The UZINE À GAG festival returns this year with a unique evening on Friday, June 12th in Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Once again, contemporary clowns will take over the town's squares and streets, before ending up at the Jardin de l’Olivaie. An open-air event to share together! New this year, the festival is entirely free (but donations will still be accepted during the evening for clown programs in hospitals).
Refreshments and light meals available on site.
Information: cie.embrayage@gmail.com
UZINE À GAG PROGRAM
6 PM – OPENING FUN – Place Marinoni
Sambati! x Tulipe et Cie / Burlesque Parade / Duration: 50 min
To the captivating rhythm of Sambati percussion, the batucada will parade through the streets of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, accompanied by stilt walkers, to offer a festive, colorful, and energetic show.
Olivaie Garden
7:00 PM – STORIES AND CONSENT
Cie Boutaïni x Cie L’Embrayage à paillettes / with the users of the ESAT Le Prieuré / duration: 30 min
This troupe, made up of extraordinary people, tackles the fairy tales of our childhood. And why not start with the famous story of Snow White? But today, can we still kiss a sleeping woman? Must we get married at the end and have children?
7:45 PM – VAGABONDS (EPISODE I)
Cie Le Grand Large / with Benjamin Migneco and Manuel Le Velly / duration: 13 min
In each episode of their epic journey, the vagabonds, clownish characters, create a world from almost nothing. With three tarpaulins and two pallets, they travel, imagining a way to escape.
8 p.m. – NIKI DE SAINT PHALLE. ACTION-SPECTACLE
L’Embrayage à paillettes Company / with Thomas Oudin / duration: 40 min
A clownish and offbeat performance, highly interactive, presented like a game, a fairground attraction, addressing the life and work of the artist Niki de Saint Phalle in a light yet profound way.
8:45 p.m. – VAGABONDS (EPISODE II)
Le Grand Large Company / duration: 12 min
The vagabonds are two and have nothing. Almost nothing, but that's not going to break them. No, the vagabonds are here to tell stories, have fun, love, and hate each other.
9 PM – OPEN STAGE
Duration: 40 minutes
A vibrant and witty open stage where clowns will deliver improvisations, burlesque poetry, and bursts of laughter in a joyful and quirky atmosphere, under the watchful eye of Prunelle de la Gourde.
9:45 PM – VAGABONDS (EPISODE III)
Le Grand Large Company / Duration: 14 min
The vagabonds are here to live a dream life, a fantasy life. They are here to remind us of the small light at the end of the tunnel that is there, somewhere, in the hidden corners of dreams.
10 PM – MAZARINE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
L’Embrayage à paillettes Company / with Nathalie Masséglia / Duration: 60 min
Mazarine is campaigning for the upcoming elections. Since 2014, this clown has been playing the role of a traditional candidate, crisscrossing the French regions. It adapts to any venue, any election, and offers a turnkey meeting solution.
[Times are approximate! Sometimes laughter, more than expected, makes us late.]
The Uzine à Gag Festival is an unmissable annual event in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, dedicated to contemporary clowning and burlesque arts. Organized by the L’Embrayage à paillettes company, this festival offers a rich and varied program, showcasing innovative shows and offbeat performances.
🎭 A contemporary clown festival
The festival takes place primarily in the Jardin de l’Olivaie, a verdant setting ideal for open-air performances. Previous editions have featured shows such as MÉMOIRE(S) DU NOUS by the Cie Tabouret Siamois, FRONTIÈRES by the Cie Boutaïni and L’Embrayage à paillettes, and COUAC by the Cie Les Débrouillardises. These performances explore a variety of themes, blending humor, poetry, and reflections on the human condition.
📅 Next edition
The next edition of the Uzine à Gag Festival is scheduled for Friday, June 12, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., once again at the Jardin de l’Olivaie. The festivities will kick off in Place Marinoni at the bandstand. The program includes contemporary clown performances, participatory workshops, and activities for all ages.
🌟 A unique artistic experience
The Uzine à Gag Festival is distinguished by its friendly atmosphere and its commitment to promoting original artistic forms. It offers artists a platform to experiment and share their vision of the world through the lens of contemporary clowning.
For more information and to discover the complete program, you can visit the official website of the organizing company: Compagnie de L’Embrayage à paillettes
