Festival du Regard 2027 – France

What to expect in 2027

Festival du Regard 2027 will bring photography back to the Cergy-Pontoise area for another edition dedicated to contemporary photographic creation. The festival is organized as a photographic art event rather than a conventional commercial art fair, combining exhibitions with educational activities, meetings, workshops, and projects connected with the local community. The official festival website currently confirms a return in autumn 2027, but the detailed artistic programme has not yet been announced.

The festival was founded by Eric Vialatel and has developed a programme that brings together contemporary photographers, historical photographic works, educational projects, and collaborations with cultural institutions. Its stated purpose includes helping audiences better understand photography and its role in contemporary society, while also involving local residents through educational visits and participatory projects.

Visitors can therefore expect an exhibition-led experience focused on photographic storytelling, artistic research, documentary approaches, portraiture, nature, society, history, and other subjects selected by the artistic team. The precise theme and photographer list for the 2027 edition remain to be announced.

Event dates

Festival du Regard 2027 is scheduled for Autumn 2027, with the exact dates currently TBD. The official website confirms that the festival will return in autumn, but no specific opening or closing dates have yet been published.

Visitors planning a trip should therefore check the official festival website before making travel arrangements, as the final calendar, exhibition opening schedule, and individual event timetable will depend on the organizer’s forthcoming announcement.

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Venue & exhibition site

The exact main exhibition venue for the 2027 edition has not yet been announced on the official Festival du Regard website. The festival has previously been based in Cergy-Pontoise and has used major cultural and urban spaces to create large-scale photography exhibitions. The organizer’s previous editions have included exhibitions in dedicated cultural buildings as well as unusual public and commercial spaces.

For the most recent completed edition, the principal exhibition location was Le Carreau de Cergy, located at 3–4 rue aux Herbes, 95000 Cergy. The venue is around five minutes on foot from Cergy-Préfecture station and has its own parking reference at the Marché Neuf. This is a previous festival location and should not be treated as the confirmed 2027 venue until the organizer publishes the new site plan.

The final 2027 venue information is expected to identify the exhibition buildings, entrances, opening arrangements, accessibility facilities, and any additional outdoor or partner locations.

Full exhibition programme

The full 2027 exhibition programme has not yet been released. The Festival du Regard’s previous programming demonstrates that the event can include several complementary photographic exhibitions rather than one single display.

Past editions have presented contemporary photographers alongside historical photographs and photographic archives. The programme has also incorporated installations, student projects, community photography workshops, educational displays, and film projections.

The organizer’s previous exhibition structure has included:

• Contemporary photography featuring established and emerging photographers.
• Historical photography connecting contemporary subjects with important photographic archives and pioneers.
• Artist projects built around particular themes or long-term bodies of work.
• Educational projects created with schools and local residents.
• Student exhibitions developed through partnerships with ENSAPC.
• Photography workshops involving local communities.
• Film and photographic projections connected with the central theme.
• Public meetings and guided visits offering additional context around the exhibitions.

The 2027 theme, complete exhibition list, individual project descriptions, and event programme will need to be confirmed by the festival once published.

Featured artists & designers

No official list of featured artists for Festival du Regard 2027 has been published yet. The festival is primarily devoted to photography, so photographers and visual artists are more central to the programme than designers.

Previous editions have featured internationally recognized photographers working across documentary, wildlife, portraiture, landscape, conceptual photography, experimental practices, and historical photography. The most recent completed edition included artists such as Nathalie Baetens, Laurent Ballesta, Marta Bogdanska, Tim Flach, Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek, Tina Merandon, Annie Marie Musselman, Vincent Munier, Jean-François Spricigo, Pentti Sammallahti, and Michel Vanden Eeckhoudt.

Other projects have involved students and emerging artists connected with the École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts de Paris-Cergy. This educational relationship has helped the festival create opportunities for younger photographers and artists alongside established names.

The 2027 artist list should be treated as pending until it is officially released.

Galleries & exhibitors

Festival du Regard does not operate primarily as a commercial photography fair with rows of independent gallery booths. Instead, exhibitions are curated and produced by the festival, with photographers and photographic projects forming the central exhibition content.

