Villes des Musiques du Monde
Traveling world music festival in Seine-Saint-Denis and Île-de-France
2026
About Villes des Musiques du Monde
Villes des Musiques du Monde was founded in 1997 in Aubervilliers as Auber'ville des Musiques du Monde, as part of a grassroots educational initiative. La Courneuve and Épinay-sur-Seine joined the project in 2000, leading to its current name, and it was officially established as an association in 2003. Every autumn, for one month, the festival hosts concerts, workshops, and gatherings across a network of over twenty partner towns in Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, and the wider Île-de-France region.
Villes des Musiques du Monde — edition 2026
Villes des Musiques du Monde celebrates its 30th anniversary from October 9th to November 7th, 2026, under the banner "The world is (already) here." Eighteen events are scheduled across fourteen towns: Aubervilliers, Bobigny, Bondy, Clichy-sous-Bois, Gennevilliers, La Courneuve, Montreuil, Paris, Ris-Orangis, Saint-Denis, Sevran, Trappes, Tremblay-en-France, and Villetaneuse. The lineup includes Orchestra Baobab, Eliades Ochoa, Imarhan, Zoufris Maracas, Sami Galbi, Ashs The Best, Titi Robin, and El Mawsili. The remainder of the program has yet to be announced.
2026 Edition: The 30th Anniversary
The festival kicks off its anniversary edition on Friday, October 9th, 2026, at Le Point Fort in Aubervilliers with a "Banquet Kréol," which also marks the 10th anniversary of the Mois Kréyol Festival. The final event announced so far is a "Bal Kréyol" at the Villetaneuse town hall on Saturday, November 7th.
The theme, "The world is (already) here," reflects what the festival has championed for three decades: world music performed in Seine-Saint-Denis is not music from "elsewhere," but the music of the local residents themselves.
A festival spread across multiple towns
Villes des Musiques du Monde does not take place in a single venue. The 2026 concerts are distributed across fourteen towns and five departments: Aubervilliers, Bobigny, Bondy, Clichy-sous-Bois, La Courneuve, Montreuil, Saint-Denis, Sevran, Tremblay-en-France, and Villetaneuse in Seine-Saint-Denis; Paris; Gennevilliers in Hauts-de-Seine; Ris-Orangis in Essonne; and Trappes in Yvelines. Each evening has its own venue, time, and ticket price: please check the specific venue before heading out.
Program announcements in waves
Eighteen events were published in mid-August 2026, with one available exclusively via the ticketing platform. The festival has indicated that more will follow. In 2025, the second wave of announcements was spread between August 27th and September 17th, based on their own publication records.
Highlights Villes des Musiques du Monde 2026
- Banquet Kréol, 30th anniversary opening night, October 9th at Le Point Fort in Aubervilliers, featuring Akiyo, Roger Raspail, and Sun Goes Down
- Eliades Ochoa, from the Buena Vista Social Club, October 14th in Sevran
- Orchestra Baobab, October 16th at La Merise in Trappes
- Imarhan, October 16th at Houdremont, La Courneuve
- El Mawsili at the Théâtre du Châtelet, October 24th
- Cabaraï and dancer Esraa Warda, October 31st, closing the Raï Season
Programme Villes des Musiques du Monde 2026
Friday, October 9, 2026 · Aubervilliers, Le Point Fort
- 7:00 PM — Banquet Kréol, opening night. Concerts, parade, food court, and open-air festivities celebrating the festival's 30th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the Mois Kréyol Festival. In partnership with the Mois Kréyol Festival and the Swiss Cultural Center.
- Under the Halle: Creole banquet and community food court, entertainment by the Les Poussières and Fer à Coudre collectives, and the opening of two exhibitions.
- Exhibition "Fêtes et forts (1984-85)": photos by Willy Vainqueur on the beginnings of hip-hop and the first dance battles at the Fort d'Aubervilliers.
- Exhibition "Mémoires des Musiques du Monde," from the Zone Franche network.
- Under the big top: tribute to Claude Kiavué (aka Jimmy), founder of "Fêtes et Forts" in 1984, followed by Roger Raspail & le Karaïb Kollectif Ensemb.
- Concert by Akiyo, led by François Ladrezeau and guests, with a "koud tambou" finale. A creation co-produced by the Difé Kako company.
- Open air: Sun Goes Down, featuring Horde, until midnight.
