Folies Douces
Circus and street arts festival in Lons-le-Saunier
2026
About Folies Douces
Folies Douces — edition 2026
The second edition of Folies Douces takes place on Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19, 2026, at place de la Liberté, under the Clock Tower in Lons-le-Saunier. Les Scènes du Jura and L'Amuserie are hosting four free circus and street art performances: Brico-Démo, Ültimätä, Hot Dog, and La Goguette d'enfer.
2026 Edition
Following the success of last season's inaugural event, Les Scènes du Jura and L'Amuserie—a well-known off-season venue and sanctuary for street performance troupes in Lons-le-Saunier—are bringing back Folies Douces. Designed as the ultimate back-to-school street arts event, it is joyfully open to everyone. Join us on Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19, 2026, under the Clock Tower at place de la Liberté.
This year, the program expands from three to four shows over two days, all with free admission. The event marks the start of the 30th-anniversary season for Les Scènes du Jura.
The Four Shows
- Brico-Démo (Theatre Group' · Patrice Jouffroy, David Gambier) — at a stand resembling a home-shopping channel, two mischievous handymen try to sell the public the latest miracle wall plug for fixing everything.
- Ültimätä (Impérial Kikiristan · Fred Fort) — in this creation co-produced by Les Scènes du Jura, the brass band from the imaginary land of Kikiristan has only sixty minutes to pull off a circus-musical coup d'état during the Concert of Nations.
- Hot Dog (Galactik Ensemble · Mathieu Bleton, Jonas Julliand, Karim Messaoudi) — performed by a fiery trio, this is a satirical portrait of our world through an acrobatic, zany, and musical fresco of struggles throughout history.
- La Goguette d'enfer (La Martingale · Jérôme Rouger) — a fantastic, spontaneous cabaret where the audience becomes part of the show, featuring the Grand Orchestre Poitiers Musette 86 performing their greatest hits.
On-site
L'Amuserie will run a pop-up bar at place de la Liberté, and Le Bistro d'à côté des Scènes du Jura will provide light refreshments. On Saturday, September 19, Heritage Days will feature impromptu clown performances at the Théâtre de Lons-le-Saunier.
Highlights Folies Douces 2026
- Ültimätä — a new creation by Impérial Kikiristan co-produced by Les Scènes du Jura, Friday, September 18 at 8:30 PM
- Hot Dog — an acrobatic and musical fresco by the Galactik Ensemble, Saturday, September 19 at 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM
- La Goguette d'enfer — a spontaneous cabaret by La Martingale featuring the Grand Orchestre Poitiers Musette 86, Saturday, September 19 at 8:30 PM
- Four free-entry shows under the Clock Tower, place de la Liberté
Programme Folies Douces 2026
Friday, September 18, 2026
- 7:00 PM — Brico-Démo · Theatre Group' / Patrice Jouffroy / David Gambier — theatrical sideshow, street arts · place de la Liberté
- 8:30 PM — Ültimätä · Impérial Kikiristan / Fred Fort — circus, brass band, street arts · place de la Liberté
Saturday, September 19, 2026
- 3:00 PM — Hot Dog · Galactik Ensemble / Mathieu Bleton, Jonas Julliand, Karim Messaoudi — circus, street arts · place de la Liberté
- 5:30 PM — Hot Dog (second performance) · Galactik Ensemble · place de la Liberté
- 6:30 PM — Brico-Démo (second performance) · Theatre Group' · place de la Liberté
- 8:30 PM — La Goguette d'enfer · La Martingale / Jérôme Rouger, with the Grand Orchestre Poitiers Musette 86 — spontaneous cabaret, street arts · place de la Liberté
Throughout both days: pop-up bar by L'Amuserie and light refreshments provided by Le Bistro d'à côté des Scènes du Jura, place de la Liberté. On Saturday, September 19, the team from L'Amuserie will present impromptu clown performances at the Théâtre de Lons-le-Saunier as part of the European Heritage Days.
Prices Folies Douces 2026
Pop-up bar by L'Amuserie and light refreshments from Le Bistro d'à côté available on-site.
Information: Les Scènes du Jura, 03 84 86 03 03.
Practical information — Folies Douces
Practical Information
Location
Théâtre de Lons-le-Saunier and public spaces in the city center of Lons-le-Saunier.
Dates
Folies Douces takes place in September, at the time of the launch of the cultural season of Les Scènes du Jura.
Times
Performances take place in the late afternoon and evening. Detailed program available on the Les Scènes du Jura website.
Prices
Some outdoor performances are free access. Performances at the theater are accessible through the ticketing of Les Scènes du Jura.
Access
- By car: Lons-le-Saunier is accessible via the A39 (Lons-le-Saunier exit). Parking in the city center.
- By train: Lons-le-Saunier SNCF station, a 5-minute walk from the city center and the theater.
Contact
Les Scènes du Jura – Scène nationale
Tel: 03 84 86 03 03
Website: www.scenesdujura.com
Folies Douces: The Scènes du Jura's Back-to-School Celebration
The Folies Douces were born from the meeting between two major players in Lédonien cultural life: Les Scènes du Jura – Scène nationale, a benchmark institution for performing arts in the department, and L'Amuserie, a residency and creation space for street arts companies based in Lons-le-Saunier.
An Event Between Theater and Street
The principle of Folies Douces is to create a dialogue between indoors and outdoors. The public is first invited to enter the Théâtre de Lons-le-Saunier for a moment of discovery of the upcoming season, then to go out into the public space to attend a first street performance. This circulation between interior and exterior reflects the complementarity of the two organizing structures and the diversity of artistic forms offered.
Circus, Dance, and Street Arts
The Folies Douces programming highlights piste and street arts:
- Contemporary Circus: new generation circus companies
- Dance and Performance: shows combining dance and acrobatics
- Street Theater: theatrical forms in public spaces
- Music and Entertainment: festive and friendly atmosphere
The inaugural edition notably featured the show "Mirage" by the Compagnie Dyptik, a piece combining hip-hop dance and circus.
A Moment of Sharing and Reunion
Folies Douces is designed as a moment of reunion between the teams of Les Scènes du Jura, the public, partners, and artists. The event offers informative, artistic, fun, and convivial moments, in a popular festive atmosphere. It's an opportunity to discover in preview the shows that will captivate the audience throughout the season.
L'Amuserie: A Unique Space for Street Arts
L'Amuserie is a creation hub dedicated to street arts companies, located in Lons-le-Saunier. It offers a residency and creation space for artists during the off-season, contributing to the dynamism of artistic creation in the Jura region. Folies Douces is one of the public events resulting from this partnership between L'Amuserie and Les Scènes du Jura.
Where does it take place — Folies Douces
Folies Douces in brief
History of Folies Douces
Edition 2025 Sep 2025Other festivals near Lons-le-Saunier
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