Les Francophonies - Zébrures
International festival of francophone writing and creation
2026
About Les Francophonies
Les Francophonies — edition 2026
Les Zébrures 2026 takes place from September 23rd to October 3rd in Limoges and seven other towns in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This edition merges the Spring and Autumn Zébrures into a single festival: 72 events including theater, dance, music, storytelling, readings, documentary film, and discussions, featuring artists from Guinea, Cameroon, Congo, Quebec, South Korea, Poland, and Switzerland. Tickets are pay-what-you-want from 5 to 25 €, with a large portion of the program offering free admission.
Les Zébrures 2026
The 2026 edition merges the Spring and Autumn Zébrures into a single annual festival, Les Zébrures – Festival of Francophone Theater Writing and Creation, running from September 23rd to October 3rd. The program was unveiled on Thursday, July 2nd, 2026, at the CCM Jean Gagnant in Limoges.
It features 72 events: theater, dance, music, storytelling, readings, documentary film, talk-debates, training, and award ceremonies. Most events take place in Limoges—at the Maison des Francophonies, Grand-Théâtre, Théâtre de l’Union, CCM Jean Gagnant, CCM Jean Moulin, CCM John Lennon, Espace Noriac, Chapelle de la Visitation, Marché des Jacobins, Le Lido cinema, L’International, and the Archipel tent on Place de la République. Seven associated towns are participating: Bellac, Uzerche, Aubusson, Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, Eymoutiers, Saint-Georges-la-Pouge, and Saint-Just-le-Martel.
Five new works are featured: Le Silence des tabous by Ulrich N’toyo, Chemin forgeant by Bernard Gaëtan Lagier, Une Vénus de 5743 ans by Olivia Csiky Trnka, Garçon chasseur by Pascal Brullemans, and Chacun pour un, deux pour tous by Edouard Elvis Bvouma. Additionally, La Terre s’en va sous nos pieds, a participatory creation by Basinga, Collectif Kahraba, and 40 local residents, will be held on September 23rd at the Archipel. Four shows are premieres: Mansa Moussa Roi d’Or and La Poupée barbue (European premieres), KiLLT – Les Règles du jeu (French premiere), and L’Enfant-soldat née Musique (French premiere).
The 2026 theater awards will be presented on Sunday, September 27th, at the CCM Jean Gagnant, in three parts requiring separate reservations: the ceremony at 12:00 PM, the RFI Theater Prize reading at 2:00 PM, and the SACD Prize for Francophone Dramaturgy reading at 4:00 PM. The winning text of the 2026 Sony Labou Tansi High School Prize, Rest/e by Azilys Tanneau, will be read on September 29th at 12:30 PM.
Highlights Les Francophonies 2026
- Mansa Moussa Roi d’Or, Mandinka opera from Guinea, European premiere, September 25th at the Grand-Théâtre
- Post-Orientalist Express, Korean ballet opening the Limoges Opera dance season, September 29th at the Grand-Théâtre
- Imago, Golden Eye for Best Documentary at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, September 28th at the Le Lido cinema
- La Poupée barbue, European premiere, September 30th and October 2nd at the Chapelle de la Visitation
- KiLLT – Les Règles du jeu, French premiere by Les Tréteaux de France, in French and Creole
- L’Enfant-soldat née Musique, French premiere, text by Zarina Khan
- Closing night on October 3rd at the Grand-Théâtre with Haïdouti Orkestar at 8:30 PM, followed by the Sainte-Aube after-party at 10:00 PM
Programme Les Francophonies 2026
Official program for Les Zébrures 2026, published by Les Francophonies: 72 events from Wednesday, September 23rd to Saturday, October 3rd, in Limoges and seven other towns across Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026
- 2:00 PM — KiLLT - Les Règles du jeu · theater (France-Réunion, Romania), French premiere, text by Yann Verburgh, translated and adapted into Creole by Lolita Tergémina and Jean-Laurent Faubourg, produced by Les Tréteaux de France · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 45 minutes · ages 11+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 6:30 PM — La Terre s’en va sous nos pieds · theater (Lebanon, France), participatory creation by Basinga, Collectif Kahraba, and 40 local residents · Archipel, Place de la République, Limoges · 1h · free admission
- 8:30 PM — Le Bal chaloupé · music, dance party (cumbia, forró, merengue, maloya, changüí, rumba, tsapiky, kuduro) · Grand-Théâtre, Limoges · 1h30 · free admission
Thursday, September 24th, 2026
- 11:30 AM — Tracas de la création en fracas · talk/debate · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h30 · free admission, subject to availability
- 3:00 PM — Histoires de signes · storytelling (France, Russia), Les Contes du zèbre, in French and French Sign Language · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 45 minutes · ages 6+ · free admission, subject to availability
