BETWEEN HERITAGE AND MODERNITY... TOULOUSE, A CITY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Toulouse is located in the heart of the South-West, on the banks of the Garonne and the Canal du Midi, with a privileged geographical location between the Mediterranean, the Pyrenees and the Atlantic. It is the third largest city in France with an urban area of 1.4 million inhabitants, one of the two main metropolises in Occitanie and the capital of the Haute-Garonne department.
Its historic centre is home to some remarkable monuments: the Saint-Sernin basilica, a jewel of Romanesque art, and a unique work of engineering art, the Canal du Midi. Another exceptional ensemble is the Jacobins convent, a typical Southern Gothic building. The Capitole, an impressive classical-style building that has become the city hall, has housed the Opera since 1818. In 2019, Toulouse was awarded the Ville d’art et d’histoire label by the Ministry of Culture.
Last year, the famous travel guide publisher Lonely Planet ranked Toulouse as the top city to discover in the world in 2025.
After the 1st opus of the urban opera, "Le Gardien du Temple", the streets of Toulouse were once again the stage for a major street show, "La Porte des Ténèbres", imagined by François Delaroziere, with 1.2 million visitors.
Home to the Airbus Group and the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Toulouse is a stronghold of the European aeronautics and space industry. Its history and economic development have been linked to flight since the pioneers of Aéropostale, a century ago. Toulouse is also a city of excellence in digital and scientific research thanks to engineering schools, universities, start-ups and laboratories.
Toulouse loves the future, and it's here that the world of tomorrow is being designed. The Muséum, the Quai des Savoirs, Aeroscopia, the Envol des Pionniers and the gardens of the Muséum are emblematic sites dotted around the city. Witnesses to the scientific and technological epics of the past and present that have left their mark on the city, they invite those curious about nature, science and extraordinary human adventures to explore the city according to their passions.
At the crossroads of technology, entertainment and the graphic arts, the Halle de la Machine houses the stables of the company of the same name.
In 2023, Toulouse was designated ‘City of Music’ by UNESCO. In Toulouse, music is essential, from the most sophisticated to the noisiest. Music is a permanent live experience in the city with its historical concert venues. Toulouse is a city where you can learn (with its bicentenary Conservatoire), experiment and cross-fertilise music.
The extent of musical taste and practice has generated demanding but ever-enthusiastic audiences. The city has earned an international musical reputation with the Orchestre National du Capitole, the operas and ballets of the Opéra National du Capitole, along with its major events: Piano aux Jacobins, Toulouse les Orgues, Rio Loco, Mekanic Paradise, Les Siestes, Festival de Toulouse and Rose Festival.
Toulouse is committed to the cinema, with four Art et Essais cinemas and France's second-largest Cinémathèque, and a new cinema, La Forêt électrique, which stands out for its innovative approach, unique in France, which combines distribution and creation by placing artists and the creative process at the heart of its project.
The Pink City hosts almost 30 festivals throughout the year. They showcase foreign cinema, emerging talent, heritage works and genre films. Each film festival is an opportunity to create a festive atmosphere with concerts, shows and discussions with directors and actors.
If you add events like the Marathon des Mots (reading festival), the Biennale des arts vivants, the Nouveau Printemps (contemporary art), as well as some thirty theatres, Toulouse offers a cultural life of rare density and diversity.
