Jean Vilar Centre

The venue houses the archives of Jean Vilar and the Avignon Festival, while ensuring the festival’s year-round presence in our region. Backed by a conservation and research center under the supervision of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, it is one of the few exhibition spaces dedicated to the performing arts, drawing on its heritage collections to share the memory of theater—and specifically that of Jean Vilar and popular theater. Exhibitions, readings, discussions, publications, and workshops are all ways to pass on and bring this shared memory to life today. PERMANENT EXHIBITION The Keys to the Festival The Avignon Festival’s Journey from Its Origins to the Present Day In 1947, Jean Vilar founded the Avignon Festival. Since then, every July, Avignon has become the world capital of the performing arts. The City of the Popes transforms into a vast theater and welcomes over 400,000 festivalgoers. With the exhibition The Keys to the Festival, set out year-round to discover this great collective adventure through an immersive journey into the archives of the Maison Jean Vilar and the collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Photographs, films, sound recordings, posters, programs, unpublished notes and correspondence, iconic sets, original drawings, models, and legendary costumes! This exhibition invites you into the heart of the productions that defined the Festival’s golden age: from Jean Vilar’s *The Prince of Homburg* to Peter Brook’s *Mahabharata*, from Thomas Jolly’s *Thyestes* to Caroline Guiela Nguyen’s *Saigon*, as well as the works of Thomas Ostermeier, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Rébecca Chaillon, and Angélica Liddell. From its origins to the present day, including the creation of the OFF in 1966, explore this unique festival and go behind the scenes to see how it’s made. By entrusting “the keys to the Festival” to a wide audience, this exhibition aims to carry forward Jean Vilar’s founding vision: for everyone. ALTERNATIVE ITINERARY THE FESTIVAL AS SEEN BY… JULIEN GOSSELIN In July 2026, the Maison Jean Vilar will inaugurate a new exhibition route! Launched at the Festival’s opening, this Alternative Route—The Festival as Seen by…—serves as a complementary, distinct, and recognizable journey that will enrich the exhibition with a unique artistic vision. It will offer its creator a space for freedom and expression, where they can not only share the creative process behind their programming for the Festival, but also convey their experience as a spectator and artist, as well as their intimate connection to this iconic event. In 2026, Julien Gosselin, director of the Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe, will have the honor of inaugurating this first edition. Invited to create for the first time in the Cour d’honneur, Julien Gosselin will share behind-the-scenes insights into his production, Maldoror, for the 2026 Avignon Festival, while discussing the various works he has presented there: Les Particules élémentaires (2013), 2666 (2016), Joueurs, Mao II, Les Noms (2018), and Extinction (2023) Full price: €7 / Reduced price: €4. Guided tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:15 PM > reservations recommended Prices: €8 / €5 > PARENT/CHILD WORKSHOPS BASED ON THE EXHIBITION Choose a workshop: “Design Your Banner” / “Design Your Costume” After visiting the permanent exhibition “The Keys to the Festival: The Adventure of the Avignon Festival from Its Origins to the Present,” parents and children are invited to discover an essential part of the Avignon Festival’s history: the banner and costume designs. → Every Wednesday and Saturday at 3:30 PM (except on event days). → For accompanied children ages 6 to 10. → Single rate: €10 (1 parent + 1 child) + €5 per additional child and €5 per additional adult. Reservations required: accueil@maisonjeanvilar.org Note: Tours and workshops are available for groups of 4 to 20 people. THE EXHIBITION WILL BE CLOSED FROM JUNE 8 THROUGH JULY 3 INCLUSIVE. Accessibility: Access ramp.