Previous festival partnerships have included photography galleries and organizations such as Galerie Camera Obscura, the Société Française de Photographie, Fisheye, and the Union des Photographes Professionnels. These partnerships demonstrate the festival’s connection with the wider photographic sector while keeping the main visitor experience focused on exhibitions rather than commercial stands.

Past editions have also included works presented through educational and community partnerships. This has allowed local residents, students, schools, and emerging artists to appear alongside established photographers.

For 2027, the official exhibitor and partner list has not yet been announced.

Exhibition halls & sections

The exact 2027 exhibition layout has not been published. Based on the festival’s established format, visitors can expect the programme to be divided into individual exhibitions or thematic sections rather than traditional trade-show halls.

Previous editions have organized the programme around:

• Main photographic exhibitions presenting the central selection.
• Historical photography bringing older photographic material into dialogue with contemporary work.
• Emerging and student projects developed through educational partnerships.
• Community photography created through local workshops.
• Special installations and projects that extend beyond conventional photographic prints.
• Projection spaces where photography and film can be presented together.
• Partner exhibitions associated with cultural organizations and local institutions.

The precise halls, galleries, room assignments, and exhibition map for 2027 remain unconfirmed.

Talks, workshops & special events

The festival’s programme traditionally extends beyond static exhibitions. Previous editions have included guided visits, workshops, meetings with photographers, projections, educational activities, and special cultural events.

Workshops have played an important role in the festival’s relationship with Cergy-Pontoise. The organizer has worked with local residents, schools, cultural organizations, and educational institutions to create photographic projects that can become part of the festival environment.

The festival has also worked with ENSAPC, giving students opportunities to develop projects and exhibit them professionally. These initiatives provide a different perspective from the principal exhibition programme and help connect professional photography with artistic education.

The exact 2027 schedule of talks, workshops, guided tours, screenings, and artist meetings will be announced separately.

Ticket types

The official 2027 ticket structure has not yet been published. The festival has historically emphasized accessibility to photography, and the completed edition was promoted as offering exhibitions with free admission. Official festival material for the previous edition specifically states that the exhibitions were free to enter.

Using the previous edition as the available official pricing reference:

• General exhibition admission: $0
• Main festival exhibitions: Free admission
• Public access: No general admission payment was required for the previous exhibition programme.

The organizer may publish separate arrangements for guided visits, workshops, special activities, or other programmed events. Visitors should check the official 2027 information before assuming that every activity has identical access arrangements.

VIP & collector access

Festival du Regard is not structured primarily around VIP hospitality or commercial collector programmes. Its central purpose is to make photographic art accessible to a broad public, with exhibitions and educational activities forming the core of the festival.

Professional and photography-focused visitors may nevertheless find value in the festival’s meetings, artist encounters, educational programme, gallery connections, and photography-sector partnerships. The organizer has historically created opportunities for exchanges between photographers, cultural institutions, students, and audiences.

No dedicated VIP package, collector pass, private preview programme, or 2027 collector pricing has been announced.

Event rules

Visitors should follow the final rules published by Festival du Regard when the 2027 programme is released. Because the festival operates through exhibitions and cultural venues rather than a conventional trade-show environment, rules can vary according to the building and activity.

Visitors should expect standard cultural-venue requirements concerning respectful behaviour, protection of artworks, photography restrictions where applicable, accessibility procedures, and compliance with individual venue instructions.

For workshops, school visits, guided tours, and special activities, advance registration may be required if the organizer specifies limited capacity. Visitors should also follow any instructions regarding photography, filming, food, bags, and movement through exhibition spaces.

How to get there

Festival du Regard is associated with Cergy-Pontoise, a major cultural and urban area in the Val-d’Oise region of France. The festival has repeatedly used locations around Cergy and Cergy-Pontoise, making the area the key destination for visitors attending the event.

If the 2027 programme returns to the previously used Carreau de Cergy, the venue is located at 3–4 rue aux Herbes in Cergy and is approximately five minutes on foot from Cergy-Préfecture station. However, the organizer has not yet confirmed that this will be the main 2027 venue.

Visitors travelling from Paris or elsewhere in the Île-de-France region should wait for the official 2027 venue announcement before selecting the final route.

Public transport & parking

Cergy-Préfecture is an established public-transport connection for the Cergy area. Île-de-France Mobilités identifies Cergy-Préfecture as a station served by the RER A and the Transilien network’s Cergy branch.