Saturday, October 10, 2026 · Ris-Orangis (91), Le Plan
- 8:00 PM — Akiyo · Guadeloupean mas. Three members of the group from Guadeloupe share the stage with musicians from the Île-de-France region for a unique creation centered on gwoka and carnival. In partnership with the Mois Kréyol. Full price €24, reduced €21, members €18.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
- 5:30 PM — Les Frères Makouaya + Paul Wacrenier, "Kimoko" · Central African music and jazz · La Coupole, Université Paris 8, Saint-Denis. A musical discussion around the sânsi, ngômfi, and lungôyi, with the audience seated around the musicians. Free admission.
- 7:30 PM — Eliades Ochoa · Latin American folk · Salle des fêtes, Sevran. Cuban guitarist and singer born in Santiago de Cuba in 1946, one of the last representatives of the Buena Vista Social Club.
Friday, October 16, 2026
- 6:30 PM — WaïV + open mic · afropop and rap · Espace Marcel Chauzy, Bondy. Doors open at 6:30 PM, open mic at 7:00 PM, concert at 8:00 PM.
- 7:00 PM — Imarhan + Chorale Timlilit (opening act) · Tuareg assouf blues · Centre culturel Jean-Houdremont, La Courneuve.
- 7:00 PM — Orchestra Baobab + Ashs The Best · Afro-Latin rhythms · La Merise, Trappes (78). Prices €18 to €28, and €10 to €18 for Trappes residents.
- 7:00 PM — Zoufris Maracas + Núria Rovira Salat · chanson à textes · L'Odéon, Tremblay-en-France. Doors open at 7:00 PM, concerts at 8:30 PM.
Saturday, October 17, 2026 · Gennevilliers (92), Le Tamanoir
- 8:30 PM — Trab Teräpy + Raï Roots · raï. Doors open at 8:30 PM, concerts at 9:00 PM, Raï Roots followed by Trab Teräpy. Presale: full €15, reduced €12. At the door: full €18, reduced €15. Cloakroom €2.
Friday, October 23, 2026 · Aubervilliers, Théâtre de La Commune
- 7:30 PM — Titi Robin X Parveen & Ilyas Khan · Gypsy rumba and Rajasthani songs. Featuring Titi Robin (bouzouq, guitar, oud), Roberto Saadna (guitar, vocals), Francis Varis (accordion), Maria Robin (vocals, dance), Parveen Khan (vocals), and Ilyas Khan (tabla, beatbox). Presale €10 / €13 / €18, at the door €12 / €15 / €20.
Saturday, October 24, 2026
- 7:30 PM — El Mawsili + Chakâm duo · Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris. The El Mawsili Ensemble, a school founded in Saint-Denis in 1991 and directed by Farid Bensarsa, performs one of the 24 noubas of Arab-Andalusian music. Chakâm brings together the târ of Sogol Mirzaei and the viola da gamba of Marie-Suzanne de Loye. 2026 Mediterranean Season. Tickets are not yet on sale: the website is taking registrations to notify when they become available.
- 7:30 PM — Ashs The Best + Jo Keita · hip-hop · Le Point Fort, Aubervilliers. Presale: full €28, reduced €25, super-reduced €15 (limited capacity).
Friday, October 30, 2026 · Bobigny, Canal 93
- 8:00 PM — Sami Galbi + Aziz Konkrite · chaâbi and electro. Doors open at 7:30 PM. 2026 Mediterranean Season. Presale: adult €13, child €7.
Saturday, October 31, 2026 · Aubervilliers, Le Point Fort
- 7:30 PM — Cabaraï + 93 Super Raï Band · queer cabaret, closing the Raï Season. Program: hosting-performance by Lalla Aïcha, DJ sets, a show by dancer Esraa Warda and her musicians (from New York), and surprise guests. The 93 Super Raï Band, created in 2008 by Villes des Musiques du Monde, opens the evening. Organized with Canal 93. Presale €10 to €16.
Friday, November 6, 2026
- 7:00 PM — Aïta Mon Amour + Zohud · electro-blues · Théâtre Berthelot - Jean Guerrin, Montreuil.
- 7:00 PM — Eténèsh Wassié · blues and African-American jazz · Ateliers Médicis, Clichy-sous-Bois. The quartet presents the album "Arada."
