On July 14, France's National Day, the Mexican government and the French Embassy announced "La Gran Fiesta Franco-Mexicana," a program that will deploy around 200 cultural events across 21 Mexican cities from September 1 to November 30, marking two centuries of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
France was the first European power to recognize an independent Mexico. The agreement underpinning this celebration was reached in November 2025 by President Claudia Sheinbaum and President Emmanuel Macron. The program was officially presented by Deputy Foreign Minister María Teresa Mercado and French Ambassador Delphine Borione, according to La Jornada. The initiative spans eight thematic pillars: performing arts, exhibitions, film, books and publishing, the French language, debates and ideas, gastronomy, and professional exchanges.
Among the flagship exhibitions is "Francia-México: 200 años de relación y amistad. Resonancias, disonancias y contrapuntos," which opens on September 1 at the Biblioteca Vasconcelos with 52 documentary panels, and "Las formas de la energía," a selection of 40 works from the Centre Pompidou in Paris (currently closed for renovation) that will open on November 12 at the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, according to El Universal.
The codex exchange stands as one of the program's most symbolic gestures: Mexico will send the Códice Boturini to the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, while France will loan the Códice Azcatitlán to the Museo Nacional de Antropología. The museum will also host the international symposium "Los códices: últimos avances de la investigación" in late September.
On the literary side, Nobel laureate Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio will present "Tres entradas a México" at the Feria Internacional del Libro de Monterrey, joined by Emmanuel Carrère with his most recent work. The performing arts program features the Comédie-Française, a theatrical adaptation of "El acontecimiento" by fellow Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux, and the contemporary dance piece "Room with a view" by French collective (LA)HORDE, which will tour Jalisco, Guanajuato, Mexico City, and Nuevo León.
France will be the guest of honor at the Festival Internacional Cervantino, and the program extends to the Guadalajara and Zócalo book fairs as well as the Morelia Music Festival. The full calendar of 200 events is available through the official channels of the French Embassy and the Institut Français d'Amérique Latine (IFAL).
This article was produced with AI assistance from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.