- 3:00 PM — Le Silence des tabous · theater (Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, France-Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Normandy), new work, written and directed by Ulrich N’toyo, free shuttle service upon registration · CCM Jean Moulin – MAD, Limoges · 1h10 · ages 12+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 6:00 PM — Jérôme Pinel · music (France), Les Sets du zèbre, Jérôme Pinel (vocals) and Julien Bouttard (guitar, weissenborn, percussion) · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 6:30 PM — Chemin forgeant · theater (France-Martinique, Republic of the Congo), new work, text by Bernard Gaëtan Lagier, directed by Abdon Fortuné Koulbha · Espace Noriac, Limoges · 1h10 · ages 12+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 8:30 PM — Une Vénus de 5743 ans · theater (Switzerland, Slovakia), new work / Vers la scène, written and directed by Olivia Csiky Trnka, contains nudity · Théâtre de l’Union, Limoges · 1h15 · ages 14+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
Friday, September 25th, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Muskeg · reading (Canada-Quebec) followed by a Q&A with the author · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · free admission, reservation required
- 12:00 PM — Les Rencontres croisées: Chemin Forgeant and Silence des tabous · cross-discussion moderated by Bernard Gaëtan Lagier · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 3:00 PM — L’Enfant-soldat née Musique · theater (Luxembourg, Russia, Pakistan, France, Ivory Coast), French premiere, text by Zarina Khan, directed by Serge Wolfsperger · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h40 · ages 14+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 3:00 PM — Vy · storytelling, Les Contes du zèbre with Michèle Nguyen · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · ages 7+ · free admission, subject to availability
- 6:00 PM — Diluvienne · music (France), Les Sets du zèbre · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 6:30 PM — Le Silence des tabous · theater (Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, France-Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Normandy), new work, written and directed by Ulrich N’toyo, free shuttle service upon registration · CCM Jean Moulin – MAD, Limoges · 1h10 · ages 12+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 8:30 PM — Gare de l’Est · music (France, Netherlands), Les Sets du zèbre · Marché des Jacobins, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 8:30 PM — Mansa Moussa Roi d’Or · dance (Guinea), Mandinka opera, European premiere, songs in Malinke, Bambara, Soussou, Pulaar, Toma, Guerze, Baga, Koniagui, Dioula, and Mende · Grand-Théâtre, Limoges · 2h, with intermission · ages 10+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
Saturday, September 26th, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Porcelaine · reading (Canada-Quebec) followed by a Q&A with the author · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · free admission, reservation required
- 11:00 AM — KiLLT - Les Règles du jeu · theater (France-Réunion, Romania), French premiere, text by Yann Verburgh, translated and adapted into Creole by Lolita Tergémina and Jean-Laurent Faubourg, produced by Les Tréteaux de France · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 45 minutes · ages 11+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 11:30 AM — Le Laboratoire du zèbre - Around Une Vénus de 5743 ans · talk/debate · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 3:00 PM — Maux à mots, vers une langue de la réparation? · talk/debate, conversation moderated by Annick Lederlé, with the DGLFLF and the Human Rights League · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h30 · free admission, subject to availability
- 3:00 PM — KiLLT - Les Règles du jeu · theater (France-Réunion, Romania), French premiere, text by Yann Verburgh, translated and adapted into Creole by Lolita Tergémina and Jean-Laurent Faubourg, produced by Les Tréteaux de France · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 45 minutes · ages 11+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 4:30 PM — Chemin forgeant · theater (France-Martinique, Republic of the Congo), new work, text by Bernard Gaëtan Lagier, directed by Abdon Fortuné Koulbha · Espace Noriac, Limoges · 1h10 · ages 12+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 6:00 PM — Patherson · music (Senegal), Les Sets du zèbre · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 6:00 PM — Rebelles en exil- Grand reporterre #12 · Théâtre du Cloître, Bellac · 1h15 · ages 14+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 6:30 PM — Une Vénus de 5743 ans · theater (Switzerland, Slovakia), new work / Vers la scène, written and directed by Olivia Csiky Trnka, contains nudity · Théâtre de l’Union, Limoges · 1h15 · ages 14+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 8:30 PM — L’Enfant-soldat née Musique · theater (Luxembourg, Russia, Pakistan, France, Ivory Coast), French premiere, text by Zarina Khan, directed by Serge Wolfsperger · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h40 · ages 14+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
Sunday, September 27th, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Sueur anonyme · reading (Haiti) followed by a Q&A with the author · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · free admission, reservation required
