May 2-3 2026 at Artois Expo, Saint-Laurent-Blangy. Two days of manga, anime and cosplay culture. Cosplay contest, artists alley, video game zone, screenings and live performances. Open Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm.

European Night of Museums at the Centre Historique Minier de Lewarde!

📅 Saturday May 23, 2026, from 7pm to midnight
📍 Centre Historique Minier — Fosse Delloye, Route de Douai, 59287 Lewarde

For the 22nd edition of the European Night of Museums, the Centre Historique Minier opens its doors in the evening for a fun-filled celebration — free entry. Programme at the Fosse Delloye: 💃 Grand rigodon folk dance | 🎪 Acrobats and street performers | 🏭 Guided night tours of the mine

Free admission. An unforgettable evening in one of France’s most authentic mining heritage sites.

At the Louvre-Lens: a journey to the Orient with ‘Beyond the Thousand and One Nights’!

📅 March 25 to July 20, 2026 — ongoing exhibition
📍 Louvre-Lens — 99 Rue Paul Bert, 62300 Lens

The Louvre-Lens presents ‘Beyond the Thousand and One Nights. Stories of Orientalisms’: nearly 300 masterpieces for a fascinating journey through time and cultures. From Paris to Isfahan, from the Alhambra to Cairo, discover how Western artists were inspired by the Orient.

Free admission for under 26s. A unique cultural event in the heart of the mining basin.

The Louvre-Lens invites you to the doors of the Arabian Nights until July 20
📅 From March 25 to July 20, 2026 (current exhibition)

📍 Louvre-Lens, 99 rue Paul Bert, Lens (62300)

The Louvre-Lens is hosting an exceptional exhibition until July 20, 2026: “Beyond the Thousand and One Nights. Histories of Orientalisms.” Nearly 300 major works await you in this fascinating dive between East and West.

For the first time, masterpieces from the Louvre’s Department of Islamic Arts are leaving Paris to come to Lens. The exhibition traces, from the Middle Ages to today, how forms, imaginations and knowledge circulated and were transformed between the two shores of the Mediterranean.

A chronological and critical approach, enriched with French and Belgian collections, which invites us to question cultural representations and millennia-old exchanges. Stories, shows and workshops for young and old complete the program throughout the exhibition.

Find the entire program and reserve your tickets directly on the official Louvre-Lens website. The museum is open every day except Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A great opportunity to combine an extraordinary cultural visit with a stroll in the city of Lens and its mining history. Share this outing with your loved ones!

📅 Until May 31, 2026
📍 Museum of Fine Arts of Cambrai, 15 rue de l’Épée, 59400 Cambrai

Are you looking for an original family outing before the end of May? The Cambrai Museum of Fine Arts is hosting a unanimously acclaimed exhibition: “The mysteries of the universe in LEGO® bricks”.

Spectacular models recreate planets, galaxies, black holes and cosmic phenomena entirely constructed from small colored bricks. Space, often complex to understand, here becomes accessible and fascinating for everyone — from the youngest to adults.

The exhibition combines the fun and creative aspect of LEGO with an educational approach to astronomy. A successful marriage between art, science and imagination, in the beautiful rooms of the Cambrésis museum.

Cambrai is easily accessible from Valenciennes, Douai and the entire mining area. A great opportunity to combine a visit to the exhibition with a stroll in this city of art and history.

Information and timetables on agendaculturel.fr

Hurry: the exhibition closes on May 31. To share with all LEGO and science lovers!

On June 6, 2026, the Lewarde Historical Mining Center hosts an exceptional theatrical performance: “The miners’ strike”. A show performed on the very site of an old mining pit — a strong moment, full of emotion and memory.

The play plunges the audience back into the tense atmosphere of social conflicts in the northern coal basin. The struggle of miners for their rights, their working conditions, their dignity: so many universal themes that still resonate today, in the villages and families of the mining area.

Performing theater in a real pit, with authentic buildings in the background, is something unique. We are not in the theater — we are in history. This immersion makes the performance even more powerful and moving.

The Lewarde Historical Mining Center is the largest mining museum in France, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and hosts numerous cultural events each year to bring this exceptional heritage to life.

