Festival du Merveilleux 2025 at the Musée des Arts Forains: a magical Christmas stroll in Paris

This is a wonderful outing not to be missed during the Christmas holidays... The Musée des Arts Forains in Bercy invites you to discover its new edition of the Festival du Merveilleux from December 26, 2025, to January 4, 2026. This is an opportunity to discover this unusual and magical museum, designed by Jean-Paul Favand, a private collector who has decided to share with us his fantastic world of fairground rides and arts forains. During the holiday season, the museum is open for free visits, with or without a reservation (but we strongly recommend that you reserve), transformed into a Christmas wonderland. This magical place, decorated and illuminated, promises beautiful shows and a crazy atmosphere, with music from the era.

This year, the festival focuses on the world of music hall, theater, circus, and opera, unveiling part of its collection of stage costumes. The Musée des Arts Forains is adding sparkle, glitter, and frills to our end-of-year celebrations!

The show goes on at the Musée des Arts Forains! For the 2025 edition, the festival is offering more than a dozen short shows to discover throughout the day. Dance, song, and performance are an integral part of the circus arts, which are therefore in the spotlight at the end of this year.

For the occasion, the Festival du Merveilleux invites more and more artists to showcase their talents. The detailed program of shows will be revealed on site each day during the festival. Visitors will be able to admiremusicians, dancers, automatons, mechanical music, a video mapping show , and even a whirling dervish!

Even better: for each admission ticket, visitors receive two attraction tickets: now's the time to have fun and try out one of the museum's many century-old rides! The institution specifies that "it will of course be possible to buy attraction tickets on site, but we recommend that you take advantage of the shows. "

Don't miss the illuminated garden, where you can experience the enchantment of a festive village, far from the hustle and bustle of the modern world outside.

• To be read
• What to do in Paris this Christmas? 10 must-see outings 2024
• Christmas in amusement parks and funfairs in Paris and its surroundings 2025
• What to do during the 2025 Christmas holidays in Paris? Kid-friendly outings for the whole family!

In addition to the special festive events and illuminations, you'll be delighted to discover the extraordinary sets and attractions of this unique museum in Paris. Take part in a daydream and stroll through these fantastic, childlike worlds! Feeling peckish? Let yourself be tempted by the famous onion soup served by the food trucks on hand.

The museum is divided into five grandiose areas dedicated to the art of performance:

• The Funfair
  This large 1,800 m² space is home to magnificent attractions, rides, and games dating back to the 1900s. The velocipede and wooden horse rides are open for our enjoyment.
  
  
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  's Théâtre du MerveilleuxDiscover the palace of illusion and dreams with a video show that blends the real and the virtual to give you an extraordinary experience.
  
  
• The Venetian Salons
  Covering 800 m², discover rides, fairground attractions, and automaton shows. The walk takes place to the sounds of opera, immersing us in a timeless, baroque Venetian world. 
  
  
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  's Théâtre de VerdureThis large, extraordinary, and modular garden is populated by amazing creatures and elements that give us the impression of diving into the most fantastical tales of our childhood.
  
  
• The Magic Mirror
  Step into this former ballroom from the Roaring Twenties, where live shows using reflections and optical effects will make your head spin!

Every year, this experience attracts many Parisians and tourists, and for good reason: the Musée des Arts Forains immerses us in a fantastical, timeless world, with games and entertainment for all tastes and ages. 

The museum tour also includes interactive activities for a truly immersive experience. And the rides should keep older children happy (remember that funfairs in the past were intended for adults and not children as they are today). The Musée des Arts Forains continues this "tradition" in a way, although families are of course welcome). A great place to visit during the holidays.

The Festival du Merveilleux offers us one of the rare opportunities to visit the Musée des Arts Forains. Take advantage of this chance to discover an unusual side of Paris. Ticket sales should open in early November, so stay tuned.