European contemporary dance festival — National Choreographic Development Centre
Les Hivernales d'Avignon is the contemporary dance festival of the National Choreographic Development Centre (CDCN) of Avignon. Every February, this unmissable winter event invites major names from the international choreographic scene and emerging creators to share their works with the Avignon public. For over thirty years, Les Hivernales has asserted its uniqueness: bringing contemporary dance to the heart of winter, as a counterpoint to the major summer gathering of the Festival d'Avignon.
Founded in the 1980s, Les Hivernales d'Avignon is the emblematic festival of the National Choreographic Development Centre (CDCN) of Avignon. Since its creation, it has consistently and passionately championed contemporary dance in all its diversity, making Avignon not only the summer capital of theatre but also an international reference point for contemporary choreography in winter.
The CDCN d'Avignon is one of the structures labelled by the Ministry of Culture for the development and dissemination of dance in France. Its fundamental mission is twofold: to support choreographic artists throughout their creative process (residencies, co-productions, support) and to build lasting links between choreographic creation and the inhabitants of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
The uniqueness of Les Hivernales lies in an apparent paradox: organizing a dance festival in the middle of winter, in a city that the whole world associates with its major summer gathering. This choice has forged the festival's identity. In February, when Avignon slumbers after the fervor of July, the city's theatres and venues light up again to welcome dance that is both demanding and generous.
This winter timing gives the festival a special atmosphere, more intimate, more conducive to exchanges between artists and the public, to encounters and discoveries. Les Hivernales is a local festival, even though the invited artists have an international reach.
The Hivernales program embraces all forms of contemporary dance:
One of the most important characteristics of Les Hivernales is its commitment to the diversity of aesthetics. The festival does not confine itself to any particular style or school, welcoming conceptual dance as well as more narrative forms, creative hip-hop, neo-classical dance, or butoh.
Since its inception, Les Hivernales has developed in-depth work on cultural mediation and audience development. From schoolchildren in the Vaucluse to regular attendees of the CDCN, and including audiences distant from culture, the festival strives to make contemporary dance accessible and desirable for everyone.
Practical workshops led by choreographers in residence, open rehearsals, artist encounters after performances, and master classes for amateur and professional dancers complement the stage program. This educational and participatory dimension is at the heart of the CDCN's public service mission.
Les Hivernales d'Avignon is more than just a local festival. Thanks to the national networks of the CDCN and partnerships established with other choreographic structures in France and Europe, the festival plays a decisive role in the circulation of works and artists. Many shows discovered at Les Hivernales have subsequently toured in major French and international venues.
In Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, the CDCN d'Avignon also carries out regional work, offering decentralized performances in towns and communes in the region that do not usually host professional dance. This action for cultural development of the territory is an essential dimension of the mission of Les Hivernales and the CDCN.
Les Hivernales d'Avignon 2026 will take place in February 2026 in Avignon and its surrounding area. The CDCN d'Avignon will present a new edition of its contemporary dance festival, with a program combining creations in residence, invitations to national and international companies, and a rich mediation offer for all audiences. The program will be announced in autumn 2025.
Les Hivernales d'Avignon 2026 will take place in February 2026, in the partner venues of the CDCN d'Avignon. This new edition of the Avignon contemporary dance festival continues the strong artistic project, committed for over thirty years to choreographic creation and audience development.
Les Hivernales 2026 will reaffirm the CDCN d'Avignon's role as a central player in the cultural life of the Vaucluse and Provence regions. In a context where cultural offerings are often concentrated in metropolises and major summer seasons, the festival asserts its uniqueness by offering high-level dance in the heart of the Provençal winter.
Beyond the performances, the festival will develop its mediation activities: workshops for schoolchildren, artist encounters, open rehearsals, and master classes for amateur and professional dancers. These participatory initiatives will allow diverse audiences — from schoolchildren to informed amateurs — to engage with contemporary dance in all its richness.
Throughout the year, the CDCN d'Avignon hosts artists in residence, co-produces choreographic works, and supports artistic projects in their development. Les Hivernales is the annual showcase for this in-depth work, allowing the public to discover the creations supported by the centre and other works from the national and international contemporary scene.
The full program for the 2026 edition will be announced in autumn 2025 on the official website hivernales-avignon.com. The festival is accessible with the Pass Culture, facilitating access for young people aged 15 to 25 to contemporary dance in this exceptional setting.
Thanks to the joint work of the CDCN and Les Hivernales, Avignon asserts itself as a dance city throughout the year, not just during the month of July. This choreographic continuity is a richness for the inhabitants of the Vaucluse and for all those who share a passion for contemporary dance.
The Hivernales performances take place in several partner venues in Avignon and its agglomeration:
By car: Avignon is accessible from the A7 motorway (exit Avignon-Nord or Avignon-Sud). Parking near the historic centre.
By train: Avignon TGV station (2h40 from Paris) or Avignon Centre station (TER from Marseille and Nîmes).
Online booking at hivernales-avignon.com or by phone at the CDCN secretariat. Reduced rates for students, job seekers, and recipients of minimum social benefits. Festival passes available.
CDCN — Les Hivernales d'Avignon
Avignon (84000)
Website: hivernales-avignon.com
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