Le Mois Molière
The largest live performance festival in Île-de-France: 350 shows, 60 venues, in Versailles late May and June
2026
About Mois Molière
Le Mois Molière is the largest live performance festival in Île-de-France. Every year from late May to late June, Versailles transforms into a huge open-air stage with nearly 350 performances in over 60 venues: squares, gardens, courtyards, theaters, royal stables, and chapels. Created in 1996 by François de Mazières, this popular and demanding festival blends classical theater, contemporary creations, dance, circus, music, and humor, with a program largely free or at €4 per show. A true talent incubator, Le Mois Molière has become over thirty years an unmissable event in the cultural life of the Île-de-France region and a recognized springboard to the Festival Off d'Avignon.
Mois Molière — edition 2026
Thirty years of popular theater in Versailles
The Mois Molière celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026 with an exceptionally packed program: nearly 350 shows over 32 days, from May 30th to June 30th, in more than 60 venues across every neighborhood of Versailles. Founded in 1996 by Versailles Mayor François de Mazières, with Francis Perrin performing Molière's farces in the streets, the festival has stayed true to its roots: a popular yet high-quality event that champions both great classics and contemporary works, filling the city with free or very low-cost performances. A dozen theater companies are in year-round residence, collaborating on school projects, while some 200 volunteers keep the festival running.
An opening parade, just like in Molière's time
The anniversary edition opens on Saturday, May 30th, at the Place de la Cathédrale Saint-Louis with La Princesse d'Élide, a comedy-ballet by Molière and Lully originally created in Versailles in 1664, adapted and directed by Jean-Hervé Appéré. At 5:15 PM, actors and audience members will board the cart for a parade through the city from the Saint-Louis district to the Place du Marché Notre-Dame, where Les Cavaliers, based on Aristophanes and directed by Carlo Boso, will take the stage. That same evening, the Grande Écurie courtyard launches its season with Louison et Monsieur Molière, a 2026 Mois Molière original production by Axelle Masliah.
The Grande Écurie, the festival's epicenter
A masterpiece by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the Grande Écurie du Roi courtyard (Avenue Rockefeller, opposite the palace) hosts the festival's main event every evening at 8:30 PM—or 5:00 PM/5:30 PM on Sundays—for €4 per ticket. The lineup includes Dom Juan by Compagnie L'Éternel Été, Marivaux's La Seconde Surprise de l'amour by Ronan Rivière, Pagnol's Le Schpountz, Camus's Les Justes, Napoléon by Maxime d'Aboville, Splendeurs et misères based on Balzac, Milady based on Dumas, Terre des Hommes based on Saint-Exupéry, L'Arlésienne by Daniel Mesguich followed by Être ou ne pas Être by William Mesguich, Vous n'aurez pas ma haine, Cyrano by Compagnie Viva, Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Ionesco's Exit the King, and the closing show, La Belle Hélène et les Garçons.
The whole city on stage
Beyond the Grande Écurie, the festival takes over the Théâtre Montansier, the Auditorium Claude Debussy, City Hall, the courtyard and gallery of the Hôtel des Affaires étrangères, the Potager du Roi, Espace Richaud, the Saint-Louis Cathedral, the Université ouverte, community centers, squares, parks, and gardens. From promenade performances at the Potager du Roi (Les Fantaisies potagères, Perceval le Conte du Graal by Stéphanie Tesson and Phénomène et Cie) to free street theater, puppetry, family shows, lectures, storytelling walks, and organ and chamber music concerts, the program blends every imaginable format. On Sunday, June 21st, the Fête de la Musique takes over with concerts throughout the city.
A springboard to the Avignon Off Festival
True to its role as an incubator, the Mois Molière extends its reach to the Festival Off d'Avignon, where it will present its program from July 4th to July 25th, 2026, in two dedicated venues: Le Petit Louvre and the former Carmel. Many Versailles-born productions find a second life there, confirming the festival as a launchpad for theater creation in the Paris region.
