Le Nouveau Printemps 2027 – Toulouse, France

What to expect in 2027

Le Nouveau Printemps 2027 – Toulouse, France is an international contemporary art festival that transforms parts of Toulouse into a temporary network of exhibitions, installations, performances, encounters and public activities. The festival is organised around a different Toulouse neighbourhood or area for each edition and invites an associated artist or creator to help imagine the artistic programme. The official organisation describes Le Nouveau Printemps as an annual festival of contemporary creation designed to bring demanding contemporary art into direct contact with local residents and diverse audiences.

The 2027 edition will focus on the Île du Ramier and the banks of the Garonne. Official festival information confirms that the 2027 route will be developed across this area, creating a relationship between contemporary artistic practices, the river, the surrounding urban environment and the public spaces of Toulouse.

One exhibition already identified for the 2027 programme is “The Overstory: réparer les liens, relier les récits.” The project takes inspiration from Richard Powers’s novel The Overstory and examines relationships between human and non-human worlds, territories, elements, knowledge and different ways of representing the living world. The confirmed artists for this project include Laura Henno, Maree Clarke, Sasha Phyars-Burgess, Smith and Yann Gross.

The festival’s established format means that visitors can expect more than conventional gallery exhibitions. Its programme can combine contemporary art, photography, film, performance, architecture, design, music, public installations, guided visits, workshops and conversations, creating a route that can be experienced through different artistic disciplines.

The complete 2027 programme is still being developed and additional artists, exhibitions, performances and partner venues should be confirmed through the official festival channels.

Event dates

May 27 to June 27, 2027

The official festival organisation has confirmed that the 2027 edition will take place during this period in Toulouse. An official recruitment notice for the festival’s production team states that the edition will be presented in various locations on the Île du Ramier and along the Garonne.

The festival’s official mediation information also confirms the same period for school visits and states that the 2027 visitor route will be developed around the Île du Ramier and the banks of the Garonne.

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Venue & exhibition site

The 2027 edition will be centred on the Île du Ramier and the banks of the Garonne, representing a change from the neighbourhood-focused route used for the preceding edition. The festival’s model is intentionally decentralised, allowing exhibitions and artistic projects to occupy cultural venues, outdoor spaces, architectural sites and locations integrated into everyday city life.

The Île du Ramier is located along the Garonne and provides a distinctive environment for contemporary art because of its combination of river landscapes, public spaces, infrastructure and urban surroundings.

The Garonne itself is expected to form an important contextual element for the 2027 programme. The confirmed “The Overstory” project specifically considers relationships between living systems, territories and natural elements and is described as extending into exhibition spaces and outdoor locations around the river and Île du Ramier.

The Château d’Eau is also associated with the confirmed “The Overstory” project. The historic photography institution provides an important photographic component within the wider 2027 artistic programme, while additional festival locations are expected to be announced as the programme develops.

Full exhibition programme

The complete exhibition programme for the 2027 edition has not yet been published in full. The confirmed programme direction indicates a strong interest in contemporary creation, photography, ecology, relationships between humans and non-humans, territory and different forms of knowledge.

“The Overstory: réparer les liens, relier les récits” is one confirmed project. The exhibition is described as a photographic project inspired by Richard Powers’s novel and brings together contemporary artists working with photography and related practices. Its curatorial approach considers how images can help represent relationships between people, other living beings, landscapes and the wider world.

The project also extends beyond conventional photography. According to the published programme description, the exhibition can engage with moving image, meditation, scientific perspectives and other related practices, creating a multidisciplinary approach to contemporary photographic creation.

The wider festival is expected to include additional exhibitions and artistic projects across the Île du Ramier and the Garonne area. Visitors should consult the official programme as further projects are announced.

Featured artists & designers

The confirmed artists associated with “The Overstory: réparer les liens, relier les récits” are:

• Laura Henno – contemporary photographer and filmmaker whose work examines people, territories and social environments.
• Maree Clarke – multidisciplinary Australian artist whose practice engages with cultural identity, memory, heritage and contemporary Indigenous experience.
• Sasha Phyars-Burgess – photographer whose work explores community, identity, relationships and lived experience.
• Smith – artist working with photographic and visual practices within contemporary art.
• Yann Gross – Swiss artist and photographer known for projects examining landscapes, cultures, territories and relationships between people and their environments.

The festival has not yet published the complete 2027 artist list, so additional participating artists should not be assumed until officially announced. The confirmed “The Overstory” artists are documented in published programme information for the 2027 edition.

Le Nouveau Printemps traditionally works with artists from different disciplines and backgrounds. Previous editions have demonstrated that the invited creative perspective can extend beyond visual art into cinema, music, design, performance, architecture and other related fields.

Galleries & exhibitors

Le Nouveau Printemps is structured as a contemporary art festival rather than a conventional commercial art fair. Visitors should therefore expect exhibitions and artistic projects presented by artists, cultural organisations, museums, art centres and festival partners rather than rows of commercial gallery booths.

