MIMA -- International Puppet Festival

The second largest puppet festival in France

Founded in 1988, the MIMA -- International Puppet Festival is a major event for puppet arts in France and Europe. Every year, for four days at the beginning of August, the medieval town of Mirepoix transforms into a vast open-air theatre, welcoming companies from all over the world. With nearly 64 shows and over 60 performances per edition, MIMA is the second largest puppet festival in France, just after the World Festival of Puppet Theatres in Charleville-Mezieres.

An IN and OFF program of exceptional richness

The festival is divided into two complementary parts. The IN program, organized by the Art'Cade association, brings together about twenty companies selected for the quality and originality of their creations: string puppets, glove puppets, shadow theatre, object theatre, giant animated forms, digital shows, and multidisciplinary performances. The OFF program, coordinated by the OFF de MIMA association, offers a space for free expression to emerging and established companies that take over the streets, squares, and nooks of the bastide. Street shows, parades, workshops for children, and professional meetings punctuate these festive days.

Mirepoix, a medieval setting for contemporary puppetry

The exceptional setting of the bastide of Mirepoix, with its 13th-century covered square, its medieval market hall with monumental frameworks, and its half-timbered houses, offers a unique backdrop for puppet arts. The shows unfold in the market hall, under the arcades, in the squares, in the Saint-Maurice cathedral, in the inner courtyards, and even in the neighboring towns of the Pays des Pyrenees Cathares, allowing the public to discover the remarkable heritage of the region while attending high-quality performances.

A festival of transmission and creation

MIMA is not limited to the highlight of the summer festival. Throughout the year, the Art'Cade association carries out awareness-raising, cultural mediation, and creation residency activities for school audiences, social structures, and local residents. The festival also hosts professional meetings, training courses, and conferences that make Mirepoix a true center of reference for puppet arts in the Occitanie region.