreographer Wayne McGregor.
“Time does not exist”, this year’s theme and exploration, will allow for performances that challenge linear timelines and play with the intertwining of past and present to unfold, inviting the audience to feel a sense of wonder and curiosity about the nature of reality. An international, global event at heart, the festival is committed to community in diversity, and will specifically engage with themes of memory, identity, and existence, encouraging audiences to reflect on how individual and collective histories shape artistic expression.
Helped by a once again prestigious line-up of choreographers and dancers, the festival will offer many curated discussions with artists as well as workshops lead by them.
With Omar Rajeh, Emanuel Gat, Soa Ratsifandrihana and more.
When? July 23-26
What? Street Theater, Contemporary Circus
Where? Chalon-sur-Saône
Chalon dans la rue festival is an essential reference for creation in public spaces, a festive and intense moment of shared culture. Every year for more than 30 years, 130 to 150 French and international companies take over Chalon-sur-Saône and turn the city into a monumental urban stage, making it an unmissable event for Street Theater.
The professional accreditation application form will be available in June.
Click here for full program and information to Professionals.
When? May 28 – July 25
What? Dance, Theater, Circus
Where? Lyon
This summer’s Nuits de Fourvière in Lyon offers a deep dive into contemporary theater, music, circus, dance and film presentations. Taking place every summer among the ruins of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Théâtre Antique de Fourvière, the festival aims to surprise and delight audiences, blending beloved performances with new discoveries, and connecting diverse artistic expressions. This year, a particular emphasis will be placed on a broader understanding of the Performing Arts by including a monumental circus creation by Australian guest company Circa in the antique theater.
When? July 11 – early August
What? Theater, Dance, Circus, Music
Where? Paris
The Paris Summer Festival ‘Paris l’été’ features major artistic and cultural events throughout Paris and its region. Theater, dance, circus, music, cabaret and performance art take over many well-known and unusual places in the capital, most often in the open air and outside traditional performance venues, from the streets to palaces, from the city center to the outskirts. At the Paris l’été Festival, you can catch a show in a museum, a school, a park, or a chapel; meet artists from all over the world. The spirit is to make summer a time of celebration, art, and connection—for those who stay, those who live here, and those just passing through.
When? August 6-8
What? Street Performance, Contemporary Circus
Where? Libourne
Every summer, the historic town of Libourne, located just 35 km from Bordeaux, comes alive with street arts for three exceptional days. Fest’arts Libourne has established itself as one of the region’s must-see festivals, attracting nearly 40,000 visitors who come to discover original and surprising artistic performances.
For the 2026 edition, the historic town of Libourne will be entirely pedestrianized, offering artists and the public a vast space for expression and exploration. The city’s streets, squares, bars, and hidden corners will be transformed into temporary stages where dozens of French and international companies will perform.
Full program available soon.
When? August 19-22
What? Street Performance, Contemporary Circus
Where? Aurillac
This iconic festival located in Aurillac, in south-central France, is dedicated to showcasing street theatre in its most dynamic and diverse forms. Each year, the festival draws performers and theatre groups from around the globe to present a wide array of live street performances. It features not only established troupes but also offers a platform for emerging talents and innovative experimental works.
Program will be available in May.
Fall 2026
When? September to December
What? Theater, Dance, Music, Performance, Visual Arts
Where? Paris and other locations in Ile-de-France (Paris region)
The Festival d’Automne à Paris is a key event for contemporary arts lovers. Since 1972, it has brought innovative theatre, dance, music, and visual arts to venues across Paris every autumn. Known for its international and multi-disciplinary approach, the festival showcases artists from around the world, offering audiences a chance to experience creativity and discovery in many forms.
Program will be available on May 29: https://www.festival-automne.com/
When? September 16-20
What? Puppetry
Where? Charleville-Mézières
Over the course of five days, Temps d’M will present 23 artistic programs—totaling 65 performances—in theaters and public spaces, accompanied by workshops, professional networking events, and social gatherings open to all audiences.
This inter-edition of the International Puppetry Festival will highlight artistic experimentation, particularly through the “Hybridities” program, which will explore dialogues between puppetry and other disciplines. It will also give prominence to emerging artists, drawing on the presence of the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts de la Marionnette – Margareta Niculescu in Charleville-Mézières, as well as the presence of puppeteers currently studying or who have recently graduated from leading schools in Germany, Belgium, Estonia, Norway, and Ukraine, who will present their final projects.
Temps d’M will also highlight research in puppetry conducted by artists and academics by hosting four professional meetings and two study days for doctoral students from across Europe.
Program available in June: https://marionnette.com/festivals-et-rdv/temps-dm/temps-dm-2026/
When? September
What? Dance, Literature, Music, Performance, Film, Music
Where? Marseille
Every fall, for three weeks, the Festival Actoral invites more than 200 artists to perform in Marseille. The fruit of meticulous curation, its program highlights new theatrical works and emerging artists. The festival takes place at numerous cultural venues across Marseille, including La Criée, the National Ballet of Marseille, the Friche la Belle de Mai, and the Mucem… In 2025, nearly 12,000 spectators attended the festival.
Program available soon
When? October 17-23
What? Circus
Where? Auch (Gers)
A pioneer among circus festivals, the Festival du cirque actuel Circa was founded in 1988 as a gathering of circus schools. Having grown and evolved since then, it has become an essential circus event, serving as a true showcase for contemporary creation and highlighting the year’s artistic highlights.
With a rich and eclectic program of about 80 performances, the Festival hosts some 20 shows by professional companies in forms as surprising as they are diverse—under big tops, in theaters, and in public spaces—where circus disciplines intersect with all those of the performing arts.
Program soon available here: https://circa.auch.fr/festival/
When? (dates to be confirmed)
What? Circus
Where? Marseille
Founded in 2015 by Archaos, the BIAC—the International Circus Arts Biennial—takes place in the middle of winter during odd-numbered years. For one month, between January and February, it presents a major program in collaboration with some fifty cultural organizations in the South Region—Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Each partner contributes to the collaborative creation of the festival, pooling their resources to make it an event that is ambitious, unifying, and unique.
At each edition, BIAC has hosted more than sixty shows, including numerous new works, for a total of nearly 300 performances across the region. BIAC is also a highlight for hundreds of international professionals. On this occasion, the Rencontres Professionnelles takes place, an event bringing together programmers, artists, and institutions from around the world, making the Biennale an essential hub for circus creation.