2024 Olympic Games: Discover the programme for the Cultural Olympiad
As part of the Olympic Games in Marseille, the City of Marseille has also organised events for the national Cultural Olympiad initiative. This rich programme is being held in emblematic locations across Marseille for the time of the Olympics and beyond.
Exhibitions, film screenings, performances, participatory workshops, and many other events explore the links between art and sports, as well as their shared values of friendship, respect, the quest for excellence, inclusion and accessibility, cultural diversity, and universalism.
Free exhibitions in Marseille’s museums
AT THE [MAC] MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, FRAC SUD, AND MUCEM
Des exploits, des chefs-d’œuvre : Tableaux d’une exposition - until September 8, 2024
Victory and defeat, trophies and relics, liberation and alienation, domination and protest, racism and colonialism, and much more. These are just some of the themes explored in this exhibition of paintings, drawings, and photographs.
AT THE MARSEILLE ARCHIVES
Champion ! Une histoire populaire du sport - until September 27, 2024
To coincide with the 2024 Olympic Games, Marseille’s municipal archives are offering a people’s history of sport that examines how sporting culture was born in Antiquity and then reinterpreted in contemporary times. Coins, medals, sculptures, old books, archive documents, photographs, and models retrace the history of sports and its champions.
AT THE MUSÉE D'ARCHÉOLOGIE MÉDITERRANÉENNE
Pentathlon Antique, Pentathlon 2024 - until September 29, 2024
Discover the history of the pentathlon and its five competitions. One of the oldest sporting disciplines, the pentathlon evolved with the advent of the new Olympic Games initiated by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1896 and will change once again in 2028.
AT THE CHÂTEAU BORÉLY - MUSÉE DES ARTS DÉCORATIFS, DE LA FAÏENCE ET DE LA MODE
Le grand bain - Ou comment bien se (dé)vêtir au soleil 1940-2000 - until January 5, 2025
Seaside fashion echoes the Olympic Games and the sailing competitions that will be taking place in Marseille’s bay. This exhibition features a selection of men’s, women’s and children’s swimwear, beachwear and sportswear. From functional unisex suits of the 1930s and 1940s to offbeat couture creations of contemporary designers, Le grand bain traces the evolution of social mores and fashion trends through the history of swimwear and reveals how to (un)dress well in the sun!
AT THE MUSÉE D'HISTOIRE DE MARSEILLE
Marseille et le sport, corps et histoires en mouvement - until January 5, 2025
From the first strokes of the racket on the Jeu de Paume court on Rue Thubaneau in Marseille in the 17th century to the giant fresco of Zinedine Zidane’s on the Corniche, how did we go from traditional local games to organised sports practised by a few aristocrats to mass global phenomena where players are so well known that they contribute to the city’s reputation and form an integral part of its heritage?
Cinema in extraordinary locations
AT THE ALCAZAR LIBRARY
Films on sport - July 2 to 12, 2024
A series of screenings of emblematic films about sports as part of the “Once upon a time in cinema” project and the summer cinema programme. There will be both English films with French subtitles and French films, so check the schedule to see if an understanding of French is required to enjoy the film.
AT THE CHÂTEAU DE LA BUZINE
Film series: The Olympic Games & The 7th Art - Sundays at 18h, from July 7 to September 1, 2024
Throughout history, the Olympic Games have been a source of sporting triumphs and intense emotions, but they have also been witnesses to history... Relive these incredible stories on the big screen of the Château de la Buzine through a series of summer Sunday films. Check the schedule to see if an understanding of French is required to enjoy the film.
Find out about many other free events that are accessible to everyone via the links below! (in French)