Grand Ball of Youssou N'Dour
Mbalax, African music and world music · Paris, France
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The festival
Every year since 2000, Paris has had its ball: at Accor Arena (Bercy), Youssou N'Dour, the king of the Mbalax, gathers the African diaspora for a night of reunion, dance and pride — the annual meeting of the African diaspora in Paris, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2026.
For this anniversary, Guinea was the guest of honour of the edition of October 17, 2026, played with closed windows: the African Ballets of Guinea, an emblematic troupe of more than 40 members, presented an unprecedented creation, following a Guinean delegation led by the Minister of Culture, Moussa Moïse Sylla, and the Minister of Youth, Lansana Béa Diallo.
And when, at the time set for the end, the sono was cut off, Youssou N'Dour refused to go down to the stage to offer his fans a final title: the Grand Ball is a party that is always overflowing.
Good to know
No single official website is confirmed for the Grand Bal: Festival TV follows the event via the press (Wannel TV; Gnakrylive; Kawtef; GabeGabe224) — see our article "On the Front Page" on the 2026 edition.