- 12:00 PM — Patherson · music (Senegal), Les Sets du zèbre · International Cartoon, Press Cartoon and Humor Salon, Saint-Just-le-Martel · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 12:00 PM — Awards Ceremony · literary awards, 2026 theater awards, first of three parts (three separate reservations required) · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · free admission, reservation required
- 2:00 PM — Reading of the 2026 RFI Theater Prize · literary awards, reading followed by a Q&A with the author, second part · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · free admission, reservation required
- 3:00 PM — Le Goûter du Zèbre · storytelling (Belgium, France, Russia, Vietnam), stories translated into French Sign Language, followed by a snack and workshop · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 2h · ages 6+ · free admission, subject to availability
- 4:00 PM — Reading of the 2026 SACD Prize for Francophone Dramaturgy · literary awards, third part · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · free admission, reservation required
- 5:00 PM — Garçon chasseur · theater (Canada-Quebec, France), new work, text by Pascal Brullemans, directed by Fabrice Henry · Auditorium Sophie Dessus, Uzerche · 1h · ages 9+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
Monday, September 28th, 2026
- 7:30 PM — Chacun pour un, deux pour tous · theater (Cameroon), new work, written and directed by Edouard Elvis Bvouma · Théâtre Jean Lurçat Scène nationale, Aubusson · 1h20 · ages 15+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 7:30 PM — Imago · documentary film (Chechnya, Georgia, France, Belgium), Golden Eye for Best Documentary and French Touch, 2025 Cannes Film Festival · Le Lido, Limoges · 1h50 · 6 €
Tuesday, September 29th, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Strange Fish · reading (France) followed by a Q&A with the author · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · free admission, reservation required
- 12:30 PM — Rest/e · literary awards (France), 2026 Sony Labou Tansi High School Prize, text by Azilys Tanneau · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h30 · free admission, reservation required
- 3:30 PM — Rebelles en exil- Grand reporterre #12 · Théâtre de l’Union, Limoges · 1h15 · ages 14+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 7:00 PM — Post-Orientalist Express · dance (South Korea), Korean ballet, opening of the Limoges Opera dance season · Grand-Théâtre, Limoges · 1h15 · ages 8+ · special rates
Wednesday, September 30th, 2026
- 9:30 AM — Garçon chasseur · theater (Canada-Quebec, France), new work, text by Pascal Brullemans, directed by Fabrice Henry · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · ages 9+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 10:00 AM — Les Échappés·es · reading (Senegal) followed by a Q&A with the author · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · free admission, reservation required
- 12:00 PM — Les Rencontres croisées: Rest/e, Chacun pour un, deux pour tous, Garçon chasseur, Et nous · cross-discussion moderated by Arnaud Galy (Agora Francophone) · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 3:00 PM — Mazurka noire · storytelling (Poland, France-Guadeloupe), Les Contes du zèbre · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · ages 7+ · free admission, subject to availability
- 4:00 PM — Garçon chasseur · theater (Canada-Quebec, France), new work, text by Pascal Brullemans, directed by Fabrice Henry · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · ages 9+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 6:00 PM — Jacques Surette · music (France), Les Sets du zèbre · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 6:00 PM — Rebelles en exil- Grand reporterre #12 · Théâtre de l’Union, Limoges · 1h15 · ages 14+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 8:00 PM — La Poupée barbue · theater, European premiere, 2017 RFI Theater Prize and 2020 Sony Labou Tansi High School Prize · Chapelle de la Visitation, Limoges · 1h10 · ages 12+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 8:30 PM — Silence · theater (Democratic Republic of the Congo, France), preview · CCM John Lennon, Limoges · 1h10 · ages 15+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
Thursday, October 1st, 2026
- 9:30 AM — Garçon chasseur · theater (Canada-Quebec, France), new work, text by Pascal Brullemans, directed by Fabrice Henry · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · ages 9+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 10:00 AM — Et nous · reading (Belgium) followed by a Q&A with the author · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · free admission, reservation required
- 12:00 PM — Les Rencontres croisées: Garçon chasseur and Femmes des Caraïbes · cross-discussion moderated by Stéphane Capron (Sceneweb) · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 2:00 PM — Garçon chasseur · theater (Canada-Quebec, France), new work, text by Pascal Brullemans, directed by Fabrice Henry · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h · ages 9+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 2:00 PM — Nos saisons francophones - Professional meeting · professional meeting, registration required · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges
