Un Été au Havre

10th Edition — Summer 2026

Un Été au Havre celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026 with an anniversary edition from late June to mid-September. Since 2017, the event has transformed the city into a vast open-air museum each summer, inviting internationally renowned artists to create works that dialogue with the UNESCO-listed Perret architecture and Le Havre's maritime landscapes.

For 2026, the program takes on a special dimension: the city partners with the centenary of Claude Monet's death, celebrated throughout Normandy. The "In Monet's Footsteps" section offers itineraries to the sites where the painter, who grew up in Le Havre, set up his easel — from the Seine estuary to the Norman coast. In parallel, the André Malraux Modern Art Museum (MuMa) presents the exhibition "Monet in Le Havre" (from June 5 to September 27, 2026).

Among the new creations announced for 2026 is « À REVERS, RÊVERA » by the Bureau Idéal collective, which reuses two 1967 kiosks designed by architects from Auguste Perret's workshop. The complete program and the list of invited artists will be gradually unveiled in spring 2026 on the official website uneteauhavre.fr.

All works remain, true to the spirit of the event, freely accessible in public spaces. The permanent collection of works perpetuated over the editions (Catène de containers by Vincent Ganivet, UP#3 by Lang/Baumann, Impact by Fabien Mérelle…) remains visible all year round.

The 10th edition of Un Été au Havre (from June 27 to September 20, 2026), themed « Double Play » and directed by artistic director Gaël Charbau, unveils new contemporary art creations disseminated in public spaces, with free access. The « double play » invites us to look at the city from several angles at once — reflections, viewpoints, and contrasts re-enact our perceptions of the Le Havre landscape.

Opening Day

Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 11 AM to 6 PM — discovery of works and highlights, accessible to all.

New Works 2026 (free access route)

• Icebergs — Gaspard Combes · Bassin du Commerce. Monumental icebergs (up to 12 m high) drifting with the tide, evoking the fragility of the ice cap.
• Les Optimists — Lorène Dengoyan · Bassin du Commerce. Return of the Optimist sailboat flotilla whose sails, inspired by the international code of maritime signals, compose messages on the water.
• Spinning Around — Sophia Taillet · Parvis de la cathédrale Notre-Dame. Installation of rotating mirrors that reveal the architecture from unprecedented angles.
• Sur le motif — Guillaume Aubry · Quai de Southampton. A monumental periscope structure whose mirror reproduces Claude Monet's viewpoint on the motif of « Impression, Sunrise ».
• Les génies aussi passent le permis — Samuel Trenquier · Place Albert-René. A series of large painted amphorae, created with the participation of residents.
• La ville qui n'existait pas IV : La maison des rêves (2050-2612) — Grégory Chatonsky · Corner boulevard Clemenceau / rue Benjamin Normand. A stylized Perret-style telephone booth broadcasting testimonies generated from the voices of Le Havre residents.
• Corallium — Charlotte Huard · Quai de l'Île. Participatory work composed of hundreds of casts of Le Havre residents' hands forming a coral reef.

Exhibitions and Associated Proposals

• Monet in Le Havre — at the André Malraux Modern Art Museum (MuMa), from June 5 to September 27, 2026, echoing the centenary of Claude Monet's passing.
• The Story of Fixity — Noémie Goudal · at Le Portique. Immersive installation around water and long time.
• Anima (ex) Musica — at the Natural History Museum (with the Conservatory).
• Réminiscences — at the Maison de l'Armateur.

The entire art trail in public spaces remains completely free. The permanent collection of works perpetuated over the editions (Catène de containers by Vincent Ganivet, UP#3 by Lang/Baumann, Impact by Fabien Mérelle…) remains visible all year round.

• 10th anniversary edition of Un Été au Havre, from June 27 to September 20, 2026
• 2026 Theme « Double Play » — reflections, viewpoints, and contrasts (artistic direction Gaël Charbau)
• Opening day on Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 11 AM to 6 PM
• New works in public spaces: Icebergs (Gaspard Combes), Sur le motif (Guillaume Aubry, homage to Monet), Spinning Around (Sophia Taillet), Corallium (Charlotte Huard), La ville qui n'existait pas IV (Grégory Chatonsky)…
• Edition echoing the centenary of Claude Monet's passing and the exhibition « Monet in Le Havre » at MuMa (June 5 – September 27, 2026)
• Completely free — artistic trail with free access in the city
• Permanent collection of perennial works visible all year round

Practical Information

Access

By train: Le Havre station, served by direct trains from Paris Saint-Lazare (approx. 2h15). Several artworks are visible upon exiting the station.

By car: Le Havre is accessible via the A13 then A131 highway from Paris (approx. 2h30) or the A29 from Rouen (approx. 1h15).

Artistic Trail

A marked trail connects all the artworks throughout the city. A free guide map is available at the Tourist Office and on the website uneteauhavre.fr. The mobile application allows you to discover the artworks with enriched content.

Prices

Free. All artworks and installations are free and open access in the public space.

Dates

From late June to late September each year. The permanent collection is visible all year round.

Contact

GIP Un Été Au Havre
C/O Mairie du Havre
1517 place de l'Hôtel de Ville – CS 40051
76084 Le Havre Cedex
Tel: 02 35 41 41 90
Website: uneteauhavre.fr