This festival organized by la Semeuse, a popular education association in Nice, will take place from Friday, June 5 to Thursday, June 18, 2026 in several locations in Nice. It honors “a traditional and popular theatrical art born in Italy in the 16th century” by offering performances, a practice workshop, a film and an exhibition.
Commedia Dell’arte Festival Program
Last year, the Commedia dell’Arte festival brought together over 1,600 spectators. This new edition aims to confirm this momentum through a particularly rich program.
CATARINA SEGURANA
June 5 – 7:30 PM – Arson Square Garden — Free — 1 hour
A historical comedy that recounts the heroic resistance of Catarina Segurana against Franco-Turkish armies in 1543. The performance blends humor, masks and historical figures in a lively and popular staging. An accessible production that celebrates Nice’s identity through a colorful narrative.
SOLSTICE
June 6 – 8:30 PM – La Providence Cultural Center — €15 / €12 — 1 hour
Four Yokais from Japan shake human certainties in a masked fable inspired by the primitive forces of the world. The performance blends mythology, environmental engagement and visual theater. A poetic creation that questions our relationship with the living world with great visual power.
COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE WORKSHOP (Patrick Forian)
June 7 – 10 AM–1 PM / 2 PM–5 PM – EVS La Condamine — €45
A day of intensive practice devoted to commedia dell’arte archetypes and masked acting. Participants explore physical commitment, gesture precision and mask reading. An immersive workshop that allows understanding from within the mechanics of Italian popular theater.
FILM – The Teachings of the Mask
June 7 – 6 PM – La Providence Cultural Center — Free — 1h05
The documentary explores the use of masks in actor training across Europe. It follows the practices of CNSAD, Accademia Dimitri and ARTA to show how the mask transforms acting. A valuable film for understanding the pedagogical and human dimension of this scenic tool.
THE TRIUMPH OF HARLEQUIN
June 12 – 8:30 PM – La Providence Cultural Center — €15 / €12 — 1h15
A theatrical opera blending masks, songs, lazzi and pantomimes in an imaginary Venice. The plot celebrates the freedom to love against interests and manipulations. A virtuoso performance that pays homage to the Italian tradition with energy and precision.
A HUNDRED DETOURS
June 13 – 8:30 PM – La Providence Cultural Center — €15 / €12 — 1 hour
A Canadian masked comedy that addresses work, ecology, patriarchy and generational clash. The performance blends humor and commitment to connect popular tradition and contemporary issues. A rhythmic and accessible production that brings mask and today’s society into dialogue.
IL CAVALIERE DI PIETRA (after Carlo Gozzi)
June 14 – 3 PM – La Semeuse Theater — Free — 1h30 — in Italian
A fantastic fresco blending magic, romantic quest and humor, inspired by Gozzi and Basile’s tales. The story follows a knight launched into an adventure between dragons, spells and thwarted loyalties. A performance that marries the marvelous and the comic in the great Italian tradition.
MISTERO BUFFO – La Fame
June 14 – 6 PM – La Providence Cultural Center — €15 / €12 — 1h30 — in Italian
Matthias Martelli revisits Dario Fo’s masterpiece in an explosive solo blending satire, gesture and buffoonery. The performance draws from popular tradition to question power, religion and the human condition. A physical and vocal performance that renews the legacy of narrative theater.
THE PRINCESS OF ELIS (Molière)
June 16 – 5 PM – Boris Vian School Courtyard (Carros) — Free — 1 hour
The play features a princess who refuses love despite her suitors’ strategies. The performance blends dance, song, combat and pantomime in a spirit of total theater. A lively and spirited reinterpretation that reveals Italian influence in Molière’s writing.
THE CYCLOPS (after Euripides)
June 17 – 6 PM – Jacarandas Square June 18 – 6 PM – General Lecuyer Park — Free — 1 hour
An energetic reinterpretation of the myth of Ulysses and Polyphemus, between ancient tragedy and popular farce. The performance blends masks, music and gesture to restore carnal dimension to the myth. An accessible production that brings archaic and modern into dialogue with humor and intensity.
EXHIBITION – Commedia dell’Arte, Mirror of Society
Throughout the festival — Free admission
The exhibition presents posters, costumes and emblematic characters of commedia dell’arte. It shows how these masked figures reflect the flaws, desires and contradictions of our societies. An immersive journey that illuminates the satirical and universal scope of this popular art.
With this 11th edition, the Commedia dell’Arte festival confirms its place among the must-see cultural events of early summer in Nice. By investing gardens, squares, cultural centers and neighborhoods throughout the city, it reminds us how much Nice remains a vibrant territory for popular theater and the performing arts. Between Italian tradition and contemporary creation, the event continues to enliven the city while showcasing an artistic heritage deeply linked to Mediterranean history.