Practical information:

Saturday June 6, 2026 — Fosse Delloye, Lewarde (59287)

Information and reservations: 03 27 95 82 82 — chm-lewarde.com

An event not to be missed. Share it with those around you — this story is ours!

If you are looking for an exceptional cultural outing in the mining area, look no further. Until July 20, 2026, the Louvre-Lens is hosting the exhibition “Beyond the Thousand and One Nights”, a breathtaking visual journey between East and West.

With nearly 300 masterpieces brought together for the occasion, the exhibition explores the circulation of forms, objects and imaginations between two worlds which have mutually influenced each other, from the Middle Ages to today. We discover how Western artists were fascinated by the Orient, and how this enthusiasm has shaped centuries of art and culture.

From rugs to Persian miniatures, calligraphies to European orientalist paintings: each room is a surprise. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Monday.

Prices: €12 / €6 (18-25 years old and teachers) / Free for under 18s.

To find out everything about timetables and guided tours, go to the official Louvre-Lens website.

An exhibition to share with family or friends, just a stone’s throw from home. Take advantage before July 20!

The Louvre-Lens opens the doors to a fabulous world this spring. Until July 20, 2026, the exhibition “Beyond the Arabian Nights. Stories of orientalisms” awaits you in Lens.

Imagine nearly 300 major works brought together in the museum: paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, miniatures… All celebrate this dream of the Orient which has fascinated Western artists for centuries. Great masters rub shoulders with contemporary artists, from the 17th century to today.

The exhibition explores the multiple perspectives on the Orient: sometimes exotic, sometimes fantasized, often misunderstood. It invites us to think about how the arts have constructed — and deconstructed — these images. A rich journey, accessible to all, which combines wonder and reflection.

And the setting is not insignificant: the Louvre-Lens, with its large, bright galleries and modern architecture, offers a perfect setting for this trip. The museum is easily accessible by train from Lille, Arras or Douai. Entrance to the temporary exhibition is chargeable, the Galerie du Temps remains free.

For families, special activities are offered on weekends and during school holidays. Do not hesitate to consult the complete program on the museum website before your visit.

An exhibition not to be missed in our mining area this summer. Share the information with your loved ones and prepare your visit now!

📍 Louvre-Lens — 99 rue Paul Bert, 62300 Lens

📅 Until July 20, 2026

🔗 More information: www.louvrelens.fr

Mark a red cross in your diary for August 28, 29 and 30, 2026: Béthune Rétro returns for its 23rd edition! The town center of Béthune will once again be transformed into a time machine, heading back to the 1950s and 60s.

For three days, all of Béthune lives to the rhythm of rockabilly, swing and rock’n’roll. On the program:

47 free concerts on several open-air stages in the city’s streets and squares
A vintage market with retro clothing, accessories, vinyls and 50s decor
Exhibitions of vintage cars: hot rods, American convertibles and vintage European vehicles
A competition of elegance for the most beautiful models
A unique atmosphere: residents and visitors dress up in costumes, hairdressers offer retro cuts, the windows play the game

It’s the largest rockabilly festival north of Paris, completely free, and it’s in Béthune — just a few kilometers from the mining basin. A golden opportunity for a memorable outing with family or friends.

To follow the news of the festival and its upcoming program: official website of the City of Béthune.

Take out the polka dot skirts and cowboy boots — Béthune Rétro is the place for summer!

In Lens, the Louvre-Lens museum is offering an extraordinary exhibition until July 20, 2026. Beyond the Arabian Nights — Stories of Orientalism invites you on a fascinating journey between East and West, through nearly 300 masterpieces.

The exhibition explores how forms, imagination and knowledge have circulated between cultures over the centuries. Paintings, sculptures, decorative arts and precious manuscripts come together to tell the story of these exchanges. A rich program, designed for all audiences, from the very curious to the confirmed art lover.

The Louvre-Lens is also a remarkable building located on the old slag heaps of the mining basin, a stone’s throw from the mine shafts listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Coming here is to experience a double journey: that of art and that of the industrial history of the North.

The museum is open Monday to Sunday (except Tuesday) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To find out more and reserve your tickets, go to the official Louvre-Lens website.

And you, when are you going there? Share this article with your loved ones!