The festival market - France (2024)

1.2 Trends in the European music festival market

In ****, the European Festivals Association published its latest report on the state of festivals in Europe. This sector has suffered greatly from the covid crisis: in **** and **** many festivals were deprogrammed, and health restrictions weighed heavily on these events. The year **** was still very much marked by difficulties in terms of recruitment and participation, and was difficult for many festivals and related organizations. The summer of **** was difficult for many festivals because of the rising costs that are hitting the party and festival scene. The Festicket website, rather small in France but a major player in festival ticket booking in the UK, went into receivership in ****. The bankruptcy of this major ticket sales site impacted many festivals, which did not receive payments from the platform, and many users were unable to download their tickets. [***]

However, we're almost back to normal in ****, with many events recording record ticket sales, many festivals sold out, staff recruitment problems also resolved, and the lifting of health restrictions worldwide has seen a resumption of artist tours. As a result, **% of European festivals sold out, and **% of events sold more than **% of their tickets.

Festivals' main concerns for **** Europe, in ****, in Source: ****

But this encouraging year is ...

1.3 Rising attendance supports French market

The festival market in France is highly segmented, making it difficult to estimate its size. In fact, there were **** festivals in France in ****, with around **% of them dedicated to contemporary music, **% to live entertainment (***) and the rest to other themes such as cinema, comics...

As in the case of the European festival market, French festivals suffered heavy losses and deprogramming during the covid period, difficulties that spilled over into **** and greatly weakened the sector. In ****, we saw a resurgence in festival attendance, with * in * music festivals selling out. But the main challenge facing the festival sector is the rise in production costs, notably due to the increase in artists' fees. For example, **% of festivals in France report an average **% increase between **** and ****. Between **** and ****, insurance costs also rose by **%, and private security costs by **%. Rising production costs are weighing on the budgets of French festivals, **% of which announced in **** that they would be raising prices again in ****. Since ****, festival ticket prices have already risen faster than inflation on average.

Festivals are also highly sensitive to the vagaries of the weather, and are already experiencing difficulties due to storms, floods and fires, which are increasingly frequent during the summer season. This type ...

2.1 Live performances in France and demand for festivals

Demand for live entertainment

A survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the French Ministry of Culture in December **** reports on the behavior of the French towards live entertainment. The scope of the survey is much broader than that of festivals, and only takes music festivals into account, although it does provide information on consumption trends for cultural and festive activities in France. It also includes music, theater and comedy festivals.

What types of performances do the French attend? France, in ****, in %

Young people make up the majority of those who attend different types of shows and festivals at least once a year. Not only are there disparities in consumption according to the type of live performance, but also according to the socio-demographic profile of the consumer, and in particular his or her age. Indeed, the youngest population categories are the most likely to attend a live performance: **% of **-** year-olds and **% of **-** year-olds claim to attend a live performance at least once a year, but conversely, only **% of the over-**s attend this type of cultural event.

Share of the population attending a live performance at least once a year, by age group France, ****, in % Source: ****

Finally, the main reasons ...

2.2 Festival attendance

Gece has published its **** barometer of music festival and concert-going practices, giving a typical profile of frequent festival-goers.

Male/female breakdown : the majority of festival-goers are men.

Male/female breakdown of festival-goers France, ****, in % Source: ****

Geographical origin of festival-goers: in ****, geographical proximity to the festival was a factor in attendance, with **% of festival-goers coming from the same département.

Geographical origin of festival attendees France, ****, in Source: ****

Breakdown by age group: the average age of visitors is **, but a wide range of age groups is represented in France. This is relatively balanced, but the **-** age group is still the most represented at festivals.

Festival attendees by age group France, ****, in % Source: ****

There is an over-representation of people in the CSP+ category at festivals. Indeed, **% of festival-goers are CSP+, **% are CSP- and **% inactive.

Breakdown of festival-goers by socio-professional category France, in ****, in Source: ****

Audience renewal and loyalty : in ****, most festival-goers were loyal, having attended at least once (***), but audience renewal remained high, with **% of visitors on average.

First-time festival attendance rate France, ****, in Source: ****

however, there are differences depending on the type of festival:

for classical music, jazz and world music festivals, nearly **% of visitors have been to a festival before for ...

2.3 The growing importance of respect for the environment for spectators

The environmental impact of the shows and festivals they attend is a growing concern for the French. Indeed, **% of those surveyed by HarrisInterractive say that this is an important aspect for them, a figure that rises to **% and **% for **-** and **-** year -olds. This number has not really changed since ****, when **% of French people considered it important.

