Paris has a way of bringing different worlds together; different sounds, backgrounds, and influences shaping the city. When we started putting together this year's TONES of PARIS, running between October 22nd and 24th, we wanted to create something that reflected that.

TONES isn’t only about the artists on stage, but about the people and places behind the music, the ideas that keep culture moving, and what happens when different worlds meet in the same room.

That’s why we’re working with people who know their corner of Paris inside out. From our venue, Union de la Jeunesse, helping shape the experience beyond the performances, to collectives creating new spaces for music and conversation, every collaboration has a story behind it. And we wanted to share a little more about those stories with you.

First up, Union de la Jeunesse.

Union de la Jeunesse is more than our venue; it’s a place with its own history and identity, a true landmark in Paris.

Originally home to Tati, the iconic French department store founded by Jules Ouaki in 1948, the space became renowned for its affordable textiles and distinctive branding, transforming the fashion landscape from its base in Paris’s 18th arrondissement, a neighbourhood shaped by generations of immigrant communities. Following the store’s closure in 2020, Youssouf Fofana reimagined the space as the headquarters of United Youth International, a design and development programme and collective dedicated to providing Parisian youth with technical skills, mentorship and a supportive community to help them pursue their ambitions in the arts.

After being our TONES of PARIS home base in 2025, this time around, their team will curate a series of workshops that invite everyone to get involved.

Over three hands-on sessions, from the 22nd to the 24th, attendees will get to explore music and culture through instrument-making, vinyl cover art painting, and dance. The idea is simple: creativity is something to participate in, not just to observe. It’s about making things with your hands, expressing yourself, learning something new, and connecting with the people around you.

In addition to his contributions to Union de la Jeunesse, Youssouf’s brand, Maison Château Rouge, will collaborate with Levi’s on a Customisation Station from the 22nd to the 24th, where attendees can personalise Levi’s pieces with exclusive designs inspired by the brand’s distinctive visual language.

And returning to TONES, a few fan favorites with a twist.

First, TONES Lobby will be back as your place to kick back, with a special barbershop pop-up by Brian the Barber.

Second, from the 22nd to the 24th, to continue our 10th anniversary celebrations, we’ll present archive footage, stories and reflections from COLORS alumni Yamê, La Rvfleuze, Aya Nakamura, Pomme, Krisy, Ibeyi, Jolagreen23, Angèle, Tiakola, Ichon and Lous and the Yakuza– a peek into some of France’s most influential artists’ time with us on the SHOW.

During the workshops and daytime events,  Sixtion’s, Ensemble’s and Kalyhouse will soundtrack the rooms of Union de la Jeunesse’s ground floor from the 22nd to the 24th.

Since 2019, Sixtion has been creating spaces for Afro-descendant and Afro-Caribbean music and culture, bringing together DJs, producers and creatives while connecting different corners of the underground scene. What started as an event collective has grown into something beyond the party itself: a platform for emerging sounds, cultural exchange and knowledge-sharing.

On the 22nd, Ging.Her finds another way to tell a story about Paris through music. The platform explores identity through music, culture and art, with a particular focus on the female experience. For TONES, they’ll present Paris is a Mixtape, a living mixtape exploring the cultural collisions that continue to shape the city’s sound and identity.

Through live performances from (D)Juno and LYNN, DJ sets from Blokys and Nana Buluku, and conversations with Rhoda Tchokokam, LYELE and Neefa, the evening highlights heritage, experimentation and contemporary expression. Ging.Her present a chance to learn about the stories, influences and ideas that shape the culture, tracing how music travels between generations, places and experiences.

Of course, no TONES would be complete without getting closer to the artists whose work inspires us.

We’ll also be stepping into the world of “Devotion”, the new short film by COLORS alum anaiis. Following a screening on the 23rd, anaiis will sit for a Q&A discussing the ideas and influences behind the project, before anaiis performs a stripped-back set, and Céline Dessberg steps up for a DJ set.

We’ll be spending an intimate evening on the 24th with one of the most exciting emerging artists in the French music scene: Ino Casablanca, who hit our stage just two weeks ago. In an exclusive live performance, audiences will be the first to hear the deluxe version of his celebrated album “EXTASIA” live.

And to close things out, Sixtion will bring everyone together one last time for a night of music and dancing.

Looking at the programme as a whole, there’s a reason we’ve brought these particular people together. Each collective, artist and space brings something different to the table, but they all share a desire to create, connect and make room for culture to keep moving forward.

That’s what we want TONES of Paris to feel like: a meeting point for the people shaping the city’s sound, and for everyone curious enough to step into their world.

See you in Paris!