For the previously used Carreau de Cergy, the official venue page identifies the Marché Neuf parking area and confirms that the venue is within walking distance of Cergy-Préfecture station.

For 2027, visitors should check the final festival venue and local transport instructions before travelling because the exhibition site may change.

Accommodation areas

The festival’s location in Cergy-Pontoise gives visitors several practical areas to consider for accommodation. Cergy itself is the most direct base for visitors who want to stay close to the exhibition area, particularly if the festival again uses central Cergy venues.

Other nearby parts of Cergy-Pontoise can also be considered depending on the final exhibition locations and transport arrangements. Staying close to Cergy-Préfecture may be particularly convenient for visitors relying on public transport.

The festival has not published an official 2027 hotel list or accommodation partnership. Visitors should therefore select accommodation based on the confirmed exhibition venue once the organizer publishes the final programme.

Food & refreshments

Festival du Regard has not yet announced a dedicated 2027 food and refreshments programme. As a photography festival operating across cultural and urban locations, food services should not be assumed to form part of the exhibition programme.

Visitors staying in Cergy-Pontoise can use the city’s normal restaurants, cafés, shops, and other food services around the exhibition area. The availability of refreshments inside a particular festival venue will depend on the location selected for the 2027 edition.

If the festival introduces cafés, refreshments, hospitality areas, or special event catering, these details should be confirmed through the official programme.

Accessibility

Accessibility is an important consideration when the festival uses public cultural buildings, but the exact accessibility arrangements for the 2027 edition have not yet been published.

For the previously used Carreau de Cergy, the venue is centrally located and close to public transport, making it practical for visitors arriving without a car. The official venue information also provides the address, nearby parking reference, and opening arrangements.

Visitors with specific mobility or access requirements should check the confirmed 2027 venue information before travelling. The festival’s contact information can also be used to request details concerning group visits and educational visits.

Must-see exhibitions

The 2027 exhibition list has not yet been announced, so no individual 2027 exhibition should currently be presented as a confirmed must-see.

The festival’s previous programme provides an indication of the range visitors can expect. The most recent completed edition brought together contemporary photography on the theme of animals, including wildlife, human-animal relationships, scientific observation, environmental subjects, and historical photographic perspectives.

Notable previous artists included Vincent Munier, Laurent Ballesta, Tim Flach, Nathalie Baetens, Marta Bogdanska, Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek, Tina Merandon, Jean-François Spricigo, Pentti Sammallahti, and Michel Vanden Eeckhoudt.

For the 2027 edition, visitors should use the organizer’s final exhibition programme to identify the principal exhibitions once the artists and theme are officially announced.

Previous year’s highlights

The previous completed edition of Festival du Regard focused on the theme Animal, bringing together contemporary photographers and historical photographic material around the relationship between humans, animals, and the natural world. The exhibition programme included photographers such as Nathalie Baetens, Laurent Ballesta, Marta Bogdanska, Tim Flach, Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek, Tina Merandon, Annie Marie Musselman, Vincent Munier, Jean-François Spricigo, Pentti Sammallahti, and Michel Vanden Eeckhoudt.

The programme also incorporated student and educational projects. Elias Galindo-Lopez presented an installation involving children’s conversations about birds and the future, while Félix Szpirglas was among the emerging artists connected with the festival’s educational programme.

The festival’s broader history includes themes such as adolescence, habitation, extraordinary journeys, intimacy and autofiction, and night photography. This shows the event’s continuing interest in using photography to examine wider cultural and social questions.

Official tickets

The official Festival du Regard website is the primary source for 2027 admission information, programme announcements, venue details, and any registration requirements. At present, the site confirms the festival’s return in autumn 2027 but does not yet provide the complete 2027 ticketing or visitor programme.

The previous edition was presented as free admission, with the festival’s official press material stating that its exhibitions were open free of charge. This provides the best verified previous-edition reference for visitor pricing, but the organizer should be consulted for any changes to the 2027 arrangements.

For official updates, visitors should use the Festival du Regard website and its published contact channels. The festival lists Sylvie Hugues as responsible for artistic direction and press relations, while group and school visit enquiries are handled through a dedicated contact.