For the Night of Museums, the Museum of the History of Immigration invites us to a special late-night event on Saturday, May 23, 2026. This museum, housed in the century-old Palais de la Porte Dorée, contains more than 300 archival documents, photographs, artworks and literary works that shed light on exile and integration in France, through work and sport...
A true Art Deco ensemble, the building is listed as a historic monument, designed by such great names in architecture and art as Albert Laprade, Pierre-Henri Ducos de la Haille, Alfred Janniot, Jean Prouvé and Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann. Built for the 1931 International Colonial Exhibition, the Palais has also housed theTropical Aquarium since its inception.
Night of Museums kicks off with a promise of late-night marvels.
Stay tuned for the lineup of immersive exhibits and exclusive tours.
The Nuit des Musées offers the perfect opportunity to explore our heritage through a rich lineup of after-hours events and activities at cultural venues, and the Musée de l'Histoire de l'Immigration is on board, unveiling its program for this 22nd edition. So what can we expect at the Palais de la Porte Dorée this Saturday, May 23, 2026? We’re laying out the evening’s detailed itinerary below!
European Night of Museums 2026 — PAMOJA, the Ball
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### Wanjiru Kamuyu - Cie WKcollective
Saturday, May 23, 2026 from 8:00 PM
From 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM: The museum’s permanent collection is free and accessible from 7:30 PM to 10 PM. Booking for the 8–10 PM ball does not grant express access to the museum.
Forum
Free, ticketed
For the European Night of Museums, choreographer and performer Wanjiru Kamuyu offers an irresistible, festive invitation: dance to come together!
Like a transgenerational choreographic utopia, PAMOJA, the Ball (together in Kiswahili) draws from the heritage of traditional dances while weaving in the gestures and rhythms of today’s celebrations, lighting up clubs, streets and stages worldwide. Movements inspired by the Dabkeh (Middle East) and the Singenge (Tanzania) mingle with Detroit Hustle (USA) and Breton dance (France).
Designed as an immersive, participatory and joyful experience, this grand ball serves as a true bridge between spaces and bodies, rhythms and sounds from all backgrounds, mixed by DJ Rokia Bamba. Through her music, she builds a sonic map of the contemporary world where cultures respond to one another. Come share this moment with Wanjiru Kamuyu, her team and collaborators. Here, dance isn’t a diversion—it opens a path.
Alongside the ball, the permanent exhibition at the Museum of Immigration History will welcome visitors until 10 PM.
### Cast
An adaptation of the original project SHANGWE, the Ball (joy in Kiswahili)
Choreography: Wanjiru Kamuyu, in collaboration with Halima Masoud Abdallah, Layla D, DJ Rokia Bamba
Performers: Wanjiru Kamuyu, Elodie Paul, David Gaulein-Stef and Layla D
Stage management: David Gaulein-Stef
Music: DJ Rokia Bamba
Sound: Solène Le Thiec
Lighting: Carol Oliveira, in collaboration with Cyril Mulon
Production: camin aktion and Wanjiru Kamuyu
Co-production: CCNN – Centre Chorégraphique National de Nantes, directed by Ambra Senatore
Studio loan: with support from La Ménagerie de Verre within the StudioLab program
### Wanjiru Kamuyu
Winner of the 2026 New York City Bessies Awards for “Outstanding Choreography,” Wanjiru Kamuyu began her career in New York working with choreographers Jawole Zollar and Molissa Fenley.
In Paris, she collaborates with leading artists such as Robyn Orlin, Bintou Dembele, Bartabas, Jean-Paul Goude, and Bill T. Jones in London. She also creates theatre choreography for directors including Jean-François Auguste, Hassan Kassi Kouyate and Jérôme Savary.
In 2009 she founded her company WKcollective, with works staged in France, across Europe, the United States, Asia and several African countries (Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Burundi, South Africa, Rwanda, etc.).
In 2023 she was an artist-in-residence at Villa Albertine (USA), then a resident artist at the Centre Chorégraphique National de Nantes and Live Feed Program Artist for New York Live Arts’ 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons. Several of her pieces have been shown at the Palais de la Porte Dorée, where she has also presented new projects (Envers du Décor).
https://www.palais-portedoree.fr/programmation/danse/nuit-europeenne-des-musees-2026-pamoja-le-bal
European Night of Museums 2026
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Free visit of the permanent collections of the Museum of the History of Immigration
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Saturday, May 23, 2026, starting at 7:00 p.m.
The museum’s permanent collection is free and open to visitors from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
On Europe’s Night of Museums, the museum’s permanent exhibition will be exceptionally open in the evening!
The permanent exhibition at the National Museum of the History of Immigration traces, from 1685 to today, a history of France told through migration. Completely redesigned in 2023, it offers a chronological, thematic, and emotionally engaging narrative of this shared history. Framed by eleven pivotal dates, it culminates in a space dedicated to contemporary issues.
The permanent exhibition spans 1,800 square meters and three centuries of immigration history in France. From archival documents to paintings, sculptures, photographs, contemporary creations, and personal itineraries: nearly 600 works and objects—drawn from the museum’s own collections and loans from several cultural institutions—tell a different story of France, one deeply linked to movement and exchange of people from 1685 to today.
Deeply rooted in current events and contemporary concerns, the permanent exhibition aims to place the history of immigration at the heart of national history, to contribute to recognizing this history, and to stimulate reflection.
To tell this shared story, the route centers on 11 major dates—the backbone of the immigration history of the last three centuries—that resonate with key moments in French history.
https://www.histoire-immigration.fr/programmation/expositions/l-exposition-permanente
Le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Dates and Opening Time
On May 23, 2026
Location
Museum of Immigration History
293 Avenue Daumesnil
75012 Paris 12
Prices
Free
Official website
www.histoire-immigration.fr
