The Lyon Dance Biennial returns for its 21st edition from September 6 to 28, 2025! What’s on the program? Three weeks of shows, performances and events that will rock the whole city of Lyon! A not-to-be-missed event on the international dance scene, the festival celebrates the richness and diversity of contemporary dance with an ambitious program featuring major artists and young talent from all over the world. Are you ready to dance?
The Parade: a popular and unifying moment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcQiXoTK620
One of the most eagerly-awaited highlights of the Biennial is the Défilé, a choreographic parade unique in Europe, bringing together several thousand amateur and professional dancers in the streets of Lyon. This popular celebration opens with the theme 2025 : “Recycled Dances”. This theme celebrates social and popular dances from diverse cultures such as capoeira, Berber dance, sevillana, lindy-hop, hip-hop and club dance. This year’s parade takes place on Sunday, September 7, starting at 4pm. It will depart from the Place des Terreaux to the Place Bellecour. Nine groups will make up the parade, including an exceptional closing group under the direction of Brazilian choreographer Diego Dantas, invited as part of the France-Brazil 2025 Year of Crossroads.
Take part in the closing group: dancers from Lyon, go for it!
Have you always dreamed of dancing in a festive, vibrant parade? The Biennial offers you this unique opportunity by joining the closing group of Europe’s largest choreographed parade! This year, Diego Dantas revisits urban carnival by fusing traditional samba and electronic music, with the help of Brazilian DJ Pedro Bertho (you’ve probably heard him at Le Sucre). The project is inspired by the Rio carnival, a committed celebration of dance, culture and social transformation. Participation is open to everyone, aged 10 and over, with no particular experience required (your 2 months of modern jazz dance at the age of 14 are more than enough). The idea is to create a rapid immersion in Brazilian culture, supported by a free group of amateurs from all horizons. This intense, festive event turns dance into an engine of celebration and resistance!
How to join the adventure :
- Registration: open to 200 participants, on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Rehearsals: August 24 to September 6, evenings and weekends, at Les Grandes Locos in La Mulatière.
- Compulsory launch: Sunday August 24, 2.30 – 4.30 p.m.
- Parade: Sunday, September 7, 4pm
Please note that the organizers require a regular commitment to guarantee the quality of the parade. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to take part in a major collective artistic project!
A festival that takes over the city with a unique atmosphere
In addition to the Parade, Biennale 2025 features some forty performances by international figures in contemporary dance! Performances will take place in emblematic Lyon venues such as the Maison de la Danse, the Opéra National and the Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse, as well as in unusual spaces such as former factories, public squares and the Cité de la Gastronomie. The Biennale also offers a festive program accessible to all, with open-air performances,exhibitions, meetings with artists, workshops, and dance evenings with Club Bingo in several of the city’s key venues (in Lyon, there’s always room for celebration).
As you can see, the Biennale de la danse 2025 in Lyon is much more than a festival: it’s a popular, artistic and social celebration that invites all Lyonnais.es to gather around dance!
📆 September 6 to 28, 2025