80th Avignon Festival Highlights Korean Theatre, Hamlet, and Radical Performances

The 80th edition of the Festival d'Avignon runs from July 4 to 25, 2026, transforming the city into a global hub for theatre and contemporary creation. This anniversary edition features theatre, dance, circus, performance, and music across iconic venues including the Cour d'honneur du Palais des Papes, Carrière Boulbon, cloisters, and gymnasiums. Korean is the guest language, with an exceptional presence of directors, choreographers, and authors. Key highlights include Jinyeob Lee's 'MULJIL' (2026), inspired by Jeju's haenyeo divers; Jaha Koo presenting three works ('Haribo Kimchi', 'Cuckoo', 'The History of Korean Western Theatre'); Sung Im Her's '1 Degree Celsius'; and a reading-performance by Han Kang with Julie Deliquet and Isabelle Huppert. Julien Gosselin stages 'Maldoror' based on Roberto Bolaño and Lautréamont. Carolina Bianchi & Cara de Cavalo present the full 'Cadela Força' trilogy (10 hours). Lucie Antunes and Mathilde Monnier collaborate on 'Silence'. Johann Le Guillerm presents 'Terces' and 'Architextures'. Thibault Perrenoud directs a three-actor version of 'Hamlet'. The festival also addresses violence, memory, and silence, with works by Kyung-Sung Lee on the Jeju massacre, Boris Charmatz's 'Muette', and Marion Siéfert's 'Bunker'.