NEXT artsfestival

NEXT Arts Festival is an annual international theater and dance festival dedicated to a broad and adventurous audience. Held in and around the Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai and Valenciennes, NEXT is a sustainable collaborative platform where five co-organizers and fifteen associated art houses pool their expertise, resources, and know-how each year. Together, they invite a carefully curated selection of internationally renowned artists in November.

Over three weeks, NEXT showcases forty contemporary theater, dance, and performance shows in fifteen cities across the cross-border region. In addition to presenting established works, NEXT also supports the creation of new artistic endeavors, both financially through co-production contributions and practically through artistic, technical, and logistical residencies in different NEXT houses. The festival has become significant for the Franco-Belgian region and the international arts scene, with its unique artist selection and resolutely contemporary works.

The program remains accessible to a wide audience, with 14,610 attendees in 2019. Spectators are introduced to new artistic languages and hybrid forms within the international performing arts. NEXT is committed to fostering cultural exchange by allowing audiences and artists to travel through the Eurometropolis.

As an interregional cooperation project, NEXT aims to contribute to the region's international standing and promote itself as a pioneer of artistic creation and presentation from the new European metropolis. And of course, every year, there are festive celebrations for a broad and adventurous audience!