The festival has previously collaborated with institutions such as Les Abattoirs, the Cinémathèque de Toulouse, Institut Cervantes, Lieu-Commun, Toulouse’s cultural centres, artist studios and other local partners.

The 2027 edition will continue the festival’s partnership-based model, with the Île du Ramier and the Garonne forming the principal geographic framework.

The confirmed photography project also demonstrates the festival’s connection with specialist cultural institutions. The Château d’Eau, a major photography venue in Toulouse, is involved in presenting “The Overstory” project.

Exhibition halls & sections

There is no conventional hall numbering system for Le Nouveau Printemps. Instead, the festival is organised as a distributed artistic route.

Île du Ramier: The island is the central geographic focus of the 2027 edition, providing outdoor and indoor environments for artistic projects.

Garonne riverbanks: Public spaces along the river form part of the festival’s geographical framework and create opportunities for artworks to interact directly with the landscape.

Photography venues: The Château d’Eau is connected with “The Overstory,” providing a dedicated context for contemporary photographic practices.

Outdoor and public spaces: The festival regularly places contemporary art outside conventional museum environments, allowing visitors to encounter installations and artistic interventions during everyday movement through the city.

Partner cultural venues: Additional museums, art centres and cultural institutions may participate in the 2027 route as the complete programme is released.

This distributed format is one of the defining characteristics of Le Nouveau Printemps, allowing each edition to establish a different relationship between contemporary art and a particular part of Toulouse.

Talks, workshops & special events

Le Nouveau Printemps traditionally includes a substantial public programme alongside exhibitions. Previous official programmes have featured artist meetings, performances, concerts, film screenings, radio programmes, guided tours, workshops, round tables, dance activities, public openings and educational events.

The 2027 programme will be announced progressively, but the festival’s mediation programme is already being prepared for schools. The official website confirms guided exhibition visits for classes from kindergarten through secondary education, with routes adapted according to the age and interests of participants.

The festival also develops public mediation for general visitors. Guided experiences can help audiences understand the artistic projects while connecting them with the architecture, history and environment of the selected neighbourhood.

Previous programmes have included architecture and contemporary-art walks, guided exhibition tours, multilingual visits, workshops and cultural encounters.

The 2027 programme may therefore include a mixture of scheduled performances, talks, educational workshops, guided tours and public encounters, but individual events should only be treated as confirmed once listed by the festival.

Ticket types

The festival’s established admission policy is highly accessible. Official practical information states that exhibitions and events organised directly by Le Nouveau Printemps are free, while certain partner venues can operate their own admission arrangements.

For the 2027 edition, no separate ticket pricing has been published for the festival’s core exhibitions. Based on the previous official edition, the standard festival admission is:

• Festival exhibitions and events: $0
• School mediation activities: $0 for the qualifying educational programme
• Partner-venue activities: Admission may vary according to the individual partner institution

The official organisation should be checked before attending partner venues because their own admission policies may differ from the festival’s free-access policy.

No commercial ticketing structure or paid VIP package has been officially announced for the 2027 edition.

VIP & collector access

Le Nouveau Printemps does not operate primarily as a commercial art fair and does not present a conventional VIP collector programme based on private sales rooms or gallery booths.

The festival’s professional and cultural model instead emphasises access to artists, exhibitions, partner institutions, guided activities and public programmes.

Collectors, curators, museum professionals, researchers and other art professionals can experience the festival through its exhibitions and professional cultural network. Any dedicated professional invitations, previews or collector events for the 2027 edition should be confirmed through the festival’s official announcements.

Event rules

Visitors should follow the rules established by each exhibition venue and public location. Because the festival uses different architectural environments, museums, cultural spaces and outdoor locations, individual access conditions can vary.

General visitor expectations include:

• Respect artworks: Do not touch installations unless an artwork specifically invites interaction.
• Follow venue instructions: Staff directions apply in museums, cultural venues and temporary exhibition spaces.
• Respect public areas: Outdoor installations should be experienced without obstructing normal pedestrian or public use.
• Follow photography rules: Individual venues may impose restrictions on photography or filming.
• Check activity requirements: Workshops and guided tours can require advance registration.
• Respect accessibility arrangements: Follow designated routes and instructions designed to keep accessible spaces usable.

The official festival encourages visitors to use public transport and softer forms of mobility when travelling to the programme.

How to get there

Toulouse is accessible by national and international rail services, road connections and Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. The city’s public transport network provides connections between the main railway station, central Toulouse and the areas surrounding the Garonne.

The festival’s 2027 route is centred on the Île du Ramier and the Garonne, so visitors should plan journeys according to the specific exhibition or activity they want to attend.

The festival encourages visitors to favour public transport and sustainable mobility. This approach is consistent with its broader interest in environmental responsibility and its use of public urban spaces.

