The cultural centre Rotondes in Bonnevoie presented its 2026/27 season on Tuesday morning, while also offering a first look inside the newly renovated Rotonde 1 building.
The press conference took the form of an escape-room-style experience. Participants toured Rotonde 1 and answered questions on their phones about the building and its programme at various points along the route, allowing the venue's main announcements to be presented interactively.
The tour began in the gallery, an area that already existed before the renovation and which has now been significantly improved.
Rotonde 1 officially reopened to the public one month ago and has already hosted a hip-hop marathon in its main hall. This part of the building has undergone the most visible changes, and its capacity has increased by 3,000.
The Rotondes site can now accommodate a total of 11,600 people.
One of the main additions is an approximately 800-square-metre curtain designed to completely darken the gallery. It covers both the windows and the wall separating the gallery from the main hall.
The old windows have also been fitted with double glazing, greatly reducing noise from nearby buses and trains, which had previously caused considerable disruption. The curtain is also expected to improve the gallery's acoustics.
These upgrades will give the Rotondes greater creative flexibility and open up new possibilities for events such as art exhibitions.
The tour then continued behind the gallery into an area that is normally closed to the public but plays an essential role in the venue's operations. Artists can now make use of new dressing rooms, while the technical team has been given dedicated work spaces.
A large new storage area is also intended to improve safety and organisation. Before the renovation, equipment was simply stored behind a curtain. Now it can be kept in a properly organised and secured space.
Several technical adjustments still need to be completed in the main hall before the end of the year, after which this phase of the project will be considered finished.
The work on Rotonde 1 is only the first stage in a broader programme of renovations planned for the coming years. Rotonde 2 is also currently being refurbished and is expected to receive an entirely new look.
Once completed, it will be able to host events across two floors, although further details have not yet been made public.
Alongside the preview of Rotonde 1, the venue also presented its programme for the 2026/27 season.
Around 120 events are scheduled from the autumn onwards, including several established projects. The Triennale Jeune Création, titled Common Ground, will return from 26 June, while a new edition of the performance Fabula Rasa is planned for January.
The XPO E exhibition for secondary-school pupils enrolled in the arts section will also return, as will the traditional record fair.
The coming season will also introduce several new projects. One of the highlights is Hoppla, a programme aimed at children aged between six months and five years. The initiative is intended to give greater visibility to events for very young audiences.
The Rotondes also plans to place greater emphasis on circus performances in future programmes.
Another important fixture in the venue's annual calendar is Congés annulés. From 24 July, visitors will be able to spend 28 days enjoying food, drinks, and music outdoors with friends and family in a relaxed summer atmosphere.
A series of concerts will also take place, beginning with performances by GANS, Chris Imler, and Sheebaba.
Rotondes director Steph Meyers stressed that the venue had remained open throughout the renovation work and would continue to do so during the next stages. The programme has not had to be reduced and will continue in much the same form as before.
Further information about the Rotondes' 2026/27 season is available here.