Highlights Mois Molière 2026
- 30th anniversary edition — thirty years of theater and music in Versailles since 1996
- Nearly 350 shows over 32 days, in over 60 locations across all city neighborhoods
- Opening on May 30th with a cart parade from Place Saint-Louis to Place du Marché Notre-Dame, preceded by Molière and Lully's La Princesse d'Élide
- A major show every evening at 8:30 PM in the Grande Écurie du Roi courtyard, for €4 per ticket
- 2026 Mois Molière original productions: Louison et Monsieur Molière (Axelle Masliah), Dom Juan (Emmanuel Besnault), Cyrano by Compagnie Viva (Anthony Magnier), Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Charlotte Matzneff), Milady, L'Affaire Petiot, Être ou ne pas Être (William Mesguich), Olympe Audouard
- Mesguich father and son evening on June 20th: L'Arlésienne by Daniel Mesguich followed by Être ou ne pas Être by William Mesguich
- Maxime d'Aboville featured twice: Camus's Les Justes (June 9-10) and Napoléon (June 15)
- Ionesco's Exit the King in a 60s rock'n'roll version on June 27-28, closing on June 30th with La Belle Hélène et les Garçons
- Promenade shows at the Potager du Roi: Les Fantaisies potagères and Perceval le Conte du Graal by Stéphanie Tesson and Phénomène et Cie
- Almost all shows outside the Grande Écurie are free to attend
- Approximately 100,000 spectators, 12 resident companies, and 200 volunteers
- Springboard to the Festival Off d'Avignon, where Mois Molière will perform from July 4th to July 25th at Le Petit Louvre and the former Carmel
Programme Mois Molière 2026
Grande Écurie Courtyard — The main evening event
Avenue Rockefeller, opposite the palace. Performances at 8:30 PM on weekdays and Saturdays, 5:00 PM or 5:30 PM on Sundays. Tickets are €4, booking mandatory at moismoliere.com. Capacity is approximately 650 seats, and most shows sell out.
Saturday, May 30, 2026
- 3:30 PM — La Princesse d'Élide, by Molière and Lully, adapted and directed by Jean-Hervé Appéré · Place de la Cathédrale Saint-Louis — free admission
- 5:15 PM — Parade: cart departs from Place Saint-Louis toward Place du Marché Notre-Dame — free admission
- 5:45 PM — Les Cavaliers, based on Aristophanes, directed by Carlo Boso · Place du Marché Notre-Dame — free admission
- 8:30 PM — Louison et Monsieur Molière, 2026 Mois Molière production based on the novel by Marie-Christine Helgerson, adapted and directed by Axelle Masliah · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 8:30 PM — Les Voyages fantastiques, magic and circus based on Jules Verne, directed by Ned Grujic · Théâtre Montansier — €21 / €10
Sunday, May 31, 2026
- 12:00 PM — Neighborhood picnics · free admission
- 5:00 PM — Louison et Monsieur Molière · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 7:15 PM — Olympe Audouard, first female journalist, 2026 Mois Molière production by François de Mazières, directed by Martin Loizillon, Théâtre du Petit Monde · Auditorium Claude Debussy — free admission
Monday, June 1, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Le Village de l'Allemand or the journal of the Schiller brothers, based on Boualem Sansal, directed by Luca Franceschi, Cie Les Asphodèles du Colibri · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 8:30 PM — Organ recital · Saint-Louis Cathedral — free admission
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Ne t'arrête pas de courir, 2026 Mois Molière production based on Mathieu Palain, directed by Tristan Petitgirard, Atelier Théâtre Actuel · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 8:45 PM — Et si c'était elle?, by Franck Buirod, directed by Pascal Bendavid · Auditorium de l'Université ouverte — free admission
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Ne t'arrête pas de courir · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Thursday, June 4, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Dom Juan, 2026 Mois Molière production by Molière, directed by Emmanuel Besnault, Compagnie L'Éternel Été · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 8:30 PM — Le Legs by Marivaux, directed by Alain de Bock and Sophie Teulière · Salle Delavaud — €10
Friday, June 5, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Dom Juan · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Saturday, June 6, 2026
- 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, 6:30 and 7:00 PM — Les Fantaisies potagères, promenade show designed by Stéphanie Tesson with Phénomène et Cie · Potager du Roi — €12 / €6
- 7:30 PM — Bérénice 34-44, based on Isabelle Stibbe, directed by Pierre-Olivier Scotto, Compagnie du Belvédère · Cour de l'Hôtel des Affaires étrangères — free admission
