Avignon Off Festival: Eight Theatre Recommendations for the Final Stretch

Avignon – 18/07/2026: A new selection of eight productions at the Avignon Off Festival brings different forms of contemporary theatre into focus. Among those mentioned are “La Guerre des émeus”, “Ubu roi”, “Olympe(s)” and “Ma nuit à Beyrouth”. The recommendations come during the festival’s final phase. It takes place in Avignon from 4 to 25 July 2026 and is marking its 60th edition this year.

The selection deliberately brings together very different aesthetic approaches. It ranges from political farce and historical and biographical forms of storytelling to theatre works that combine dance, personal memory and social experience. Above all, it is intended to help visitors navigate a particularly extensive programme, with performances spread across numerous stages throughout the city.

“La Guerre des émeus” is officially scheduled at La Factory, Tomasi Hall. The play by Antoine Le Frère and Florent Oulkaïd takes up a real episode from Australia in 1932: the military operation against emus that were damaging agricultural land. The production treats this historical material as a satirical comedy about power, bureaucracy and the absurdity of martial logic. Performances are scheduled until 25 July.

With “Ubu roi”, the selection also points to the classic by Alfred Jarry. The grotesque figure of Ubu is regarded as a symbol of unrestrained rule and political arbitrariness. In Avignon, this repertory work meets new productions dealing with current conflicts, family stories or questions of belonging. This very combination of familiar texts and world premieres shapes the profile of the Off Festival.

“Ma nuit à Beyrouth” by Mona El Yafi combines theatre and dance. The production is performed at 11 Avignon and tells of a night in Beirut in which an initially ordinary administrative errand becomes a harrowing odyssey in a city marked by crises. Performances run there from 4 to 23 July at 7.15 p.m., except on designated rest days.

“Olympe(s)” is also among the recommendations. The title points to a female perspective and complements a selection in which individual life stories stand alongside major historical or political themes. The selection does not claim to offer a complete picture of the festival, but instead brings together eight suggestions from a much broader offering for the remaining festival days.

The Off Festival is coordinated by Avignon Festival & Compagnies. The official online programme can be used to check venues, performance times and ticket availability. Since individual performances may be sold out or subject to change, interested visitors should check the information provided by the relevant venue before attending. The festival ends on Saturday, 25 July 2026.