The 2026 Napoléon Prize celebrates the vitality of a still living heritage

By bringing together researchers, artists, journalists and history enthusiasts, the event, the Napoléon festival, under the leadership of its founder David Serero, brought Napoleonic memory to life on February 14 and 15, 2026 at the Club de l’Étoile in Paris.

This 2026 edition offered a dense program, at the crossroads of history, creation and debate of ideas. The public was able to discover the reading of the play Sultan Bonaparte by Ahmed Youssef, in which David Serero slipped into the skin of the young general with enthusiasm. Another highlight: a captivating conference by Pierre Mollier shed light on the little-known links between Napoleon and Freemasonry, exploring the intellectual and symbolic networks of the First Empire.

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The festival also celebrated the premiere of the biographical film dedicated to Serge Lama, directed by Serero in homage to the artist who, in 2023, received the Prix Napoléon for his musical comedy inspired by the imperial epic. Without forgetting the interventions of Prince Joachim Murat, who came to evoke the memory of his ancestor, and Michael Kazadi, who offered a unique look at the relations between Napoleon and the African continent.

Napoleon Bonaparte, a historical reference

The highlight of the festival, the Prix Napoléon ceremony, like every year, brought together a large audience to salute those who work to bring history to life. Among the 2026 winners were our colleague Yves Thréard, distinguished for his journalistic work and his view on historical transmission, as well as Louis Sarkozy, rewarded for his essay The Empire of Books and his desire to include Napoleonic thought in the contemporary debate. Alongside them, Fabien Lecoeuvre, Marie-Hélène Fabiani, Michael Kazadi, Pierre Mollier and Nicolas Nadel were also honored.

All of them have in common that they have recalled that interest in Napoleon, far from being a simple object of fascination, remains a ground for reflection on power, ambition and French memory. In a friendly atmosphere, the evening ended with a cocktail, a moment of exchange between historians, journalists and artists united by the same passion. This 2026 edition confirmed it: Napoleon continues to be talked about, not as a frozen myth, but as a living mirror of our time.