- 8:30 PM — La Seconde Surprise de l'amour, by Marivaux, directed by Ronan Rivière, Cie La Voix des Plumes, music by Francis Poulenc · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Sunday, June 7, 2026
- 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM — Les Fantaisies potagères · Potager du Roi — €12 / €6
- 5:30 PM — La Seconde Surprise de l'amour · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 6:00 PM — Bérénice 34-44 · Cour de l'Hôtel des Affaires étrangères — free admission
Monday, June 8, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Le Schpountz, by Marcel Pagnol, adapted by Arthur Cachia, directed by Delphine Depardieu and Arthur Cachia · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Les Justes, by Albert Camus, directed by Maxime d'Aboville, Cie Les Fautes de Frappe · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
- 3:00 PM — Le monde du carton, family show, directed by Thomas Lemaire · Théâtre Montansier — €10
- 8:00 PM — Axel & Marie-Antoinette, 2026 Mois Molière production by Alexandre Laval · Galerie de l'Hôtel des Affaires étrangères — free admission
- 8:30 PM — Les Justes · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 8:45 PM — L'Histoire du soldat, by Ramuz and Stravinsky, directed by Jean-Hervé Appéré · City Hall — free admission
Thursday, June 11, 2026
- 8:00 PM — Axel & Marie-Antoinette · Galerie de l'Hôtel des Affaires étrangères — free admission
- 8:30 PM — Splendeurs et misères, based on Balzac's Lost Illusions, directed by Paul Platel, Théâtre des Évadés · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Friday, June 12, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Splendeurs et misères · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 8:45 PM — L'Histoire du soldat · City Hall — free admission
Saturday, June 13, 2026
- 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM — Les Fantaisies potagères · Potager du Roi — €12 / €6
- 8:30 PM — Milady, 2026 Mois Molière production by Margaux Wicart based on The Three Musketeers, directed by Justine Vultaggio, Compagnie Les Modits · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 8:45 PM — Rosy & moi, 274 jours, 2026 Mois Molière production by Élodie Menant, directed by Éric Bu · Théâtre Montansier — €5
Sunday, June 14, 2026
- 5:00 PM — La Tentation de Saint-Antoine, reading based on Flaubert by Ronan Rivière · Espace Richaud — free admission
- 5:30 PM — Milady · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM — Perceval, le Conte du Graal, 2026 Mois Molière production based on Chrétien de Troyes, adapted and read by Stéphanie Tesson · Potager du Roi — €12 / €6
- 6:00 PM — Hissez haut 3! La vengeance du capitaine Crock'O'Dyles, family show for ages 3+, Compagnie Les Voilà · Stade Montbauron — free admission
Monday, June 15, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Napoléon, based on Chateaubriand, Hugo, Dumas and Tolstoy, adapted and performed by Maxime d'Aboville, cello by Dima Tsypkin · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 8:45 PM — Bouvard et Pécuchet, based on Flaubert, directed by Géraud Bénech, with Jean-Paul Farré and Marc Chouppart · Auditorium Claude Debussy — free admission
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
- 8:30 PM — L'Affaire Petiot, 2026 Mois Molière production by Philippe Touzet, directed by Charlotte Matzneff · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 8:45 PM — Bouvard et Pécuchet · Auditorium Claude Debussy — free admission
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Terre des Hommes, based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, directed by Thierry Harcourt, with Pierre Devaux · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Thursday, June 18, 2026
- 8:30 PM — La Cabane de l'architecte, la main tendue de Le Corbusier, by Louise Doutreligne, directed by Jean-Luc Paliès, Compagnie Influenscènes · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Friday, June 19, 2026
- 8:30 PM — La Danse du Caméléon, by Éric Bouvron, family show for ages 8+ · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Saturday, June 20, 2026
- 7:30 PM — Le Grand Meaulnes, based on Alain-Fournier, by Emmanuel Besnault and Compagnie L'Éternel Été · Cour de l'Hôtel des Affaires étrangères — free admission
- 8:30 PM — L'Arlésienne, based on Alphonse Daudet, adapted, directed and performed by Daniel Mesguich, followed by Être ou ne pas Être, 2026 Mois Molière production by and with William Mesguich · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4, duration 3h
Sunday, June 21, 2026 — Fête de la Musique
- Concerts throughout the city: Mass in B Minor, Mozart and Handel, Music celebrates cinema, neighborhood choirs and ensembles — free admission or reduced rates. No performance at the Grande Écurie this evening.
