Planétarium de l'Espace Mendès France

At 1 place de la Cathédrale, in central Poitiers, the Espace Mendès France, a science culture centre (CCSTI), runs its own planetarium: a dome with 96 seats under a projected sky of more than 4,000 stars. The planetarium is the astronomical heart of a venue devoted to sharing scientific culture.

The dome is not reserved for astronomy alone: concerts, artist residencies and projections also make it a creative and performance space. The public programme is built around ticketed sessions with their own names, such as Ciel du soir, Noisettes and Au-delà du Système solaire (Beyond the Solar System), all bookable online via Billetweb.

The experience is simple and direct: you take your seat in a 96-seat hall, the lights go down and a sky of more than 4,000 stars unfolds overhead, spread across the curve of the dome. The programme brings together titled sessions, Ciel du soir, Noisettes and Au-delà du Système solaire (Beyond the Solar System) among them: each one is a separate show under the same vault.

The dome also lives a second life as a stage: concerts, artist residencies and projections turn the starry ceiling into part of the performance. Some of these events are free, opening the planetarium to an audience beyond the ticketed sessions.