Le Musée en fête

Original compositions, improvisations, performances and astonishing machines will be on the programme for 20 July 2025.
On the theme of "Mechanical Music and Drawing", it will be an opportunity to unveil Pablo Picasso's restored mechanical piano, and the release of the first comic strip on mechanical music by Félix Meynet.


This year, the Museum of Mechanical Music is celebrating on July 19 and 20, 2025, with the theme "Mechanical Music and Drawing." Activities, shows, organ players, and concerts will be on the program!

Discover the collection's new masterpiece: Pablo Picasso's fully restored mechanical piano.

Discover even more new features with the unveiling of the first comic strip on mechanical music by Félix Meynet.

Saturday Program
SATURDAY, JULY 19
3:00 PM: First tour of the Museum on the theme of Mechanical Music and Spain.

4:00 PM: Presentation of the latest acquisitions that have enriched the Museum's collection over the past year and unveiling of a rare Louis XVI period trumeau.

4:30 PM: Discovery of the latest creation from the Manufacture d'utopie des Ets Dynamogène, "La CarmenCycletta" (International Mechanical Flamenco), Place Limonaire. Then, launch of the outdoor musical entertainment.

5:00 PM: Lecture on the incredible journey of Jacquet-Droz (clockmaker and automaton creator) from the Swiss Jura to the Court of the King of Spain, by Denis and Audrey, in the Museum's Cinema Room.

6:00 p.m.: Guided presentation of the exhibition on “Mechanical Music and Drawing”, Imperial Gallery of the Museum.

6:30 p.m.: Tribute to Spain, mechanical music, and drawing with the Compagnie Le Pétillon and caricaturist François de Méré, Place Limonaire.

7:00 p.m.: Welcome drink to the sound of organs, Place Limonaire.

8:30 p.m.: Mécanophone parade from the wooden horse carousel O to Place Limonaire.

9:15 p.m.: Vexations Mécaniques 1.0.1 – an encounter between a man and a machine – by the Compagnie Max Ollier. A performance based on the play by Eric Satie, a friend of Picasso. These two artists lived at the same time in Montmartre, at the Théâtre de verdure.


Sunday Program
SUNDAY, JULY 20
9:30 a.m.: Music and songs awaken the Old Village.

9:45 a.m.: Unusual musical devices parade from the Carousel to Place Limonaire: CarmenCycletta, Sound Machine, and Mécanophone.

10:00 a.m.: Official opening of the day, Place Limonaire.

10:15 a.m.: Unveiling of Pablo Picasso's Mechanical Piano, to the sound of trumpets in the presence of its restorers, in the Museum's Cabaret Room.

10:30 a.m.: Presentation of the first comic book on Mechanical Music: "Ballade Mécanique aux Gets," by its author Félix Meynet, at the Museum's Guinguette.

10:45 a.m.: Performance "Music and Drawing Duo" with Laure Pauthex (singer-storyteller) and Aurélie Vuillermoz (visual artist). A pre-cinema experience with image projection, animated by songs accompanied by a barrel organ and a music box. Arranger and notator of the punched cards: Jonathan Mathis, Museum Cinema Room.

11:00 a.m.: Vexations Mécaniques 1.0.1 – an encounter between a man and a machine – by the Compagnie Max Ollier. A performance based on the play by Eric Satie, a friend of Picasso. These two artists lived in Montmartre at the same time. Open-air theater.

11:30 a.m.: “Music and Drawing Duo” performance with Laure Pauthex (singer-storyteller) and Aurélie Vuillermoz (visual artist). A pre-cinema experience with image projection, animated by songs accompanied by a barrel organ and a music box. Arranger and notator of the punched cards: Jonathan Mathis, Museum Cinema Room.

12:00 p.m.: Catalan Sangria with musical entertainment from the “Cafeteria” by the Compagnie Le Pétillon, Buvette de la Place.

2:00 p.m.: Music and entertainment resume in Place Limonaire and on Rue du Vieux Village.

2:15 p.m.: “Music and Drawing Duo” performance with Laure Pauthex (singer-storyteller) and Aurélie Vuillermoz (visual artist). A pre-cinema experience with image projections, animated by songs accompanied by a barrel organ and a music box. Arranger and notator of the punched cards: Jonathan Mathis, Museum Cinema Room.

2:30 p.m.: Vexations mécanique 1.0.1 by the Compagnie Max Ollier. Performance based on the play by Eric Satie, a friend of Picasso. These two artists lived in Montmartre at the same time. Open-air theater.

3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: Signing session for the comic book "Ballade Mécanique aux Gets" and the "Musée en fête 2025" collection poster by Félix Meynet (illustrator and scriptwriter of numerous comics) in the Reading Tent.

