Passages Transfestival

An international transdisciplinary festival

Founded in 1996 in Nancy, the Passages festival moved to Metz in 2011, becoming a must-attend event for contemporary live performance in the Grand Est region. Under the direction of Benoît Bradel, the event has taken on a new dimension by adopting the name Passages Transfestival and returning to an annual rhythm, with a resolutely transdisciplinary, transcontinental, and transeuropean focus.

An international program

Each edition of Passages Transfestival is built in collaboration with the Institut français as part of international cultural seasons. The festival invites artists from around the world to present their creations: theatre, contemporary dance, performance, music, visual arts, and hybrid forms are featured in a demanding yet accessible program. The works presented question contemporary issues through cross-cultural perspectives and artistic dialogues.

Thematic seasons

Each year, the festival is part of an international cultural season that gives it its character and geographical focus. In 2025, the edition focused on the France-Brazil cross-cultural season in partnership with Casa do Povo in São Paulo, under the theme “Liberte o futuro”. In 2026, for its 15th year in Metz, the festival is part of the 2026 Mediterranean Season led by the Institut français, in collaboration with Theater is a Must in Alexandria and the D-CAF Festival in Cairo.

Festival venues

Passages Transfestival takes over emblematic cultural venues in Metz: the Centre Pompidou-Metz, the Arsenal, Les Trinitaires, the Théâtre du Saulcy, and other conventional or alternative spaces. This diversity of venues reflects the plurality of artistic forms programmed and allows the public to discover the richness of Metz's cultural heritage.

Meetings and debates

Beyond the performances, the festival offers a program of meetings, conferences, and debates that extend the reflection initiated on stage. Artists, academics, journalists, and spectators engage in discussions around the themes raised by the creations, making Passages a space for dialogue and critical thinking. The festival maintains close ties with the Université de Lorraine and performing arts research centers.

Rooted in Metz's cultural landscape

A unique festival in its artistic positioning, Passages Transfestival contributes to Metz's international cultural influence. It complements the city's cultural offerings by presenting contemporary and engaged artistic forms, attracting a curious and discerning audience from across the Grand Est region and beyond.