Fête de l'Humanité

The Fête de l'Humanité: a century of popular culture and commitment

Born in 1930 on the initiative of the newspaper L'Humanité, the Fête de l'Humanité is much more than a music festival. It is a unique event in France in its scale and ambition: to combine culture, politics, solidarity, and popular celebration on an exceptional site. Historically organized at Parc de La Courneuve in Seine-Saint-Denis, the festival found a new home in 2022 at the Base aérienne 217 in Le Plessis-Pâté in Essonne, a 600-hectare site offering space worthy of this extraordinary event.

A leading music festival

The musical programming of the Fête de l'Huma is one of the most eclectic in France. Each edition features over 60 artists on several stages: the Grande Scène, the Scène de la Commune, the Scène Zéphyr, the Scène Zébrock, and many others. Rock, rap, electro, reggae, jazz, French chanson, world music – all genres meet here. Over the decades, the festival has hosted legends such as Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, Renaud, Zebda, Noir Désir, The Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, and hundreds of other world-renowned artists.

The 2025 edition — 90th anniversary

For its 90th anniversary, the Fête de l'Humanité 2025 took place from September 12 to 14 at Base 217. This exceptional edition brought together several hundred thousand festival-goers for an outstanding lineup: Patti Smith in quartet, Gims, Youssou N'Dour, Eddy de Pretto, Fianso, Hoshi, MEUTE, Youssoupha, Ascendant Vierge, Kompromat, Les Ogres de Barback & La Rue Kétanou, Saïan Supa Crew, and Kalash. A program befitting the centenary of an institution.

The 2026 edition

The Fête de l'Humanité 2026 will take place from September 11 to 13, 2026, at Base 217 in Le Plessis-Pâté. The artistic lineup, revealed progressively, confirms the ambition of a committed and festive edition. Among the announced artists: Patti Smith, Eddy de Pretto, Fianso, Hoshi, MEUTE, Ascendant Vierge, Aliocha Schneider, Les Ogres de Barback & La Rue Kétanou, 47Soul, as well as many other artists from the Zébrock and Zéphyr stages.

Much more than a festival

The Fête de l'Huma also features a Book Village bringing together publishers and authors, hundreds of stands from associations and activists, political debates, art exhibitions, and activities for the whole family. Each department and each partner organization of the French Communist Party has a stand-restaurant offering regional specialties and conviviality. The unique atmosphere that results – between a giant concert, a citizen forum, and a giant fair – exists nowhere else in France.

An event rooted in Essonne

Since its relocation to Essonne, the Fête de l'Huma has generated considerable economic and cultural benefits for the department. Base 217 in Le Plessis-Pâté, a former converted airbase, offers an ideal setting: large open plains, adapted infrastructure, accessibility from Paris. The festival has become an unmissable event for the residents of Essonne and the entire Île-de-France region.