3:15 p.m.: "Music and Drawing Duo" performance with Laure Pauthex (singer-storyteller) and Aurélie Vuillermoz (visual artist). A pre-cinema experience with image projections, animated by songs accompanied by a barrel organ and a music box. Arranger and notator of the punched cards: Jonathan Mathis, Museum Cinema Room.

3:30 p.m.: Special "Discovery of Nice Instruments" tour of the Museum's collection. A special tribute will be paid on this occasion to the Nallino Manufacture, which created the Mechanical Piano acquired by Picasso at the Café de la Tonnelle in Vallauris for his villa de la Galloise. Cabaret Room of the Museum.

4:00 p.m.: Mechanical Vexations 1.0.1 – an encounter between a man and a machine by the Max Ollier Company. A performance based on the play by Picasso's friend Eric Satie. This work was designed to be played 840 times in a row, or between 14 and 24 hours! Open-air theater.

4:15 p.m.: Excerpts from cartoons featuring mechanical musical instruments, in the Museum's Cinema Room.

4:30 p.m.: Explanation of the design and creation of the CarmenCycletta by its artist-workers from the Dynamogène workshops, in front of the Church.

4:50 p.m.: Welcome on the front of the Church with a serenade by Bruno De Blasiis.

5:00 p.m.: Concert in the church during Spanish time, with the Aeolian Philharmonic Organ in automatic mode.

5:45 p.m.: Performance "Music and Drawing Duo" with Laure Pauthex (singer-storyteller) and Aurélie Vuillermoz (visual artist). A pre-cinema experience with image projection, animated by songs accompanied by a barrel organ and a music box. Arranger-noter of the perforated cards: Jonathan Mathis, Museum Cinema Room.

6:00 p.m.: The three girls from the Compagnie Carton Jaune, before closing the chapter for good... - present "Amor, Amor, Amor..." in the presence of the caricaturist-portraitist François de Méré. Open-air theater.

7:00 p.m.: Meet at the Carousel. The Carousel organ will play "Espana" and then signal the closing parade with "Adios Muchachos" (Goodbye Children). Musical machines, organ players, and street singers will march up Rue du Vieux Village to Place Limonaire.

7:30 p.m.: Spanish musical aperitif with street singers and their organs, at the Square's refreshment bar.

9:00 p.m.: Evening entertainment with the CarmenCycletta and the Pétillon at the "Cafeteria" – Flamenco and Tango galore! Place Limonaire.

10:30 p.m.: Final fireworks display to the sound of the Mécano-phone and its 42 horns. Place Limonaire.

Continuous Program
ACTIVITY SITES
The wooden horse carousel, listed as a Historic Monument, and its sulkies, Place de la Mairie.

Magic tricks based on Picasso and comics with Bruno de Blasiis and his organ, Place Limonaire.

The Musicaluminous caravan of the FlonFlon Company on the street at the entrance to the Festival.

Randy's fairground organ next to the Presbytery.

The Orgalion on its old truck at the foot of the museum entrance stairs.

The chalet for tasting Spanish products, Place Limonaire.

The refreshment bar on the square.

The makeup workshop with Mam'Zelle Pastel, Place Limonaire.

The Book Tent, selling books including the comic book "Ballade Mécanique aux Gets", Place Limonaire.

AAIMM (Association of Friends of Mechanical Music from France and several European countries) booth, featuring instruments that once belonged to celebrities and can play their songs, Impasse du Musée.

Rue du Vieux Village features the companies "Duo Manivelle et cartons", "Les Romanp'tit Cœurs", etc., as well as organ players and street singers.

MOBILE ANIMATIONS
The Stromboli Company's sound machine.

The CarmenCycletta by Ets Dynamogène (International Flamenco Mecanico). A double-pedaled tricycle-carriage with percussion, bell, flamenco guitar, and more. A co-production between the Théâtre de Nîmes and the Musée de la Musique Mécanique des Gets.

The Mécanophone, saved by the Compagnie Tryphon and the Musée de la Musique Mécanique in 2024. An infernal machine with 42 trumpets and a 125-decibel output, all mounted on a 1935 Citroën truck (90th anniversary!).

Our painter on wheels, Patou, will come from Spain to tour the Vieux Village with his cart and brush. He will capture the festival, the artists, the streets, and more.

The ambassador of Les Gets in Montmartre, Bernard Beaufrère, Minister of Rural Guards for the Republic of Montmartre. François de Méré, talented portrait caricaturist from the Butte.

The Spanish Flamenco Dancers Olea.

EXHIBITIONS

Mechanical Music Museum open continuously from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with tours related to Spain.

"Mechanical Music and Drawing" in the Museum's Imperial Gallery.

Children's drawings with mechanical musical instruments, at the Manège chalet.

Original drawings by Félix Meynet for the comic book album "Ballade Mécanique aux Gets" in the Reading Tent.

Patou's panels retracing nearly a quarter of a century of events surrounding Mechanical Music in Les Gets, exhibited outdoors.

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