Festival de Théâtre de Figeac
Festival of theatre and contemporary writing in the heart of the Lot
About Festival de Figeac
The Festival de Théâtre de Figeac: Theatre in the Heart of the Medieval City
Since 2000, the Festival de Théâtre de Figeac has transformed the city of Champollion into an ephemeral open-air theatre every summer. Founded by Marcel Maréchal and Les Tréteaux de France, a touring National Dramatic Centre, the festival was born from the will of the City of Figeac to bring theatre to rural areas, blending the creations of Les Tréteaux with companies from the Midi-Pyrénées region.
In just a few years, the Festival de Figeac has carved out its place among the major summer festivals. After the founding period of Marcel Maréchal (2000-2009), the festival was directed by Olivier Desbordes and Michel Fau with Opéra Éclaté, then for thirteen years (2011-2024) by Véronique Do and ScénOgraph, a nationally recognized Scene. Since 2025, L'Astrolabe Grand-Figeac, under the direction of Éric Music Thimjo, has been responsible for the festival's programming and development.
Exceptional Venues in Figeac
The festival's unique feature lies in its deep roots within Figeac's architectural heritage. Performances come to life in remarkable natural and historical settings:
- La Cour du Puy, an open-air medieval setting for evening performances
- La Salle Balène (Palais Balène), an indoor performance hall
- Le Jardin des Écritures, for morning readings
- La Place Carnot, for brief encounters with artists
- Le Cinéma Charles Boyer and l'Auditorium de l'École de musique, for screenings and conferences
A Programme Balancing Heritage and Creation
The Festival de Théâtre de Figeac offers a rich and eclectic programme that dialogues between contemporary writing and great texts from the repertoire. Over about ten days, the public can discover:
- Theatre performances by renowned artists (Denis Lavant, Fanny Ardant, Julie Depardieu, Pauline Bayle, Benjamin Lazar…)
- Readings related to literary and poetic heritage
- "Apéro-rencontres" (drinks and encounters) with artists under the market halls
- Film screenings: documentaries and films about the performing arts
- "Off" shows, free in the city centre: concerts, street performances
A Festival Committed to its Territory
Deeply rooted in the Grand-Figeac territory, the festival benefits from the support of the DRAC Occitanie, the Région Occitanie, the Département du Lot, and the Ville de Figeac. A partner of Télérama and local companies like Collins Aerospace, Crédit Agricole, and ENEDIS, it contributes to the cultural and tourist influence of the northern Lot. The festival aims to be a place of joyful sharing between artists and audiences, where theatre becomes a way of looking at the world with curiosity, delicacy, and humanity.
Festival de Figeac — edition 2026
The 26th edition of the Figeac Theatre Festival takes place from July 18 to 26, 2026 in the emblematic venues of the medieval city: Cour du Puy, Salle Balène, Jardin des Écritures and Cinéma Charles Boyer. Nine days of shows, readings, meetings, cinema and artistic proposals in the heart of the city.
26th edition — July 18 to 26, 2026
The Figeac Theatre Festival returns for its 26th edition from Saturday, July 18 to Sunday, July 26, 2026. Supported by L'Astrolabe Grand-Figeac, the festival champions contemporary theatrical writings and great repertoire texts in the exceptional settings of Champollion's city, with the Cour du Puy, backed by Notre-Dame church, as a highlight.
The 2026 program notably brings together L'Amante anglaise by Marguerite Duras with Sandrine Bonnaire, L'Avare by Molière revisited by Clément Poirée, Phèdre !, Le Grand Vertige by MégaSuperThéâtre, Le dîner chez les Français by Léo Cohen-Paperman, Génération Mitterrand, Le mystère du gant and Terminator 2 Unplugged.
Beyond the major evening shows, the festival offers daily morning readings at the Jardin des Écritures (« L'avant-scène »), micro-meetings with artists and critics, cinema screenings at Cinéma Charles Boyer (« Cinérama ») and street performances and concerts in the city center (« L'arrière-cour »).
Programme Festival de Figeac 2026
Saturday, July 18
- 9:30 PM — Le mystère du gant · Cour du Puy
Sunday, July 19
- 6:30 PM — Génération Mitterrand · Salle Balène
- 9:30 PM — Le dîner chez les Français (Léo Cohen-Paperman) · Cour du Puy
Monday, July 20
- 7:00 PM — Génération Mitterrand · Salle Balène
Tuesday, July 21
- 7:00 PM — Phèdre ! · Salle Balène
- 9:30 PM — Le Grand Vertige (MégaSuperThéâtre) · Cour du Puy
Wednesday, July 22
- 7:00 PM — Phèdre ! · Salle Balène
Thursday, July 23
- 7:00 PM — Terminator 2 Unplugged · Salle Balène
- 9:30 PM — Niquer la fatalité (Estelle Meyer) · Cour du Puy
Friday, July 24
- 7:00 PM — Terminator 2 Unplugged · Salle Balène
Saturday, July 25
- 7:00 PM — Bubble · Salle Balène
- 9:30 PM — L'Avare (Molière, directed by Clément Poirée) · Cour du Puy
Sunday, July 26
- 7:00 PM — Bubble · Salle Balène
- 9:30 PM — L'Amante anglaise (Marguerite Duras, with Sandrine Bonnaire) · Cour du Puy
Every day of the festival
- 10:30 AM — « L'avant-scène »: readings at Jardin des Écritures
- 11:30 AM — Micro-meetings with artists and critics
- 4:00 PM — « Cinérama »: screenings at Cinéma Charles Boyer
- from 9:30 PM — « L'arrière-cour »: street performances and concerts in the city center
Highlights Festival de Figeac 2026
To Note for 2026
- Dates: July 18 to 26, 2026
- 27th edition of the festival
- Venues: Cour du Puy, Salle Balène, Jardin des Écritures
- Programme to be discovered on astrolabe-grand-figeac.fr
Prices Festival de Figeac 2026
Practical information — Festival de Figeac
Practical Information
Ticketing
Online: figeac-theatre-festival.mapado.com
By phone: 05 65 34 24 78
By email: [email protected]
Prices: from €8 to €28 depending on the performance. Reduced rates available. Many free events (readings, "apéro-rencontres", "off" shows).
Payment methods: credit card, cheque, cash.
Performance Venues
Cour du Puy: open-air performances at 9:30 PM
Salle Balène: performances at 7:00 PM
Jardin des Écritures: readings at 10:30 AM
Place Carnot: brief encounters at 11:30 AM
Cinéma Charles Boyer / Auditorium: screenings at 4:00 PM (€4)
Access
By car: Figeac is located in the northern Lot, 70 km from Cahors, 70 km from Rodez, and 110 km from Toulouse. Free parking near the medieval town centre.
By train: Figeac SNCF station, on the Brive-Toulouse and Aurillac-Toulouse line, a 10-minute walk from the centre.
Accommodation
Figeac and its surroundings offer numerous accommodation options: hotels, B&Bs, campsites, and gîtes. Information from the Figeac Tourist Office: www.tourisme-figeac.com
Festival-goer photos
No photo yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Vous avez repéré une erreur ou une information manquante ?
Aidez-nous à garder cette fiche à jour. Toute proposition est relue par notre équipe avant publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No review yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community
Where does it take place — Festival de Figeac
Cour du Puy / Salle Balène
Rue de Colomb, 46100 Figeac