A grand ball marks 70 years of Alliance Française de Delhi

As they say, dancing is always a good idea. That spirit filled the evening as Alliance Française de Delhi hosted its Grand Ball 2026, marking 70 years since its founding in 1956. The celebration returned to The Imperial Hotel, venue of the centre’s first Grand Ball, and brought together members of the diplomatic community dressed in shades of red, gold and black.

‘70 YEARS AGO, THE FIRST BALL OF ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE TOOK PLACE EXACTLY HERE’Patricia Loison , Director of Alliance Française de Delhi, reflected on the significance of the evening. “Seventy years ago, the first ball of Alliance Française took place exactly here. So if you see a ghost, don’t be shy – it’s a nice ghost,” she joked. About the centre’s mission, she added, “We come together, we dance together, but at the end of the day, six young people who had never envisioned studying French became part of Alliance Française. Through ‘French as a Life Changer’, we were able to fund one year of French language studies for six brilliant underprivileged students this past year.”

Inviting French Ambassador Thierry Mathou to the stage, Patricia said, “When I had the opportunity to come here, part of my mission was to create something dazzling. The gentleman who inspired me to work on this idea has been a constant source of support, and I hope you all have a dazzling evening. Please welcome the Ambassador of France.”
With the speeches over, the evening quickly shifted into celebration mode.