Importance of shows' and festivals' commitment to the environment France, in ****, in Source: ****

The measures most eagerly awaited by spectators are waste sorting, preservation of the site where the event takes place, waste reduction (***) and good management of water resources. All these measures are all the more important at festivals, where most people stay for several days and live on site. Importance of each of the proposed measures to reduce the environmental footprint France, in ****, in Source: PRODISS Only **% of those questioned said they were well informed about the measures taken by festival organizers to limit their environmental impact. Perceived level of information on measures implemented by organizers to limit environmental impact France, in ****, in % Source : PRODISS **% of French people say they would be prepared to give up going to a show or festival if the measures put in place are insufficient, and ...

2.4 Focus on music festivals

Tous les Festivals presents an overview of the most popular festivals in ****. Only paying current music festivals are taken into account, having welcomed more than **,*** people in less than ** days(***).

After two years strongly marked by the Covid crisis and a slow recovery of cultural activities in ****, in a sector impacted impacted by the crisis and inflation, in **** music festivals are once again enjoying stable attendance levels, and some seem to be generating unprecedented enthusiasm among their audiences. However, although one festival in four sold out its **** season, all are sounding the alarm bell in the face of production cost increases that are difficult to overcome, and the complex balancing act between accessibility and financial profitability.

The number of festival-goers in France is estimated at ****,*** in **** .

attendance figures for the *** biggest music festivals in France, **** - ****, in millions of festival-goers Source: ****

The most popular festivals in **** were the Festival interceltique de Lorient with ***,*** attendees in total, the Fête de l'humanité with ***,*** festival-goers and Les Vieilles Charrues with ***,***. The year **** was marked by very good attendance for many festivals. Indeed, **% of festivals said they had a record year, and * festival in * was sold out. **% of them welcomed between *,*** and **,*** festival-goers, and ...

2.5 Some demand trends and highlights

Recordings of shows and festivals

surprisingly, festivals are not just about live experiences: **% of French people say they have watched a recording of a show or festival in the past year in ****. This figure is higher among **-** year-olds, where it rises to **%.

Survey: have you watched a show or festival recording in the last ** months? France, in ****, in Source: ****

Television remains the preferred viewing medium. Festival footage is not a major source of revenue for organizers, but it does give visibility to the festival and is appreciated by the public. Survey: in the last ** months, have you ever watched or listened to a show or festival broadcast on these platforms? France, in ****, in % Source : PRODISS The under-**s are much more likely to watch reruns or live recordings on the internet: **% on free internet and **% on pay-per-view.

Virtual reality at shows

Over **% of spectators are interested in the integration of interactive or augmented reality experiences into shows and festivals, with even greater interest among younger audiences. The **-** age group is the most interested (***).

French interest in virtual reality experiences at shows and festivals France, in ****, in Source: ****

among those who say they are interested (***), **% are prepared to pay more ...

3.1 Sector organization

Simplified traditional festival value chain diagram

The producer creates the show/festival in collaboration with the artists. It also takes the financial risk by investing in the festival (***).

Olympia Prod, for example, is a subsidiary of the Vivendi group, which produces four festivals: Garorock in Marmande, Les Déferlantes Sud de France in Argelès-sur-Mer, Live au Campo in Perpignan and the Brive festival. MIALA is another example of a producer.

For their part, festival organizers take care of :

artistic programming of the event designing and setting up the venue (***) communications and ticket sales

An often-fragile business model for festival organizers: Among the *** festivals belonging to the Prodiss union, the net margin (***) for festival organizers was *.*% in ****, compared with *.*% for the market sectors as a whole.

There may also be a broadcaster who relays the performance.

However, it is not uncommon to have multi-activity players such as the La Frontera Production association, which produces and organizes the Les Déferlantes current music festival in Argelès-sur-Mer (***).

Festivals are affected by rising operating costs, with **% of festivals reporting a loss-making **** edition. This point will be developed in section *.*[***]

Authorization difficulties for certain festivals

Despite a record number of admissions in ****, the organizers ...

3.2 Segmentation and player dynamics

Capital links between major groups and leading contemporary music festivals:

In ****, a study examines the presence of certain major groups in the contemporary music festival sector.

Many festival takeovers are part of a global strategy by groups to be present across the entire value chain by diversifying their activities, sometimes internationally.

Through vertical integration, some groups become both :

producers festival owners ticketing publishers or distributors media players

One of the negative consequences mentioned by the study is the risk of price increases, as well as :

the fee for a well-known artist increased by **% between **** and **** standardization of the offer

Source: ****

The majority of festivals are nevertheless independent - but many face financial problems. Many therefore rely on public subsidies. By emphasizing their proximity to local communities and the economic benefits they bring to the region, it's not difficult to receive grants.

Possible distribution according to certain criteria:

Les Echos reports on a study by SoF that divides festivals (***). These variables include :

offering (***) audience size volunteer rate weight of artistic expenses in total expenses budget subsidy rate

* major "families" are thus established - with a wide diversity of profiles, as the following graph highlights.