- 6:00 PM — Leïla Huissoud · music (France), Les Sets du zèbre · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 6:30 PM — Femmes des Caraïbes · theater (Jamaica, France-Guadeloupe), based on Queen Nanny, Jamaican Maroon leader, and Solitude, Guadeloupean fighter · Chapelle de la Visitation, Limoges · 1h10 · ages 14+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 8:30 PM — Chacun pour un, deux pour tous · theater (Cameroon), new work, written and directed by Edouard Elvis Bvouma · Espace Noriac, Limoges · 1h20 · ages 15+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 9:00 PM — Jacques Surette · music (France), Les Sets du zèbre · L’International, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
Friday, October 2nd, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Destins de femmes et théâtre francophone · workshop, academic training, information and registration via Maud Ergot ([email protected]) · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges
- 3:00 PM — Ivacik à la barque dorée · storytelling (Poland, France), Les Contes du zèbre · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 40 minutes · ages 3+ · free admission, subject to availability
- 6:00 PM — Jacques Surette · music (France), Les Sets du zèbre · Saint-Georges-la-Pouge · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 6:00 PM — Silence · theater (Democratic Republic of the Congo, France), preview · CCM John Lennon, Limoges · 1h10 · ages 15+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 6:30 PM — La Poupée barbue · theater, European premiere, 2017 RFI Theater Prize and 2020 Sony Labou Tansi High School Prize · Chapelle de la Visitation, Limoges · 1h10 · ages 12+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 8:30 PM — Leïla Huissoud · music (France), Les Sets du zèbre · Centre Culturel J.P. Fabrègue, Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 8:30 PM — Solsoum · music (France), Les Sets du zèbre · Mairie Eymoutiers, Eymoutiers · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 8:30 PM — Un infime bruit du monde · reading, collaborative performance by the festival's authors · CCM Jean Gagnant, Limoges · 1h30 · free admission, reservation required
Saturday, October 3rd, 2026
- 11:30 AM — Le Laboratoire du zèbre - Around Chacun pour un, deux pour tous · talk/debate · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 4:00 PM — Femmes des Caraïbes · theater (Jamaica, France-Guadeloupe), based on Queen Nanny, Jamaican Maroon leader, and Solitude, Guadeloupean fighter · Chapelle de la Visitation, Limoges · 1h10 · ages 14+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 6:00 PM — Chacun pour un, deux pour tous · theater (Cameroon), new work, written and directed by Edouard Elvis Bvouma · Espace Noriac, Limoges · 1h20 · ages 15+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 6:00 PM — Solsoum · music (France), Les Sets du zèbre · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · 1h · free admission, subject to availability
- 8:30 PM — Haïdouti Orkestar · music (Turkey, Romania, Serbia, France), closing night; spectators wearing zebra-themed attire receive an invitation · Grand-Théâtre, Limoges · 1h30 · ages 10+ · pay-what-you-want: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 €
- 10:00 PM — Sainte-Aube · music (Switzerland), closing after-party · Grand-Théâtre, Limoges · 1h30 · free admission, subject to availability
Ongoing
- Vert Soleil — exhibition of drawings by Vladimir Kazanevsky (Ukraine), designed with the International Cartoon, Press Cartoon and Humor Center of Saint-Just-le-Martel · Maison des Francophonies, Limoges · free admission. The festival website announces its opening on September 3rd.
- International Cartoon, Press Cartoon and Humor Salon, Saint-Just-le-Martel, from Friday, September 25th to Sunday, October 4th: reduced rate upon presentation of a paid ticket for Les Zébrures, and an invitation to a Zébrures show upon presentation of a paid ticket for the Salon.
Announced without a published date
- Signes et Voix croisés — storytelling (Belgium, France, Russia, Vietnam), Les Contes du zèbre: artists from Vy and Histoires de signes meet, featuring tales from Michèle Nguyen's repertoire translated into French Sign Language. Preceded at 2:00 PM by a presentation from the Ulis class of the École Bellevue-Naugeat in Limoges (15 minutes).
- Les Rencontres croisées: La Poupée Barbue and Silence — “Women's bodies as battlefields,” discussion moderated by Julia Wahl (Cult.news), with Edouard Elvis Bvouma and Souleymane Sow for La Poupée barbue, and Israël Nzila and Jean-Paul Delore for Silence.
Ticketing
- Maison des Francophonies, 11 avenue du Général-de-Gaulle in Limoges: September 10th to 21st from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM, closed September 14th and 15th; September 22nd to October 4th from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
- At performance venues before each show, subject to availability.