Monday, June 22, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Vous n'aurez pas ma haine, by Antoine Leiris, directed by Olivier Desbordes, with Mickael Winum · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Cyrano, 2026 Mois Molière production by Edmond Rostand, adapted by Anthony Magnier, Compagnie Viva · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Cyrano · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Thursday, June 25, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Pourquoi les gens qui sèment, written and directed by Sébastien Bizeau, Compagnie Hors du temps · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Friday, June 26, 2026
- 8:30 PM — The Caucasian Chalk Circle, by Bertolt Brecht, adapted and directed by Charlotte Matzneff, Le Grenier de Babouchka — 8 actors, over 50 characters, live music · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 8:45 PM — Olympe Audouard, first female journalist · Auditorium Claude Debussy — free admission
Saturday, June 27, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Exit the King, by Eugène Ionesco, directed by Mélanie Le Duc, Compagnie A Tout Va · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
- 8:45 PM — L'Auberge du Père tranquille, by Nicolas Rigas · Auditorium de l'Université ouverte — free admission
Sunday, June 28, 2026
- 3:00 PM — Monsieur de Pourceaugnac and La Princesse d'Élide, street theater in the neighborhoods — free admission
- 4:00 PM — Le déménagement de Guignol, puppets · Salle des Grands Chênes — €5
- 5:30 PM — Exit the King · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Monday, June 29, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Encore une Marylin, mais cette fois-ci la vraie!, written and directed by Sophie Forte, with Alice d'Arceaux and Guillaume Nocture · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 — Closing
- 8:30 PM — La Belle Hélène et les Garçons, based on Jacques Offenbach, adapted by Martin Loizillon, directed by Nicolas Rigas, Théâtre du Petit Monde · Grande Écurie Courtyard — €4
Other festival venues
Grande Écurie (Avenue Rockefeller), Théâtre Montansier, Royal Chapel, City Hall, Auditorium de l'Université ouverte, Hôtel des Menus Plaisirs, Saint-Louis Cathedral, La Rotonde, Potager du Roi, Parc Balbi, Carré à la Farine, Place du Marché Notre-Dame, Académie de Versailles, Espace Richaud, Musée Lambinet, Temple, Jardin des Musiciens Italiens, Saint-Symphorien Church, Stade de Montbauron, Royale Factory, Le Roxane Cinema, Auditorium Claude Debussy, Hôtel des Affaires étrangères (courtyard, gallery, Augusta Holmès room), Cour des Senteurs, Salle du Jeu de Paume, Salle Delavaud, Saint-Michel de Porchefontaine Church, Fontaine des Nouettes, Salle des Grands Chênes, and about sixty other locations across all neighborhoods.
Mois Molière Off in Avignon
The festival extends its programming to the Festival Off d'Avignon from July 4th to July 25th, 2026, in two dedicated venues: Le Petit Louvre and the former Carmel.
Prices Mois Molière 2026
Online booking MANDATORY at moismoliere.com.
Grande Écurie booking opening dates:
- Wednesday, May 20th at 12:00 PM for shows from May 30th to June 14th
- Wednesday, June 3rd at 12:00 PM for shows from June 15th to June 30th
Tickets sell out in hours: the courtyard has about 650 seats and is nearly full for most sessions.
New for 2026: ticket exchange on moismoliere.com to resell your ticket (at least 48 hours before the performance) and alerts for re-released tickets.
Outside the Grande Écurie: almost all shows are free or have free access, subject to availability (one ticket distributed per person physically present).
Some venues apply their own rates: Théâtre Montansier (€5 to €21), Potager du Roi (€12 / €6 for under 18s), Royale Factory (€23 / €19), Salle Delavaud (€10, free for under 12s), concerts (€10 to €20).
Box Office: Carré à la Farine, Place du Marché Notre-Dame, Versailles.
Information: 01 30 97 80 80.
Mois Molière — 2027 edition
The 2026 edition was held from 30 May to 30 June 2026. The dates for the 2027 edition have not been announced yet. This page will be updated as soon as the official programme is published.
Practical information — Mois Molière
Practical Information
Getting there
By train: Versailles-Rive Droite station (Transilien L from Paris Saint-Lazare, 35 min), Versailles-Rive Gauche station (RER C from Paris, 40 min), or Versailles-Chantiers station (Transilien N and U). All performance venues are within walking distance of the stations.
By car: Take the A13 from Paris, exit at Versailles-Centre. Parking is available at Place d'Armes, Place du Marché Notre-Dame, and the Manèges car park.
