Festivals are back without health restrictions this summer. Good news for the organizers at first sight. But between the intermittent labor shortage (many of whom have turned away from the profession during Covid), the glut of supply and the explosion in production costs, anxiety is gnawing at the sector.
Like every year, the Interceltic Festival of Lorient, It has been launched since Friday 5th August, It is one of the busiest areas in France, with approximately 800,000 people in front of the theaters. For this 2022 edition, behind the scenes, it is the organizational costs that explode above all else. “We are about 500,000 euros increase. Still a lot on a budget of 7.3 millionJean Peters explains.
TheThis year’s summer meetings have gone through episodic turbulence, heat wave, and torrential rainArtists canceled due to Covid-19 – but most of them are structural. The list of growing expenses continues to grow. “We have no choice but to assume, these are situations we can’t let go of at the festival‘,” explains Nadège Couroussé, Director of Production at King Arthur Festival.And the Organized at the end of August Brial Sauce Montfort, In Ille-et-Vilaine.
“Between fuel increases, food increases, materials increase, insurance increases, it’s all very big.”
Nadège Couroussé, Director of Production at King Arthur . Festivalfranceinfo
On the Interceltic Festival side, the organizers had a nasty surprise, the cancellation of the Irish delegation. “At the last minute, a few days before the festival, the company refused because the negotiated price was no longer interesting. So we took a lot, about 100,000 euros on it ”, Sorry for Jane Peters. But for the head of the festival, there is no question of giving in to the Irish delegation. “If you have no more Irish, it is no longer an inter-denominational festival“, breathes.
To survive, festivals take it upon themselves to provide the best experience for festival goers. Some develop care. “There are about 500 festival partner companies with us”, confirms Julien Sauvage, director of the Cabaret Vert Festival, in Charleville-Mezières (Ardennes). But this is not necessarily defensible in the long term:” CThanks to that we clearly got out of it. But at some point, it will have its limits. And then, today’s ticket price, I think, will be a real question“. What clearly raises the question “Economic Model of Our Events”, Loose Julien Sauvage. Already fragile economic model. Today, in order to be profitable, refueling is now mandatory. According to him, “Festivals can’t bear less than 90-95% filling rate“.
Two years into the pandemic, music festivals, now facing inflation, are struggling to recoup their costs – report by Arthur Fradin
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