Culturez-vous

Art, travel and culture blog

| About

Paris, metro line 5, Porte de Pantin station. You have arrived at the Parc de La Villette: the largest park in Paris, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! But did you know that many shows are also waiting for you all year long?

Dance, magic, theatre, shows for young audiences, circus, exhibitions, festivals, cinema… The 2022-2023 programme is very varied! Here is an overview…

Article produced in partnership with La Villette

The different areas of Paris’ La Villette

With its 55 hectares, La Villette is a vast park. But it is also a cultural Mecca, with several halls such as the Grande Halle, which hosts major exhibitions and various shows; Little Villette, with a specific programme for young audiences; and the Espace Chapiteaux, dedicated to the circus.

See a show at Paris' La Villette

Did you know that? In the past, La Villette was a livestock fair…

Before being a green lung of Paris, La Villette was one of the largest ports in France! With its canal and the opening of a railway in 1852, La Villette was a centre of many industries. In 1865, Haussmann decided to concentrate the slaughterhouses and livestock markets there in order to avoid transporting the carcasses across the city. The Grande Halle housed the cattle and two other smaller halls for pigs and calves. The lion fountain served as a watering place for the animals.

What if you went to see a show at La Villette? 1

It was not until 1974 that the slaughterhouses closed and a project to rehabilitate the site began to take shape as an urban park. It wasn’t until 1983 that Bernard Tschumi was appointed project manager for the park. The following years would see the birth of the Zenith, the renovated Grande Halle, the Geode, the Cité des Sciences, the Cité de la Musique, etc.


How to book a show at La Villette?

In these different spaces, a hundred or so different events await you in the coming year. A programme that you can find in its entirety on the lavilette.com website.

If you are interested in a show, you can book it:

  • Online, on the lavillette.com website
  • By phone: Monday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm on 01 40 03 75 75
  • At the Folie information-billetterie, at the exit of the Porte de Pantin metro station, from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.30am to 7.30pm
  • At the box office on the evening of the show
La Villette

Some shows and events to discover during the 22/23 season

Pop Air, the inflated exhibition!

From now on, dive into the surprising universe of Pop Air, an exhibition that puts inflatable art in the spotlight. In the Grande Halle, you can interact with many colourful works. A fun experience for young and old alike!

From 14 April to 21 August 2022
During the week, full price: 18 € / reduced price: 14 € / – 12 years old: 14 14 € / – 12 years old: 10 €.
Weekends and public holidays, full price: 20 € / reduced price: 18 € / – 12 years: 10 €: 18 € / – 12 years old: 14 €.

What if you went to see a show at La Villette? 2
© Eness

Shazam 2.0.2.1. by Philippe Decouflé: dance for all

The famous choreographer Philippe Decouflé pays homage to cinema and fairytale in this show between parade and dance cabaret, designed for all audiences. This show will be performed with the original dancers of this 1998 creation. To be seen in the Grande Halle.

From 30 June to 10 July 2022
Full price 32 € / Subscribers, members 20 € / Subscribers for young people (under 26) 12 €.

What if you went to see a show at La Villette? 3
© Sigrid Colomyès

Passengers, by Les 7 doigts de la main, a circus to discover from the age of 7

This artistic collective from Quebec offers you a journey towards wonder with a show that mixes theatre, dance, acrobatics and projection. To be discovered in the Espace Chapiteaux.

From 9 November to 4 December 2022
Full Price 26 € / Subscribers 15 € / Subscribers young people (under 26) and children under 12 12 €.

What if you went to see a show at La Villette? 4
© Alexandre Galliez 

Trouble, the musical imagined by Gus Van Sant

The filmmaker Gus Van Sant (whose work includes the film Will Hunting) has created his first musical based on the figure of Andy Warhol. A show to be seen in the Grande Halle

From 15 to 18 December 2022
Full Price 26 € / Subscribers 15 € / Subscribers for young people (under 26 years old) 10

What if you went to see a show at La Villette? 5
Bruno Simao_ BoCA 2021

This summer, enjoy the Open Air Cinema on the theme of dance!

Like every year, the Parc de La Villette is transformed into an open-air cinema. From 20 July to 21 August, from Wednesday to Sunday at nightfall, you can enjoy a free outdoor screening. So take your picnic and come and have a good time watching The Artist, Pulp Fiction or Eyes Wide Shut.

What if you went to see a show at La Villette? 6
© agence du court métrage

C, D, E, F, G! the Ciné-concert to be seen from 2 years old

The pianist Grégoire Letouvet accompanies a selection of animated films for children with his melodies, halfway between jazz and classical music. These 35-minute cine-concerts are to be discovered from the age of 2.

4 and 11 September 2022 and 11 and 12 February 2023
Adult price: 14 € / children: 10 €.

What if you went to see a show at La Villette? 7

Find out more about the programme on the La Villette website!


Tip: become a subscriber!

Each show can be booked individually from one month before the first performance, but you can also opt for a subscription which, in addition to an advantageous rate, also allows you to book your seats from the launch of the season and thus to have priority.

By choosing 3 shows or more, you become a subscriber which allows you to benefit from a 30 to 40% discount on the shows but also to have priority access to the box office and the best seats. This offer is valid from the start of the season and throughout the year.


Numerous discounted rates

Many events are free of charge, or free with a reservation. For paying events, La Villette has adopted an accessible pricing policy, with full price tickets ranging from only €8 to €45.

In addition, reduced rates are available for people under 26, jobseekers, students, groups and people with disabilities.

So, which show(s) will you see this year?


Article produced in partnership with La Villette

Do you like Antoine Vitek's articles? Follow on social!
Vous avez aimé cet article ? Soutenez Culturez-vous

Comments to: What if you went to see a show at La Villette?

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Abonnez-vous à la newsletter

Abonnez-vous à la Newsletter

Chaque mois, recevez le meilleur de Culturez-vous dans votre boite mail !

Merci ! Consultez votre boite mail pour valider votre inscription.