“Positioning La Défense as a cultural destination that is not just a place to pass through or work.” This is the ambition set by Paris La Défense’s Managing Director Pierre-Yves Guice for this new edition of Les Extatiques, which begins on Friday, April 3, 2026.
After a one-year break, the iconic contemporary art event in the leading European business district is moving up a gear. For this eighth edition, it is returning in a revamped format. In the first six editions, the cultural event allowed visitors to discover sculptures, mostly monumental, scattered throughout the district.
This year, for its eighth season titled “D’autres mondes,” the festival will take place both above ground and underground, in locations normally inaccessible to visitors.
“Becoming a complete cultural season, this event is now part of the long term. It reflects our desire to firmly anchor creation at the heart of the territory, not as a one-off event, but as a defining feature of our urban and cultural project,” said Pierre-Yves Guice, who sees the new format as part of the strategy to move the district away from being solely about offices.
The season opens this Friday with the exhibition “Sous l’horizon,” running until April 26 in the Salle des Colonnes located under the Grande Arche de La Défense.
In this 1,000 m² space normally closed to the public, visitors who have pre-booked their visit (Monday to Sunday, 9 euros) will wander in darkness, with a flashlight and audio headset. The program includes a sensory journey created by artists Antoine Bertin, Ugo Schiavi, Jérémie Brugidou, and Shivay la Multiple.
Guided by a story written by Mariette Navarro and narrated by Emily Loizeau, they will be immersed in the discovery of sculptures and sound installations, diving into the depths of the underwater abyss.
In June, the festival will resurface with Collectif XY, whose twenty acrobatic artists will take over the district from June 8 to 12 with their creation “Les voyages.” They will surprise La Défense employees and passing visitors in various locations across the district, from the base of towers to the shopping center.
The artists will also perform the first French version of their revised show “Möbius” on June 9, with two shows at 12:30 pm and 6 pm, at the foot of the Grande Arche steps.
The season will end in the fall with the photographic exhibition “Brèches,” designed for the Bicentennial of photography, displayed on construction site walls, urban furniture, building facades, and advertising spaces.
Throughout the season, there will be highlights such as “Les sociétés secrètes,” allowing the public to discover iconic works in La Défense esplanade, like the Monstre de Moretti. Also on the agenda: a “Bar des sciences” with scientists and artists from the “Sous L’Horizon” exhibition, as well as tastings and concerts on the Jetée, the footbridge at the back of the Grande Arche.
This is an opportunity for Paris La Défense to highlight that the sixty monumental sculptures present throughout the year make the district “the largest open-air museum.” One of them, “L’Araignée Rouge,” will be restored in the second half of the year for the fiftieth anniversary of its installation and the death of its creator Alexander Calder in 1976.
“Sous l’horizon,” from April 3 to 26. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays from 10 am to 7:30 pm, and Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 am to 8 pm. Price: 9 euros. Information on parisladefense.com and reservations on archie.parisladefense.com. Not suitable for children under ten years old.
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