ROMAINVILLE: Culture – The Fiminco Foundation inaugurates the largest European district of contemporary creation

The Fiminco Foundation is inaugurating FAST, its new cultural district in Romainville, with a free festival from June 18 to 27, 2026.

Contemporary European creation is preparing to experience a major turning point. In Romainville, on the outskirts of Paris, the Fiminco Foundation is inaugurating FAST (Fiminco Art Studios), a project of unprecedented scale presented as the largest cultural district dedicated to creation in Europe. Located on a former industrial wasteland, this new artistic hub will be celebrated with a grand opening festival, FASTIVAL, which will be held from June 18 to 27, 2026. Completely free and open to all, the event promises a festive and multidisciplinary immersion in the heart of this new art territory.

A free and spectacular opening festival

To mark the opening of this exceptional site, the FASTIVAL program promises to be dense and eclectic. The inauguration evening, Thursday June 18, will set the tone with a choreographic impromptu by Blanca Li, followed by the Cabaret du Châtelet orchestrated by Olivier Py, mixing the performance of Miss Knife with that of artists from the drag scene. The evening will continue with DJ sets, dance battles, the virtual reality show «The Ball of Paris » by Blanca Li, before a large participatory ball and fireworks.

For ten days, the public will be able to explore the neighborhood through concerts (including a « Rave-L Party » by the collective Les Apaches!), exhibitions dedicated to the weaver Simone Prouvé or Korean digital art, open-air cinema, as well as screen printing, engraving and textile workshops. Activities for families, such as baby yoga sessions or storytelling tours, are also planned to make this place a living and sharing space.

FAST: a unique ecosystem for creation

The FAST cultural district is the culmination of an urban, heritage and societal transformation project carried out over nearly ten years. The site, a former flagship of the pharmaceutical industry (Roussel-Uclaf laboratories), covers 120,000 m², of which 50,000 m² are now entirely dedicated to culture. The ambition, driven by Gérald Azancot, president of the Fiminco Foundation, is to create a complete ecosystem serving artists.

“The abundance of creations and the mix of disciplines make up the DNA of our projectâ€, underlines Gérald Azancot.

This vision is reflected in the provision of cutting-edge infrastructure: an international artists’ residence, production workshops (digital, textile, ceramics, engraving), a modular performance hall with 600 seats (1,100 standing), rehearsal studios and exhibition spaces, including the impressive 1,300 m² Boiler Room.

A concentration of major cultural actors

FAST doesn’t just offer walls; it brings together a dense and varied artistic community. The district is already home to six contemporary art galleries, the Frac ÃŽle-de-France reserves, a branch of the Parsons Paris school of art and design, and will soon host the Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique (CNSAD).

Internationally renowned companies, such as those of choreographer Blanca Li and dancer Mourad Merzouki (Compagnie Käfig), have taken up residence there. Prestigious partners such as the Théâtre du Châtelet or the Philharmonie de Paris also use the rehearsal rooms, creating permanent synergy between the different disciplines of the performing and visual arts.

A project in the heart of Greater Paris

Located within the pole “L’Ourcq – Greater cultural and creative Paris”the FAST district is fully part of the new dynamics of the metropolis. The project aims both to support artistic creation at the highest level and to guarantee access to culture for all, primarily for the 34,000 inhabitants of Romainville and more broadly for residents of Greater Paris. By rehabilitating an industrial heritage destined for demolition, the Fiminco Foundation sustainably anchors contemporary creation in a rapidly changing territory.

All information and the detailed program are available on the official website of the foundation : www.fondationfiminco.com.

via Presse Agence (edited from a press release transmitted to the editor).