En Mai Faites l'Europe
Nancy celebrates Europe through its neighborhoods
About En Mai Faites l'Europe
Nancy, a European city par excellence
En Mai Faites l'Europe is one of the highlights of Nancy's cultural calendar. Each year in May, the City of Nancy and the Grand Nancy Metropolis organize a rich and varied program to celebrate European construction, cultural diversity, and the values of citizenship. Nancy, a pioneering city in international twinning and home to many European institutions, thus affirms its deeply European identity.
A neighborhood festival from district to district
The originality of the event lies in its territorial anchoring: activities are deployed in all districts of Nancy, led by the Neighborhood Life Workshops (AVQ) in partnership with local associations, schools, and cultural players. Each neighborhood offers its own program, thus creating a festive network across the entire city.
The activities are as diverse as they are creative: European village with information and tasting stands, concerts of European music, culinary workshops with continental flavors, conferences and debates on current European affairs, photographic and artistic exhibitions, thematic escape games, games and activities for children, virtual exchanges with twin cities, and screenings of European films.
A renewed theme each year
Each edition is built around a theme that renews the approach and sparks curiosity. Recent editions have explored "European Games," "European Digital Citizenship," or shared cultural heritage. This thematic approach allows Europe to be approached from various angles accessible to all audiences.
A Euro-Mediterranean festival
The highlight of the program is the Euro-Mediterranean Festival, which concludes the month with a weekend of festivities including concerts, street performances, an artisan and gastronomic market, neighborhood activities, and a festive closing evening. This unifying event attracts thousands of participants each year in a friendly and multicultural atmosphere.
A civic and intergenerational commitment
Beyond the celebration, En Mai Faites l'Europe carries a message of active citizenship and living together. The event mobilizes numerous volunteers, associations, and educational institutions, and serves as a real tool for raising awareness of European issues for all generations.
En Mai Faites l'Europe — edition 2026
The 2026 edition of En Mai Faites l'Europe will take place from May 9 to 24, 2026, in the neighborhoods of Nancy, centered around the highlight of the inaugural weekend on May 9 and 10 at Parc Charles III, followed by neighborhood activities and the closing Euro-Mediterranean Festival on May 24. Free and open to all, the event celebrates Europe Day and takes Nancy residents on a journey through the continent's cultures: music, dances, games, language workshops, gastronomy, and associative gatherings.
2026 Edition — Travel through European cultures without leaving Nancy
For this 2026 edition, the City of Nancy renews its European event with two weeks of free activities, from May 9 to 24, 2026, around Europe Day (May 9). The program is structured into three main highlights: the inaugural weekend at Parc Charles III, neighborhood activities organized by the Ateliers de Vie de Quartier (AVQ), and the closing Euro-Mediterranean Festival.
Inaugural Weekend at Parc Charles III (May 9-10)
Parc Charles III (111 rue Charles III) transforms into a true European village on Saturday, May 9 (10 am-8 pm) and Sunday, May 10 (2 pm-5 pm). A fallback location is planned at Gymnase Jules Ferry in case of bad weather. Four thematic areas welcome the public: a festive area (music and dances), a Europe Information area (EU opportunities, language tests), a games area (European board games, large wooden games), and a creative area (participatory fresco, face painting in the colors of EU countries).
Neighborhood Activities
Throughout the fortnight, the Ateliers de Vie de Quartier (AVQ) organize activities in Nancy's neighborhoods — notably Mon Désert / Jeanne d'Arc / Saurupt / Clemenceau, Centre-Ville / Charles III, Poincaré-Foch-Anatole France, Trois Maisons, Plateau de Haye — in partnership with local European associations.
Closing Euro-Mediterranean Festival (May 24)
The Euro-Mediterranean Festival, organized by the AVQ Mon Désert / Jeanne d'Arc / Saurupt / Clemenceau, closes the fortnight. It honors the traditions of the invited countries (Portugal, Italy, Poland, Lebanon) through craft exhibitions, musical and artistic performances, dances, tastings, and discovery activities.