Main venues
- Cour de la Grande Écurie du Roi — avenue Rockefeller, opposite the palace: the main evening stage, with a show every day at 8:30 PM (5:00 PM or 5:30 PM on Sundays)
- Théâtre Montansier — 13, rue des Réservoirs
- Auditorium Claude Debussy (conservatory) — 24, rue de la Chancellerie
- Hôtel de Ville — 4, avenue de Paris
- Hôtel des Affaires étrangères (courtyard, gallery, Choiseul library) — 5, rue de l'Indépendance Américaine
- Potager du Roi — 10, rue du Maréchal Joffre
- Cathédrale Saint-Louis — place Saint-Louis, and place du Marché Notre-Dame
- Plus around sixty other locations: Espace Richaud, Musée Lambinet, Salle du Jeu de Paume, Carré à la Farine, Royale Factory, Salle Delavaud, Stade de Montbauron, as well as churches, parks, gardens, and courtyards throughout the city.
Tickets and reservations
Almost all performances outside the Grande Écurie are free of charge, subject to availability: one ticket is issued per person present. Performances in the Cour de la Grande Écurie have a flat rate of €4 (plus a €2 booking fee) and require mandatory online booking at moismoliere.com. The approximately 650 seats per evening sell out within hours of the box office opening. Some venues have their own pricing (Théâtre Montansier, Potager du Roi, Royale Factory, concerts).
Tickets for the Grande Écurie are released in two phases: mid-May for the first half of the festival and early June for the second. Reservations can also be made at the Carré à la Farine ticket office, place du Marché Notre-Dame.
Contact
Phone: 01 30 97 80 80
Email: [email protected]
Hôtel de Ville, 4 avenue de Paris, 78000 Versailles
Tourist Office: 1, place du Maréchal Lyautey, 78000 Versailles
Versailles, a grand open-air stage
Since 1996, Le Mois Molière has transformed the city of Versailles into a vast open-air theater every spring-summer. For a full month, nearly 350 shows take over more than 60 venues in the city: the Grande Écurie du Roi, Place de la Cathédrale Saint-Louis, Place du Marché Notre-Dame, the Théâtre Montansier, the Potager du Roi, the Auditorium Claude Debussy, the Hôtel de Ville, the Jeu de Paume, the gardens of the Saint-Louis district, building courtyards, chapels, parks, and performance halls. This profusion of performances makes Le Mois Molière the largest live performance festival in Île-de-France and one of the most important in France by the number of shows offered.
A popular and demanding festival
The philosophy of Le Mois Molière is based on a dual commitment: artistic excellence and accessibility for all. The vast majority of shows are free or offered at a single price of €4. This bold pricing policy, supported by the City of Versailles, allows all audiences to discover quality creations, from classical theater to the most contemporary forms. The festival welcomes over 100,000 spectators each year, coming from Versailles, the Yvelines, and all of Île-de-France.
Theater, dance, circus, music: a multidisciplinary program
While theater remains the beating heart of the festival — from Molière to Marivaux, from Shakespeare to Brecht, including Camus and contemporary authors — the program widely opens up to other performing arts. Dance, circus, street arts, music, storytelling, and humor compose an eclectic program that renews the spectator's experience each year. Emerging companies rub shoulders with established artists in a program that values creation and risk-taking.
A talent incubator and a springboard to Avignon
Founded by François de Mazières, mayor of Versailles, Le Mois Molière has established itself over the editions as a true springboard for young companies. Many now recognized artists made their debut on the festival's stages. This vocation for discovery remains at the heart of the project: each edition gives pride of place to premieres, creations, and innovative forms. Since 2024, the festival also extends its action by presenting about twenty shows at the Festival Off d'Avignon, in two dedicated venues, confirming its role as a launching pad for theatrical creation.
Versailles, city of culture and heritage
Le Mois Molière also draws its uniqueness from its exceptional setting. The shows unfold in places steeped in history: the Grande Écurie du Roi, a masterpiece by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the French gardens, the Potager du Roi, the squares and alleys of the historic center. This staging in the urban space creates a unique experience where architectural heritage and living creation respond to each other, offering spectators an unprecedented relationship with the city and its treasures.
Where does it take place — Mois Molière
Mois Molière in brief
History of Mois Molière
Edition 2025 May 2025Other festivals near Versailles
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