Source: ****

Festivals can be financed by production ...

3.3 Inflation weighing on the festival sector

**% of music festivals are reporting a loss-making **** edition, with an average deficit of €***,***. With an average of €***,*** in own reserves, or just **% of the average overall budget, concerns about cash flow are compounded by those about the sustainability of a business model that has reached its limits.

Share of artistic budget in contemporary music festivals France, in ****, in Source: ****

Organizers note widespread inflation, with several illustrations. Over **% of festivals are facing an increase in their artistic budget between **** and ****, on the order of +**% on average. In ****, the artistic budget represented **% of the average overall budget, with a **% increase in this budget between **** and **** among member festivals. All festivals also deplore a sharp increase in hospitality costs, with unreasonable and excessive riders. An increase in insurance costs of +**% between **** and ****, raises many concerns due to growing risks, sometimes making full coverage impossible. Private security costs rose by **% between **** and ****, reaching an average of **,*** euros. [***]

selected festival costs between **** and **** France, ****-****, in % Source: ****

According to TousLesFestivals, which doesn't just take music festivals into account, over **% of festivals have suffered from the rise in technical costs, and **% have suffered from the rise in artist fees. In fact, */* of them say they have spent ...

3.4 Analysis of the most popular contemporary music festivals

average age of festivals :

Some **% of France's *** biggest contemporary music festivals were founded less than ** years ago.

Even so, some festivals have enjoyed a long life, relying on the reputation they have acquired over the years to survive. La Fête de l'Humanité is the oldest festival, having been created in **** under the Front Populaire, even if its political dimension has greatly diminished - the Tous Les Festivals ranking thus considers it a festival of musique actuelle.

Breakdown of the *** biggest contemporary music festivals by creation date France, ****, in Source: ****

Festival specialization and differentiation:

While most music festivals have no particular theme, **% do (***) and *% have a theme other than music. The latter are often committed festivals:

either ecologically , like We Love Green politically , like the Fête de l'Humanité or for their"solidarity" aspect, like Solidays.

Top *** music festivals by theme France, ****, in Source: ****

3.5 Geographical distribution of festivals

Source: ****

Looking at the map, the areas with the most festivals are the southern half of France and Ile de France. The high concentration of festivals in the southern half of France can be explained by the fact that they are often held during the summer vacations, as the rest of this section highlights.

Brittany is the region most represented by current music festivals , according to Tous les Festivals' ranking of the *** biggest current music festivals.

Share of the *** biggest music festivals taking place between July and August France, ****, in Source: ****

**% of festivals take place in July, with a large proportion also in August.

4.1 Festival typology

Festivals can exist on a wide variety of themes, and there are no restrictions per se on the theme of a festival. There is even a fishing festival: the Festival des filets bleus in Concarneau, Finistère, created in **** and celebrating its ***th edition this year. Here are a few common types of festival:

music festivals film festival comic strip festival theater festival gastronomy festival literature festival

The French Ministry of Culture lists *,*** festivals in France (***), a far higher figure than in neighboring countries: the UK has around *,***, Italy around *,*** and Germany *,***.

Breakdown of festivals by field France, ****, in Source: ****

Performing arts festivals make up almost three-quarters of the events surveyed according to these criteria: music festivals account for around **% and theater, dance, street arts, circus arts, storytelling and comedy festivals for almost **%. These events are distinguished by the diversity of the artistic forms and periods they cover. Music festivals, for example, cover a wide range of genres, including early (***).

Number of festivals by attendance France, in ****, as % of total Source: Cour des Comptes - Festivals et territoires This diversity is also reflected in the size of festivals: **% attract fewer than *,*** people, while *% attract more than **,***.

4.2 Analysis of festival organizers' main revenues and expenses

Francefestivals compiles an activity report for **** by analyzing a sample of festivals. This report has not been renewed in subsequent years, so we have only limited information on festival expenditure and revenue since ****.

Breakdown of main festival expenses (***)

Artistic and technical aspects dominate, accounting for over half of expenses.

Breakdown of festival spending by type (***) France, ****, in Source : Francefestivals NB: the total is ***%, as this is an average per expenditure category

Festival spending has exploded since ****, with a **% increase in the average artistic budget between **** and ****. Insurance and security expenses have also risen sharply.

Details of main revenues (***):

On average :

own resources represent **% of revenues, i.e. an average of nearly €***,*** subsidies **%, i.e. an average of almost €***,*** (***) other" resources" nearly €**,***

Details of our own resources are given in the following chart, with the figures corresponding to the average percentage that each item represents in the budget of each festival.

Own-resources revenue breakdown France, ****, in Source: ****

overall, compared with ****, there have been a number of significant changes:

increase in ticket sales: + **%, mainly due to higher attendance figures increased sponsorship and patronage: +**% thanks to the brand image cultivated by festivals increased subsidies from local authorities: +**%

These data should not mask the heterogeneity ...