Edition Partners
The event mobilizes a wide network of associations and structures: CRISTEEL-Europe Direct, Erasmus Student Network, Casa de España, GinkGo, Nancy France-Pologne, Povo Do Minho, Comité Lorrain de Solidarité Franco-Libanais, in partnership with the Métropole du Grand Nancy, the Université de Lorraine and the Région Grand Est as part of Europe Month.
Programme En Mai Faites l'Europe 2026
Saturday, May 9, 2026 — Parc Charles III (10 am-8 pm)
- 11:00 AM — Musical journey through Europe (conservatory students and music schools)
- 12:00 PM — Official inauguration of the 2026 edition
- 1:00 PM — European picnic and "Wheel of Europe" game
- 3:00 PM — Hip-hop performance and flashmob by Collège Guynemer
- 4:00 PM — Greek folk dances
- 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM — European folk dance ball
Continuously throughout the day: Europe Information area (CRISTEEL-Europe Direct, Erasmus Student Network), European language workshop, European board games area, participatory fresco and face painting in EU colors, Portuguese dances with Povo Do Minho.
Sunday, May 10, 2026 — Parc Charles III (2 pm-5 pm)
- Continuous family activities: games, creative workshops, cultural discoveries
- Musical performances and demonstrations of European dances
Saturday, May 24, 2026 — Neighborhood Activities and Closing Euro-Mediterranean Festival
- Activities in the Mon Désert / Jeanne d'Arc / Saurupt / Clemenceau and Centre-Ville / Charles III neighborhoods
- Closing Euro-Mediterranean Festival: craft exhibitions, musical performances, dances, discovery panels of invited countries (Portugal, Italy, Poland, Lebanon), surprise activities
Complete detailed program available on nancy.fr (page "En Mai, faites l'Europe") and on grandnancy.eu.
Highlights En Mai Faites l'Europe 2026
- Inaugural weekend at Parc Charles III on May 9 and 10, 2026
- Festive area, Europe Information area, games area, and creative area gathered in a European village
- European folk dance ball on Saturday evening (6 pm-8 pm)
- Neighborhood activities organized by the AVQ throughout the fortnight
- Closing Euro-Mediterranean Festival on May 24 with invited countries (Portugal, Italy, Poland, Lebanon)
- Entirely free program open to all
Prices En Mai Faites l'Europe 2026
Practical information — En Mai Faites l'Europe
Practical Information
Period and Locations
The event takes place throughout the month of May, with activities spread across the different neighborhoods of Nancy: City Center, Poincaré-Foch-Anatole France, Trois Maisons, Stanislas-Meurthe, Haut-du-Lièvre, Plateau de Haye, Beauregard, and others. The detailed program, with the precise locations and times of each activity, is published each year on the website of the City of Nancy and the Grand Nancy Metropolis.
Access
By public transport: The Stan tramway and bus network of the Grand Nancy serves all neighborhoods involved in the activities. Tram line 1, with stops in each neighborhood it crosses. Schedules are adapted for evening events.
By car: Nancy is accessible via the A31 highway from Metz (45 min), Paris (3h), and Lyon (4h30). Several underground parking lots are available in the city center: Place Stanislas, Charles III, Gare, and Saint-Sébastien.
By train: Nancy-Ville station, served by TGV from Paris-Est (1h30), TER from Metz (30 min) and Strasbourg (1h20). The station is connected to the city center by tram in a few minutes.
Prices
All activities are free and open to all, with no prior registration required for most activities. Some specific activities (workshops, escape games) may require online or on-site registration, subject to availability.
Program
The complete program for each edition is available on the website nancy.fr, on the dedicated page of the Grand Nancy Metropolis grandnancy.eu, and on communication materials distributed in the neighborhood town halls, media libraries, and cultural facilities of the city. The social media channels of the City of Nancy also relay information throughout May.
Accessibility
Activities are designed to be accessible to the greatest number of people. Venues are selected for their accessibility to people with reduced mobility. For any specific questions, please contact the City of Nancy.
Contact
- City of Nancy: 03 83 85 30 00
- Website: nancy.fr
- Grand Nancy Metropolis: grandnancy.eu
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Where does it take place — En Mai Faites l'Europe
Quartiers de Nancy
1 place Stanislas, 54035 Nancy Cedex, 54000 Nancy