The 57th edition of Les Rencontres de la Photographie transforms Arles into one of Europe’s most important photography destinations from 6 July to 4 October 2026.
Every summer, Arles becomes a city of images. Photographs appear in former churches, historic buildings, museums, gardens and contemporary art spaces, creating a festival that is as much about the experience of moving through the city as it is about individual exhibitions.
The 2026 edition takes place under the theme “Des mondes à relire”, or “Worlds to Reread.” Its programme brings together historical archives, contemporary practices and perspectives from across Africa, Europe and the wider photographic world. This year’s festival includes 47 exhibitions across 28 venues, with almost 4,000 works on display.festivalenfrance+1
Here are ten exhibitions to prioritise during a summer visit.
1. Ghana! Dreaming of Independence 1957–1976
Presented at the Palais de l’Archevêché, this exhibition explores photography during a decisive period in Ghana’s modern history. The years following independence were marked by political transformation, cultural confidence and the emergence of new visual narratives.
Rather than presenting photography simply as a record of events, the exhibition considers how images helped shape a country’s public identity and collective memory. It is an essential stop for anyone interested in photography, decolonisation and post-independence visual culture.beauxarts+1
2. William Klein
William Klein’s work has had an enormous influence on street photography, fashion photography and the visual language of the modern city. His photographs are often energetic, direct and deliberately unconventional, capturing the movement and contradictions of urban life.
The Arles presentation focuses on his American photography and offers an opportunity to revisit the work of one of the twentieth century’s most recognisable photographic voices. His expressive use of blur, contrast and unusual framing continues to feel remarkably contemporary.beauxarts+1
3. Paul Kodjo: Photoromance
Paul Kodjo’s Photoromance, shown at La Croisière, brings attention to the history of photography in Côte d’Ivoire. The title suggests a relationship between documentary photography, storytelling and the popular visual culture of the city.
This exhibition is particularly relevant to the festival’s wider interest in rediscovering overlooked photographic histories. It offers a chance to encounter a practice shaped by local experience rather than by the traditional European photographic canon.festivalenfrance
4. Sammy Baloji: Prism Landscape: A Katangan Journey
Sammy Baloji’s work frequently examines the relationship between landscape, memory, colonial history and extraction. In Prism Landscape: A Katangan Journey, these questions are explored through the region of Katanga and its complex industrial and political past.
The exhibition at the Église des Trinitaires is a strong example of how contemporary photography can combine archive, landscape and historical research. It asks viewers to look at place not as neutral scenery, but as something shaped by power and memory.beauxarts+1
5. Katia Kameli: The Algerian Novel — A New Chapter
Katia Kameli’s project at the Église Saint-Blaise takes inspiration from the many ways Algerian history and identity have been narrated. The title’s reference to a “new chapter” suggests an ongoing process of rewriting, questioning and recovering stories.
The exhibition fits closely with this year’s theme of rereading worlds. It is an important choice for visitors interested in literature, migration, colonial history and the relationship between image and national memory.festivalenfrance
6. Thato Toeba: Everyone Can Be Lucifer
Presented at Salle Henri Comte, Thato Toeba’s exhibition brings a contemporary perspective to the festival’s international programme. Its provocative title raises questions about identity, morality, transformation and the stories societies tell about individuals.
This is one of the exhibitions to seek out for a view of emerging contemporary photography within the wider Rencontres programme. It demonstrates the festival’s balance between established names and newer artistic voices.festivalenfrance
7. Animal Model: 200 Years of Photography
At La Mécanique Générale in LUMA Arles, this exhibition looks at the representation of animals across two centuries of photographic history. The programme brings together historical and contemporary images, including work by artists such as Lucien Clergue, Martin Parr, Jacques Henri Lartigue and Sebastião Salgado.
The subject may appear familiar, but animal photography opens up larger questions about observation, classification, intimacy and the human relationship with the natural world. It should appeal to visitors interested in photography, environmental themes and visual storytelling.connaissancedesarts+1
8. Flora, featuring Edward Steichen
The Flora section at the Jardin d’été explores the photographic representation of plants and the natural world. Edward Steichen’s work provides a historical point of reference, while the wider presentation connects botanical imagery with changing ideas about beauty, nature and cultivation.
For visitors who enjoy still life, botanical photography and quiet compositions, this should be one of the most visually accessible exhibitions in the programme. It also offers a moment of calm within a festival known for its large number of intense and historically charged exhibitions.festivalenfrance
9. Flower Power
Flower Power, presented at the Jardin d’été, brings together contemporary approaches to flowers, landscape and ecological imagination. The exhibition includes work by Matei Bejenaru, Suzanne Lafont, Alice Pallot and Anaïs Tondeur.
Flowers function here as more than decorative subjects. They can suggest fragility, resistance, biodiversity and the way human beings construct images of nature. This makes the exhibition especially relevant to current conversations about ecology and the changing relationship between people and the environment.instagram
10. Vitreous Body
Shown at the Cloître Saint-Trophime, Vitreous Body brings together the work of Yasmine Chemali and Lara Tabet. The exhibition explores the body through photographic and visual strategies that move between the personal, the material and the political.
Its presentation in a cloister adds another layer to the experience. The contrast between the historic architecture and contemporary photographic work reflects one of the defining qualities of Arles: images are constantly placed in conversation with the city’s past.instagram
Beyond the official programme
A visit to Arles should not stop with the official Rencontres exhibitions. The Festival OFF brings together more than 200 exhibitions across 150 venues, many of them free to visit. It offers an opportunity to discover emerging photographers, independent projects and unexpected installations throughout the city.festivaloffarles+1
The wider programme also includes events at LUMA Arles and other cultural venues. This makes Arles especially rewarding for visitors who prefer to explore without following a fixed museum route.
Planning your visit
The festival runs from 6 July to 4 October 2026, with the main exhibitions generally open daily during the summer season. A pass covering the official exhibitions is listed at €42, while a day pass is available for visitors with limited time.festivalenfrance+1
For a first visit, allow at least two days. Begin with the exhibitions in the historic centre, then set aside time for LUMA Arles, the Jardin d’été and the Festival OFF. Comfortable shoes are essential: the pleasure of Rencontres d’Arles lies partly in walking between venues and discovering how each space changes the way the photographs are experienced.
Why Arles matters
The enduring appeal of Rencontres d’Arles lies in its range. It brings together celebrated photographers, rediscovered archives, emerging artists, political histories, environmental questions and experimental contemporary practices.
For anyone interested in art, photography and visual culture, the 2026 edition offers more than a list of exhibitions. It is an invitation to look again—to reconsider familiar images, recover neglected histories and see how photography continues to reshape the way we understand the world.
Exhibition dates, venues and ticket information should be confirmed through the official Rencontres d’Arles website before travelling.
