Myceliads 2026: When Science Fiction Takes Root Across France
From January 31 to February 15, 2026, the Science & Fiction Festival "Les Mycéliades" returns for its fourth edition themed around Resiliences. Cinemas and media libraries join forces in over 80 cities to imagine, together, the possible futures.
A fourth edition that promises to be abundant
After three years of germination, Les Mycéliades are digging even deeper. The festival, co-steered by the ADRC and Images en Bibliothèques, hits the road (and the shelves) for a new immersion blending cinema, books, comics, and video games.
The idea remains true to the DNA of the project: to create bridges between the imagination and the scientific approach, without losing that little thrill unique to grand science-fiction epics.
Dates to note (and to underline)
From January 31 to February 15, 2026, the Mycéliades galaxy will unfold simultaneously in more than 80 cities across metropolitan France and its overseas territories.
Two full weeks where cinemas and media libraries, paired in twos, will roll out tailor-made programming.
Each establishment retains its freedom: some will focus on the great classics, others on discovery, but all will advance under the same banner.
An unprecedented network of cinemas & media libraries
The well-established principle relies on a network collaboration: a screen, a library, and curiosity as the sole compass.
Screenings interact with workshops, masterclasses, and sometimes even LAN parties. One moves from a dark room to a panel discussion without changing streets. The result: an audience that navigates, exchanges, and often leaves with the desire to extend the session by turning the pages of a novel (or a manga) found just twenty meters away.
Resiliencies: The Common Thread 2026
This year, the theme "Resiliences" unfolds in three shades:
- collapses: when disaster upends the established order,
- human resistances: how societies reorganize in the face of chaos,
- the protection of the living: preserving what can still be preserved.
Three approaches, then, but one underlying question: what do we do after the storm? The festival is intended to be a laboratory, not a classroom; everyone will come to draw their own paths.
Now Showing: From Nausicaä to Mad Max
On the big screen front, the selection plays a kaleidoscope of options. Viewers can shiver at "Last Train to Busan," revisit the scorching road of "Mad Max," or soar with the creatures of "Nausicaä." The complete list spans post-apocalyptic horizons ("Snowpiercer," "Soylent Green") as well as space odysseys ("Apollo 13"). Not to mention short films spotted by the Short Film Agency, perfect for shaking up the imagination in just a few minutes.
Guests from all creative planets
To animate debates and meetings, the festival brings together a plethora of authors, videographers, illustrators, or scientists. Some names are already making the rounds: the comic book artist Mathieu Bablet, astrophysicist Roland Lehoucq, novelist Catherine Dufour, and the videographers from Calmos. The idea, once again, is not to deliver a lecture but to spark discussion, leaving the screening with a head full of questions... and perhaps a bit more hope.
Opening weekend at the Forum des images
Paris will kick off a special weekend at the Forum des images. Event screenings, meetings, and surprises are announced. Of course, nothing prevents you from joining the celebration elsewhere: from Créteil to Noisy-le-Grand, from Montreuil to Gonesse, the Île-de-France will be in tune, before seeing the wave move up (or down) towards other regions.
An intergalactic map for orientation.
With over 80 bright spots on the radar, an appropriate tool was necessary: the official website offers an updated "intergalactic map". You click, you zoom in, you locate your favorite cinema, and then you're walking on the sidewalk within minutes. The local schedules will all be uploaded by mid-January, according to the team. In the meantime, the festival's YouTube channel has already started to release teasers and interviews.
Nota Bene
Resilience: a term borrowed from both ecology and social sciences. It refers to the ability of a system (human or otherwise) to absorb a shock and rebuild itself. The festival explores it through the lens of fiction, without claiming to settle the debate.
Media Library: a cultural space hosting books, comics, CDs, video games... and, increasingly, screenings or digital workshops.
Ready for the trip?
Myceliad 2026 will make screens and bookshelves vibrate, and hopefully, our collective ability to imagine a tomorrow. Nothing stops you from nibbling, binge-watching, or just saying hello. One thing is certain: for fifteen days, science fiction will be everywhere we expect it... and especially where we don't. For practical information, the appointment is set on the official website. Mark your calendars, the journey begins soon!
