International literature festival of Lyon
Driven by Villa Gillet since 2021, Littérature Live is the international literature festival of Lyon. For a week in May, about fifty authors from around the world gather for literary conversations, readings, performances, and concerts on the stages of Villa Gillet, SUBS, Théâtre des Célestins, Musée des Confluences, and in partner media libraries and bookstores. Heir to the Assises Internationales du Roman, the festival celebrates living literature and world voices.
Since 2021, Littérature Live has established itself as the major international literature event in Lyon. Heir to the prestigious Assises Internationales du Roman, the festival has been reinvented by Villa Gillet, an international house for contemporary writing located in the magnificent Parc de la Cerisaie on the Croix-Rousse plateau.
Each year in May, about fifty authors, translators, and critics from over twenty different nationalities converge on Lyon for six days of literary discoveries and enthusiasm. The festival transforms the city into a true literary Babel where languages, imaginations, and writings from around the world intersect.
The Littérature Live program unfolds in emblematic cultural venues of Lyon: Villa Gillet and its park, SUBS (a vibrant space for artistic experiences), the Théâtre des Célestins, the Musée des Confluences, the Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse, as well as in partner media libraries, bookstores, and high schools throughout the metropolitan area.
The festival offers multiple formats: major literary conversations, public readings, performances, literary concerts, and open mic sessions. Each encounter is designed to bring readers closer to writers in a friendly and stimulating atmosphere. The festival is aimed at all audiences, with particular attention to schoolchildren and young readers, and admission is free for those under 18.
Littérature Live benefits from the expertise of Villa Gillet, which for over thirty years has fostered dialogue between writers and Lyon audiences. The festival is part of an international outreach dynamic that makes Lyon a literary capital for a week, attracting major authors from the global scene as well as emerging voices yet to be discovered.
The 6th edition of Littérature Live will take place from May 21 to 27, 2026, at Villa Gillet, SUBS, Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse, and in many venues across Lyon and its metropolitan area. About fifty authors from around the world for a week of literary conversations, readings, and performances.
Littérature Live returns for its 6th edition from May 21 to 27, 2026, in Lyon. The festival will unfold at Villa Gillet, in Parc de la Cerisaie, at SUBS, at Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse, and in numerous venues throughout the city and its metropolitan area.
The full program will be unveiled in March 2026. Approximately fifty authors, translators, and critics from around the world will gather for literary conversations, readings, performances, and concerts.
Main Venue: Villa Gillet, 25 rue Chazière, 69004 Lyon (Parc de la Cerisaie, Croix-Rousse plateau).
Public Transport: Metro Line C, Croix-Rousse stop. Bus Lines C13, S4, S12.
By Car: Access via montée de la Grande-Côte or boulevard de la Croix-Rousse. Limited parking in the area.
Prices for the 2025 edition were:
Online ticketing at villagillet.net and on-site at the festival venues.
Villa Gillet — 25 rue Chazière, 69004 Lyon
Tel: 04 78 27 02 48
Email: [email protected]
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Villa Gillet - Parc de la Cerisaie
25 rue Chazière, 69004 Lyon