For visitors arriving by train, Toulouse-Matabiau is the city’s principal railway station and provides connections with other French and European destinations.

Public transport & parking

Toulouse has an extensive public transport system operated by Tisséo, including metro, tram and bus services. Visitors can combine public transport with walking or cycling to reach different festival locations.

The festival has previously provided practical information covering metro stations, bus routes, bicycle-sharing stations and car-sharing services around the active festival area.

For the 2027 edition, the exact nearest stops will depend on the final exhibition route across the Île du Ramier and Garonne corridor.

Visitors travelling by car should check the latest parking information before departure. Parking availability can vary considerably around central Toulouse and riverfront locations, so public transport or cycling can be useful alternatives.

Accommodation areas

Central Toulouse is a practical base for visitors attending Le Nouveau Printemps because it provides access to the city’s cultural institutions, restaurants, public transport and historic centre.

The areas around Capitole, Carmes, Saint-Cyprien and the central railway station provide a range of hotels, apartments and guest accommodation. Visitors who want quick access to the Garonne can also consider accommodation on either side of the river.

The best location depends on the final 2027 exhibition map. Because the festival changes its main neighbourhood or geographic focus from one edition to another, visitors should check the official route before choosing accommodation.

Food & refreshments

Toulouse offers a wide range of restaurants, cafés, bakeries and food markets, giving visitors many options between exhibitions.

Traditional regional dishes include cassoulet, a slow-cooked dish associated with southwest France, as well as Toulouse sausage and other Occitan culinary specialities.

Visitors exploring the Garonne area can combine the festival with cafés and restaurants in nearby neighbourhoods. Outdoor areas and riverfront surroundings can also provide opportunities for a break between exhibitions, although visitors should check individual venue rules concerning food and drinks.

The festival’s focus on public space means that food and hospitality can become part of the wider experience of exploring Toulouse, even when refreshments are not directly organised by the festival.

Accessibility

Le Nouveau Printemps has an established accessibility policy and states that most of its events are designed to be accessible to people with disabilities. The organisation is also associated with the Villes pour Tous – Toulouse Métropole accessibility initiative.

The festival provides adapted communication tools and information about accessibility arrangements for individual events and venues.

For 2027, the official mediation information identifies exhibition locations that are accessible to people with reduced mobility and confirms that the mediation team is preparing guided activities for different audiences.

Visitors with specific requirements should contact the festival’s accessibility service before attending so that the appropriate venue information and assistance can be confirmed.

Must-see exhibitions

The Overstory: réparer les liens, relier les récits: This is one of the confirmed 2027 projects and examines relationships between humans, non-human life, territories, elements and forms of knowledge. The project includes Laura Henno, Maree Clarke, Sasha Phyars-Burgess, Smith and Yann Gross.

Château d’Eau photography presentation: The historic photography institution is involved in the presentation of “The Overstory,” creating an important photographic component within the festival’s programme.

Île du Ramier projects: The island is the principal geographic focus of the 2027 edition, so visitors should look for outdoor and site-specific projects that respond directly to the landscape and built environment.

Garonne-related installations: The relationship between art, territory and the river is particularly relevant to the 2027 setting and can provide visitors with a different experience from conventional indoor exhibitions.

Public-space projects: Le Nouveau Printemps has a history of placing contemporary art in everyday urban environments, allowing visitors to encounter works while walking through Toulouse rather than only inside museums.

Previous year’s highlights

The previous edition was curated with Rossy de Palma and focused on the Marengo, Bonnefoy and Jolimont areas of Toulouse. The programme included exhibitions, performances, concerts, film screenings, workshops, guided visits and other public activities.

Among the projects were “Diaspora Wonderland Toulouse,” “Entre les deux, des chemins,” “Danses interdites,” and individual presentations by artists including Dalila Dalléas Bouzar, Pilar Albarracín, Ángel Pantoja, Manuel Outumuro and Nicolas Daubanes.

The previous edition also included activities such as artist performances, dance classes, radio programmes, art-publishing events, film screenings and guided cultural visits. This demonstrates the festival’s continuing emphasis on combining exhibitions with live and participatory experiences.

The public prize associated with “Entre les deux, des chemins” also creates a direct connection between the previous programme and the 2027 edition: the winning artist is offered an opportunity to participate in the following edition.

Official tickets

Le Nouveau Printemps is primarily a free-access contemporary art festival. Official practical information states that exhibitions and events organised by the festival are free, while partner institutions may apply their own admission arrangements.

The official website is the appropriate source for the 2027 programme, venue information, accessibility details, guided-visit reservations and any partner-venue admission requirements.

Official website: https://www.lenouveauprintemps.com/

For general enquiries, the festival lists info@lenouveauprintemps.com as its contact address.

Visitors should use the official festival website for programme updates rather than relying on unofficial listings, particularly because the 2027 artist list, detailed event schedule and full venue map are still being developed.