- Online at billetterie.lesfrancophonies.fr, with a €0.50 surcharge per ticket.
- By phone starting September 10th: +33 (0)5 55 33 33 67 for general ticketing, +33 (0)5 55 10 90 10 for groups.
Prices Les Francophonies 2026
Cultural bridge rate: 3 €. Student rate: 5 €.
Readings, discussions, award ceremonies, and Sets du zèbre concerts: free admission, reservation required or subject to availability.
Imago, at Le Lido cinema: 6 €. Post-Orientalist Express, at the Grand-Théâtre: special rates.
Online purchase at billetterie.lesfrancophonies.fr: €0.50 surcharge per ticket.
Pass Culture accepted for 15-18 year olds. Payment by card, check, cash, ANCV holiday vouchers, culture vouchers, and [email protected].
Note: the festival's Rates page lists four tiers (5, 10, 15, or 20 €), while show pages list five, up to 25 €.
Practical information — Les Francophonies
Practical Information
Getting there
By car: The Maison des Francophonies is located at 11 avenue du Général-de-Gaulle in Limoges, near the city centre. Public parking is available nearby.
By train: Limoges-Bénédictins station is a 15-minute walk away. There is a direct link from Paris via the POLT line, taking approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Shuttles: The festival provides free shuttles for certain performances, subject to registration. In 2026, this applies to Le Silence des tabous at the CCM Jean Moulin.
Ticketing
Tickets can be purchased at the Maison des Francophonies, online at billetterie.lesfrancophonies.fr (a €0.50 booking fee applies per ticket), or at the venues before each performance, subject to availability. The festival operates on a flexible pricing model: you may choose to pay €5, €10, €15, €20, or €25 for ticketed shows, with a €3 cultural access rate and a €5 student rate. Readings, meet-and-greets, and award ceremonies are free to attend.
For enquiries: 05 55 10 90 10.
On-site
Refreshments and food are available throughout the festival. A pop-up bookshop will feature works by the guest authors.
Les Francophonies - Zébrures: Forty Years of Francophone Creation
Created in 1984 by Pierre Debauche, then director of the Centre Dramatique National du Limousin, and Monique Blin, the Festival des Francophonies en Limousin was born from an ambitious goal: to make Limoges the capital of francophone arts. For over forty years, this unique festival has brought together artists, authors, and creators from across the entire francophone space—Africa, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the Near East, the Maghreb, North America, and Europe—for borderless artistic dialogue.
A Constantly Evolving Festival
Under the successive direction of Pierre Debauche (1984-1990), Monique Blin (1990-2006), Marie-Agnès Sevestre (2006-2018), and Hassane Kassi Kouyaté since 2019, the festival has continuously reinvented itself. In 2019, Les Francophonies became “Les Francophonies - From Writing to the Stage” and adopted the Zébrures format: the Spring Zébrures, dedicated to writing residencies and readings of emerging texts, and the Autumn Zébrures, a highlight of performing arts with theatrical creations, dance, music, and literary encounters. In 2026, a new phase begins with the merger of the two events into a single annual festival: Les Zébrures – Festival of Theatrical Writing and Creation.
The Maison des Francophonies, the Festival's Beating Heart
Located at 11 avenue du Général-de-Gaulle in Limoges, the Maison des Francophonies is the festival's headquarters and a year-round cultural hub. It houses the Maison des auteurs et autrices (Writers' House), a writing residency program that hosts francophone playwrights from around the world each year, as well as a documentation center dedicated to contemporary dramatic writing. During the festival, shuttle buses connect the Maison to the various performance venues scattered throughout Limoges and Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
A Program at the Crossroads of Disciplines
Les Francophonies offers a resolutely multidisciplinary program: theater, contemporary dance, music, storytelling, cinema, readings, and literary encounters. Each edition explores a theme or highlights a region of the francophone world. The 2025 Autumn Zébrures edition focused on the Middle East and the Maghreb, while the Spring Zébrures celebrated the diversity of emerging francophone writing. The festival attracts approximately 20,000 spectators, including many students and performing arts professionals, making Limoges a key hub for international francophone creation.
International Reach
Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the City of Limoges, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, the festival is recognized as a major player in promoting cultural and linguistic diversity. It has discovered or supported artists who have become major figures on the global francophone stage and contributes to the cultural influence of Limoges far beyond the borders of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
Where does it take place — Les Francophonies
Les Francophonies in brief
History of Les Francophonies
Edition 2025 Sep 2025Other festivals near Limoges
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