- 8:00 PM — Constantinople, Kiya Tabassian & A Filetta · Persian and Corsican music · Collège des Bernardins, Paris 5th. Release of the album "Clair-obscur." A Filetta: Jean-Claude Acquaviva, François Aragni, Jean-Do Bianco, Petr'Antò Casta, Paul Giansily, Maxime Vuillamier. Constantinople: Kiya Tabassian (setar, vocals, director), Didem Basar (kanun), Patrick Graham (percussion), Tanya Laperrière (baroque violin and viola d'amore). Co-produced with Constantinople and the Collège des Bernardins.
Saturday, November 7, 2026 · Villetaneuse, Town Hall
- 7:15 PM — Bal Kréyol with Mala'ka, Difé Kako, EkoD'Zil, and Arts Créoles · Town Hall Square. This event is listed on the festival's official ticketing site, though not yet on the program page.
The program is released in waves: the festival notes on its program page that further events will be unveiled later. Other dates, and perhaps other towns, will be added to this list.
Prices Villes des Musiques du Monde 2026
Practical information — Villes des Musiques du Monde
Practical Information
A festival spread across multiple towns
Each concert has its own venue, time, and ticket price. In 2026, events will be held in Aubervilliers, Bobigny, Bondy, Clichy-sous-Bois, Gennevilliers (92), La Courneuve, Montreuil, Paris, Ris-Orangis (91), Saint-Denis, Sevran, Trappes (78), Tremblay-en-France, and Villetaneuse. Please check the specific venue for the evening you are interested in before heading out.
Ticketing
Tickets can be purchased online via the festival's Billetweb page or at the box offices of partner venues. Reservations are only confirmed upon payment. The "Pass sans visa" 3-concert pass offers a discounted rate for three full-price tickets to three different events.
Festival Office
Association Villes des Musiques du Monde, 174 avenue Jean Jaurès, 93300 Aubervilliers. Open Monday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Phone: 01 48 36 34 02
Reservations: [email protected]
Metro line 7, Fort d'Aubervilliers station.
Thirty years of world music in Seine-Saint-Denis
The festival began in 1997 in Aubervilliers under the name Auber'ville des Musiques du Monde, supported by the community education organization OMJA. La Courneuve and Épinay-sur-Seine joined in 2000, prompting the name change to Villes des Musiques du Monde. The association managing the event was formed in 2003. Today, it coordinates a network of over twenty partner towns across Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, and the rest of Île-de-France, with backing from the Île-de-France Region and the Seine-Saint-Denis Departmental Council.
A festival that changes venues every night
There is no single festival site. For one month, concerts are held in concert halls, cultural centers, theaters, and universities across partner towns, with one location per evening. The 2026 edition includes stops in Aubervilliers, Bobigny, Bondy, Clichy-sous-Bois, La Courneuve, Montreuil, Saint-Denis, Sevran, Tremblay-en-France, and Villetaneuse, as well as Paris, Gennevilliers, Ris-Orangis, and Trappes. The association's headquarters are located in Aubervilliers.
A program blending tradition and urban scenes
The festival bridges traditional repertoires and contemporary urban expressions, featuring both established and emerging artists, as well as amateurs and professionals. It has developed the concept of "Musiques d'ICI" (Music from HERE): music originating from elsewhere, performed here by artists from diaspora communities. Femi Kuti, Clinton Fearon, Naïssam Jalal, and Davide Ambrogio were featured in the 2025 edition, titled "Résiste!". Each edition has a theme: "En transe" in 2024, "Accordéon voyageur" in 2023, and "Le monde est (déjà) ici" for the 30th anniversary in 2026.
Le Point Fort d'Aubervilliers
Inaugurated in 2021 and managed by the association, Le Point Fort d'Aubervilliers is a venue dedicated to World Music and Dance. It hosts year-round artist residencies and several festival evenings, including the opening night.
Other activities of the association
Villes des Musiques du Monde also runs Babel Mômes, a music festival for children and families launched in 2021 in Seine-Saint-Denis and Paris, featuring shows, concerts, musical storytelling, film-concerts, and workshops. The "École des Musiques du Monde" encompasses its arts education programs: "La Cité des Marmots" for children, and the "Fabriques Orchestrales" for both youth and adults. Finally, the association presents the "Prix des Musiques d'ICI"; the 10th edition received 260 applications between March 19 and April 19, 2026.
Where does it take place — Villes des Musiques du Monde
Villes des Musiques du Monde in brief
History of Villes des Musiques du Monde
Edition 2025 Oct 2025Other festivals near Aubervilliers
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