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Festival des Essentiels 2026
The Festival des Essentiels is a cultural event open to everyone, family-friendly, intergenerational, inclusive, multicultural, itinerant, and entirely free.
It takes place from August 1st to August 9th, 2025, in Montreuil and Gennevilliers as well as at the gates of Paris, and is aimed at a wide and diverse audience. On this occasion, a demanding yet accessible artistic program is offered in the heart of the neighborhoods, with the ambition of fostering encounters between audiences and artworks.
Artists from all over France, carefully selected for the quality of their work and the richness of their universes, come to meet the inhabitants to bring a unique, festive, and inclusive cultural experience to life.
We will kick off this festival on Saturday, August 1st at the Place du 14 juillet (Cité de l’Espoir) in Montreuil:
From 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, enjoy our numerous booths and ongoing activities: a graphic design workshop with SUn.C to collectively create the large banner for the Festival des Essentiels, the games and open-air library from La Rue Râle , as well as an environmental awareness booth run by a neighborhood association.
At 3:30 PM, Compagnie Retouramont takes over the city walls with "Environnement Vertical," a magnificent performance where the grace of two dancers transforms architecture into a performance space.
At 4:00 PM, discover "L’étoffe de nos rêves" by the AFAG company, a musical tale full of action, guitars, flutes, and trumpets aimed at children to inspire them to invent their own stories.
From 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM, Compagnie Retouramont returns for "Hisse émoi," a unique experience where young and old discover their city from above, hoisted by their own neighbors and friends.
At 5:00 PM, make way for dance with the Hip hop show by the Jeanne Chassin company , followed at 5:30 PM by a workshop to introduce yourself to Hip Hop dance.
And to close this beautiful first day, at 6:00 PM, the Algerian-Quebecois group Labess will take the stage to make you vibrate to the rhythm of rumba, flamenco, and Chaâbi music, offering a unique musical path beyond borders.
The program for Sunday, August 2nd at the Jardin de la Gare de Charonne (Porte de Montreuil) in the 20th arrondissement, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM:
At 4:00 PM, "La Bad'J parade" will launch the festivities with a wandering musical show specially designed for children.
At 4:30 PM, François Godard and L'Inquiétant Suspendu offer you "Rosa 1973," a highlight that musically tells the story of the creation of Emmaüs communities in the face of the rising social crisis.
And to end the afternoon dancing, at 5:30 PM, Solorkestar will come to warm up the atmosphere with music from the Balkans.
For Tuesday, August 4th in the 12th arrondissement, at the Avenue Lamoricière (Porte de Vincennes) from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM:
We will have the pleasure of finding the show "L’étoffe de Nos rêves" by the AFAG Company , as well as the play "La Tosca" performed by the company Lune dans les Yeux.
Then, for Wednesday, August 5th at the Jardin Binet (Porte de Montmartre) in the 18th arrondissement, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM:
From 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, find the workshop from La Rue Râle with its games and books for children.
At 3:00 PM, the AFAG company will present "L'Etoffe de nos rêves," a poetic and interactive reflection on how to make stories more just (for ages 5 and up).
At 4:00 PM, make way for movement with the Compagnie Sanke, which will offer a show blending dance and acrobatics by artists from Latin America and West Africa.
At 5:00 PM, the Compagnie La Lune dans les Yeux will present its superb theatrical adaptation of "La Tosca," Puccini's famous opera.
And at 6:30 PM, to conclude in style, the group Trab Teräpy (driven by the hybrid music of Said from Sidi Watcho) will come to joyfully mix raï, electro, and rap.
On Thursday, August 6th, the festival will stop at Gennevilliers Plateau Chateaubriand and Esplanade Saad Abssi :
From 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the public space will come alive with our ongoing workshops. Children and families will be able to enjoy wooden outdoor games and a small outdoor library, while participating in environmental awareness activities.
This will also be a unique opportunity to participate in a circus workshop to discover and get initiated into acrobatic practices alongside the artists from the Compagnie Sanke.
At 3:30 PM, the AFAG Company will open the festivities with "L’étoffe de nos rêves," a rhythmic interactive tale, full of action and music, specially designed for children aged 7 and up to give them all the keys to invent their own stories.
At 4:30 PM, make way for the clownish and family-friendly wandering of La Bad'J with their show "La Paix!" A joyful and moving parade that takes over the street to make the whole neighborhood laugh and perhaps even think.
At 5:00 PM, prepare for a spectacular journey with the Compagnie Sanke. Their vibrant and warm performance blends dance with high-flying acrobatics, carried by the fantastic energy of artists from Latin America and West Africa to bring all generations together.
And to finish this day in style, at 6:00 PM, Träb Terapy will take the stage. Saïd (Sidi Wacho) will take the microphones with a supercharged and festive mix blending raï, electro, and rap, ideal for bringing good vibes and making the whole neighborhood vibrate!
On Saturday, August 8th, we will be back in the 20th arrondissement at Square Séverine (Porte de Bagnolet) from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM:
From 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, enjoy an open-air library and toy library space.
At 4:00 PM, make way for the clownish and family-friendly wandering of La Bad'J with their show "La Paix!" A joyful and moving parade that takes over the street to make the whole neighborhood laugh and perhaps even think.
At 5:00 PM, settle in for the piano recital by Soraya Verdier who will make the square vibrate with her program "Soraya fait son cinéma".
At 5:30 PM, the Compagnie Sanke will offer their show blending dance and African and South American acrobatics.
At 6:00 PM, the festival will close on-site with Puccini's opera "La Tosca," beautifully adapted by the Compagnie La Lune dans les Yeux.
And we will close this festival on Sunday, August 9th in the 12th arrondissement, at the Place Henri Fresnay (Métro Gare de Lyon) from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM:
At 4:00 PM, come and listen to a grand piano recital featuring the most beautiful film music "Soraya fait son cinéma" by Soraya Verdier.
At 5:00 PM, for the grand finale, the Compagnie La Lune dans les Yeux will perform one last time their theatrical and lyrical adaptation of "La Tosca".
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