Maïa Barouh Launches Franco-Japanese Yokai Matsuri Festival in Paris
Artist Maïa Barouh presents the Yokai Matsuri, a Franco-Japanese festival at La Petite Halle de la Villette in Paris from May 23, 2026, for three days. The event draws on Japanese folk festivals and yōkai mythological creatures, blending concerts, performances, and dance into a collective sensory experience. Each night features a masked ball encouraging transformation. Barouh, a singer, flutist, and composer, describes the festival as a bridge between France and Japan, a project she has nurtured for over 20 years. Her work reinterprets ancient Japanese chants with rap, jazz, and electro influences. The festival aims to celebrate the strange and the uncomfortable, offering a suspension of reality.
Key facts
- Yokai Matsuri runs for three days at La Petite Halle de la Villette, 211 Av. Jean Jaurès, 75019 Paris.
- The festival is inspired by Japanese yōkai mythological creatures and folk festivals.
- Maïa Barouh is the founder, artistic director, and performer.
- Barouh grew up between France and Japan and began her career in Tokyo's queer underground cabarets at age 17.
- The festival includes concerts, performances, dance, and nightly masked balls.
- Barouh's music blends traditional Japanese chants with rap, jazz, and electro.
- The project has been in development for over 20 years.
- The event is described as a ritual that opens a breach toward the invisible.
Entities
Artists
- Maïa Barouh
Institutions
- La Petite Halle de la Villette
- artsixMic
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Tokyo
- Japan