Festival de l'Imaginaire
World cultures and performing arts in Paris
2025
About Festival de l'Imaginaire
Festival de l'Imaginaire — edition 2025
28th and Final Edition — June 13 to 22, 2025
The 28th edition of the Festival de l'Imaginaire marks the end of this special adventure, concluding nearly three decades of showcasing global intangible cultural heritage. From June 13 to 22, 2025, the festival takes over the Théâtre de l'Alliance Française (Paris 6th), the Théâtre équestre Zingaro (Aubervilliers), the Théâtre municipal Berthelot-Jean Guerrin (Montreuil), and the bandstand in square Trousseau (Paris 12th).
Program
This final edition brings together artists from around the world:
- June 14: Tablao flamenco, dinner show
- June 15: Andalusian music matinee in the open air (free, square Trousseau)
- June 16: Ensemble Waed Bouhassoun, tribute to Oum Kalthoum
- June 17: Ensemble Dudukner — Armenian music
- June 18: Ensemble Chakâm — Iranian, Palestinian, and French music
- June 19: "Iara", Brazilian shadow theater / "Rumo do Vento", samba
- June 20: Korean music and dance — eight artists from South Korea
- June 22: Chango Spasiuk — Argentinian chamamé
Highlights Festival de l'Imaginaire 2025
2025 Edition Highlights
- 28th and final edition of the Festival de l'Imaginaire
- Tribute to Oum Kalthoum by Waed Bouhassoun
- Chango Spasiuk, master of Argentinian chamamé
- Brazilian shadow theater "Iara"
- Korean music and dance with eight artists
- Free open-air concert at square Trousseau
- Artists from Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Armenia, Iran, Palestine, Brazil, South Korea, Argentina, and Spain
Programme Festival de l'Imaginaire 2025
2025 Edition Program
- Friday, June 13: Opening evening — Ensemble Waed Bouhassoun, Kudsi Ergüner & Omar Bashir (by invitation).
- Saturday, June 14: Tablao Flamenco, dinner show.
- Sunday, June 15: Andalusian music matinee, bandstand at square Trousseau (free).
- Monday, June 16: Ensemble Waed Bouhassoun — tribute to Oum Kalthoum.
- Tuesday, June 17: Ensemble Dudukner — Armenian music.
- Wednesday, June 18: Ensemble Chakâm — Iranian/Palestinian/French music.
- Thursday, June 19: "Iara", Brazilian shadow theater / "Rumo do Vento", samba.
- Friday, June 20: Korean music and dance.
- Sunday, June 22: Chango Spasiuk — Argentinian chamamé.
Prices Festival de l'Imaginaire 2025
Festival de l'Imaginaire — 2026 edition
The 2025 edition was held from 13 June to 22 June 2025. The dates for the 2026 edition have not been announced yet. This page will be updated as soon as the official programme is published.
Practical information — Festival de l'Imaginaire
Practical Information
Headquarters
Maison des Cultures du Monde, 101 boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris.
Performance Venues
Théâtre de l'Alliance Française (Paris 6th), Théâtre équestre Zingaro (Aubervilliers), Théâtre municipal Berthelot-Jean Guerrin (Montreuil), Parisian bandstands.
Prices
Prices vary depending on the performance. Some open-air concerts are free.
Contact
Phone: 01 45 44 72 30
Email: [email protected]
Official website: www.maisondesculturesdumonde.org
Festival de l'Imaginaire: Performing Arts from Around the World in Paris
Since 1997, the Festival de l'Imaginaire has been a unique event in the Parisian and French cultural landscape. Organized by the Maison des Cultures du Monde, it annually offers a platform for peoples and contemporary civilizations through music, dance, theater, and performing arts from all global traditions.
A Bridge Between Tradition and Modernity
The festival explores the alchemy between tradition and modernity, between ancestral customs and living transmissions. Each edition highlights rare or little-known artistic forms — Andalusian flamenco, classical music from the Arab world, Korean ritual dances, Brazilian shadow theater, Argentinian chamamé, Armenian duduk — in an intercultural dialogue that forms the beating heart of the festival.
The Maison des Cultures du Monde
The Maison des Cultures du Monde, founded in 1982 by Chérif Khaznadar, is an institution dedicated to cultural diversity and intangible cultural heritage. It is also the French Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage, recognized by UNESCO. Its Parisian headquarters are located at 101 boulevard Raspail in the 6th arrondissement, while it also has a center in Vitré, Brittany, at the Prieuré des Bénédictins.
Exceptional Venues
The festival unfolds in several prestigious venues: the Théâtre de l'Alliance Française (Paris 6th), the Théâtre équestre Zingaro (Aubervilliers), the Théâtre municipal Berthelot-Jean Guerrin (Montreuil), and Parisian bandstands for free open-air concerts. This diversity of venues reflects the variety of artistic forms presented.
An Irreplaceable Legacy
Over twenty-eight editions, the Festival de l'Imaginaire has introduced French audiences to hundreds of artistic forms from all continents, contributing to the preservation and transmission of humanity's intangible cultural heritage. The 28th edition, in June 2025, marked the last edition of this unique adventure in its current form, paving the way for new forms of dissemination.
Where does it take place — Festival de l'Imaginaire
Festival de l'Imaginaire in brief
History of Festival de l'Imaginaire
Edition 2024 May 2024Other festivals near Paris
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