For this new edition of the Nuit Blanche in Paris, we head to the 1st arrondissement: the Conciergerie is taking part in the event and presents a festive performance you can enjoy with a partner or friends this Saturday, June 6, 2026. An event not to be missed, no doubt about it!
This unique evening is also an opportunity to discover this place steeped in history: the oldest vestige of the Palais de la Cité, medieval residence of the kings of France and prison during the French Revolution, the Conciergerie has evolved over the centuries while retaining its primary function: order, policing and registration of prisoners.
Indeed, this is the origin of its name: the "Concierge" was, as early as the reign of Philip II Augustus in the early 1200s, a senior figure in the kingdom, appointed by the king to ensure order and exercise the functions of low and medium justice. During the French Revolution, the building was used as a prison, where its most famous inmate, Marie-Antoinette, spent her last hours before being guillotined.
So, ready for an evening at the heart of art and history? Here’s what awaits you at the Conciergerie this Saturday, June 6, 2026.
Performance, Music, Reading, Writing
The Literary Ball is a collective writing project created by writer Fabrice Melquiot. On the eve of the literary ball, four writers will meet in the secret corners of the Conciergerie. Drawing inspiration from these spaces, they will assemble a playlist of eight songs—the hit records etched into collective memory, spanning from the 1950s to today. Starting from the titles that populate the playlist, the four writers will conceive an eight-episode serialized story, crafted on the spot, in situ. Each writer will claim authorship of two of the eight episodes. On the day of the literary ball, the writers will dive into composing the feuilleton, guided by three constraints:
Each episode will open with a free echo to the preceding song on the playlist.
Each writer must assign their collaborators as readers within the episodes they write.
Each episode will close with the title of the next song on the playlist.
The writing of the literary ball will wrap up shortly before the public rendezvous. The Conciergerie will be transformed into a one-night ballroom, and the four writers will become readers of the texts still smoldering, written on the walls of this legendary venue at the heart of Paris.
It’s a ball flooded with literature; literature engulfed by celebration. Since its inception nearly twenty years ago, the Literary Balls have drawn hundreds of writers from more than ten countries. Nearly 550 literary balls have taken place around the world.
Concept: Fabrice Melquiot with: Emmanuelle Destremau aka Ruppert Pupkin / Mona El Yafi / Marcos Carames Blanco / Yacine Sif El Islam
Duration of the show: 8 PM start – about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Doors open at 7:15 PM
Le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Nuit Blanche 2026: Free events in Paris and Île-de-France on Saturday, June 6
Nuit Blanche 2026 is approaching: this Saturday, June 6, Paris and the Île-de-France region come alive with concerts, installations, performances, late-night museums, artistic routes and free events. Discover our outing ideas to plan your evening. [Read more]
Enjoy your visit and happy Nuit Blanche, folks!
Dates and Opening Time
On June 6, 2026
Location
Conciergerie
2 Boulevard du Palais
75001 Paris 1
Access
Metro line 1 "Chatelet" station, line 4 "Cité" station
Prices
Free
Official website
www.paris-conciergerie.fr
Nuit Blanche 2026: Free events in Paris and Île-de-France on Saturday, June 6
