Becoming a Festival: performances, debates and workshops at the City of Economics

From April 9–12, 2026, the Devenir Festival takes over the Cité de l’Économie in Paris’s 17th arrondissement with performances, workshops, debates and tours to imagine the world of tomorrow. Each morning, the festival for little ones offers concerts and tours centered on the economy for ages 3 and up.

Free entry to the museum and most activities, but please book in advance!

Our Top Picks

The Devenir Festival offers more than 25 events to help you navigate and choose, and here are our five top picks:

• Alf et Orel : a illustrated, poetic concert where electro-acoustic music and drawings celebrate life, for ages 3 and up.
• Le Greenwashing Comedy Club : a gathering that blends humor and stand-up to tackle ecology and contemporary contradictions, for ages 15 and up.
• Degré zéro : the workshop that turns ecology into a pleasure, for ages 12 and up.
• Penser le monde à venir : a long interview that explores how to balance carbon neutrality, social justice and economic imperatives, illuminating the challenges and opportunities of ecological transformation, for ages 12 and up.
• Entreprendre autrement pour demain : a roundtable to explore emerging models and paths for building more responsible and resilient organizations, for ages 12 and up.

The Devenir Festival isn’t just a string of standalone events. It also invites you to explore the Museum of the Economy, housed in the Hôtel Gaillard, with an immersive route that delves into the big ideas of economics.

Over the four days, several self-guided experiences are available free of charge, including the Family Trail, the Globalization Trail, and the Negotiating-Deciding game, which immerses participants in an international climate negotiation. This pairing of cultural programming with the museum visit gives the festival an educational and emotionally resonant dimension.

Free entry to the museum and most activities, but please book in advance!

A strong heritage backdrop for an ideas festival in Paris’s 17th arrondissement

The Cité de l’Économie takes over the Hôtel Gaillard, a neo-Renaissance private mansion that later became a branch of the Banque de France, providing a distinctive heritage setting for this event devoted to the upheavals shaping today’s world. From the monumental hall to workshop rooms, the auditorium, the vaults and the permanent route, the festival stages its formats across spaces that enrich the visitor experience and give real texture to the discussions.

(Re)discover the Cité de l’Économie through an unconventional program, extended hours until 11 p.m., and activities for all ages.

A cultural rendezvous to follow for those who want to combine a Parisian outing, heritage discovery and reflection on the big issues of tomorrow. The event takes place at the Cité de l’Économie, 1 Place du Général Catroux, Paris 17e, near the metro lines Malesherbes, Villiers, Monceau and Pont Cardinet.