4.3 Pricing analysis

A **** study by Weezevent on festivals in Europe provides good information on the evolution and pricing of festivals in France. Festival ticket sales underwent significant changes in ****. In France, the average price of a standard day ticket rose by *%, from €** in **** to €**. This trend was also reflected across Europe, where the average price reached €**.**, up *% on the previous year.

It should be noted that the average ticket price in **** varies significantly according to festival size and type, with variations of up to -**% (***) for urban festivals.

For attendees seeking a premium experience, **% of festivals offer premium tickets including VIP access, sometimes with exclusive benefits. This strategy illustrates organizers' recognition of a market segment willing to pay more for exclusive experiences. VIP tickets not only represent an additional source of revenue for organizers, but also meet a demand for personalized service and superior comfort. [***]

Beverage sales

evolution of festival beverage prices France, ****-****, in euros Source: ****

In France, the average price of a standard ** cl beer has risen by *.*% compared to ****, reaching €*.**. This rise is also seen at European level, where the average price is €*.**, indicating an overall increase of *%. Premium beer accounts for **% of total beer consumption, indicating a growing appeal ...

4.4 Increasingly committed festivals

Male/female parity in the artists presented on stage is a direction that **% of festivals say they are taking. However, there is a marked disparity between these declarations and the actual performances, with only *% of festivals featuring **% or more ***% female artists or groups. **% of festivals say they are working on improving their welcome for people with disabilities.

Perception and reality of male/female parity on stage France, in ****, in Source: ****

In its annual report on the festivals under its jurisdiction, the Syndicat des Musiques Actuelles details the various commitments made by music festivals in ****.

Commitments made by SMA festivals France, in ****, as a % of total Source: ****

Thus, we can see that **% of festivals attach particular importance to the emergence of new artists, more than three-quarters of members have at least one person responsible for ecological transition issues, and **% of organizers have at least one person responsible for environmental issues. cological transition, and **% of event organizers have set up communication campaigns, training courses, prevention stands and reporting applications to prevent and combat sexist and sexual violence.

In addition, member structures are increasingly turning to pooling and mutual aid, notably through federative and collective projects such as Safer, a system for preventing sexist ...

5.1 General regulations

Organizing a festival is subject to certain regulations and legal obligations:

if the festival is to be held in a public space and/or attracts more than *,*** people, a declaration or request for authorization must be submitted to the appropriate authority apply for additional authorizations if a refreshment stand or bar is set up (***) broadcasting or performing musical works requires SACEM authorization and payment of broadcasting rights security and installation of compliant facilities are also required - the formation of a security team may be required in the case of large festivals insurance is mandatory

Source: ****

Noise regulations

For a number of years now, regulations have been multiplying and becoming stricter, entailing costs that are often difficult for teams to assume. When it comes to noise regulations, the number of noise impact studies (***) requested is on the rise, despite the technical challenges and problems of application. to date, it is clear that the existing sound equipment pool, as well as the skills and training of our teams, cannot meet the very high standards required by the regulations. The industry is ready to get organized, but this will require time, consultation, financial resources and innovation.[***]

Decree of August *, **** on the broadcasting of ...

5.2 The festivals' sustainable development charter

The Festivals Sustainable Development Charter, updated in ****, reinforces festivals' commitments to sustainable development in France. It focuses on several key areas.

First, it emphasizes environmental commitment. Festivals are encouraged to reduce their carbon footprint by minimizing CO* emissions, promoting the use of renewable energies, and optimizing travel for artists, audiences and technical crews. Resource management is also crucial, with strategies aimed at reducing consumption of water, energy and raw materials, while promoting recycling and waste reduction. In addition, the charter emphasizes the preservation of biodiversity, raising participants' awareness of the need to protect nature, particularly on festival sites located in natural areas.

In terms of social and economic commitment, the charter promotes accessibility and inclusion, making festivals accessible to people with disabilities and encouraging diversity. Festivals are encouraged to build strong relationships with local stakeholders, supporting short circuits and the local economy. It is also important to improve working conditions for employees and volunteers, ensure respect for workers' rights and promote equal opportunities.

Awareness-raising and education are also key aspects of the charter. The aim is to inform and educate the public about the challenges of sustainable development through awareness campaigns, workshops and concrete actions on site. In addition, the training ...

6.1 Positioning

• Vivendi
• Fimalac Entertainment
• Live Nation France
• Ticketmaster France
• Morgane Groupe
• Sony Music Entertainment France
• Auditoire (Omnicom Experiential Group)
• Novelty Magnum Dushow Groupe
• Du Show
• TF1 Production
• Videlio
• Shortcut Events
• Radical Production
• Maestria Events