Avignon Festival

A popular and contemporary artistic adventure

Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar (French actor and theater director), the Avignon Festival is today one of the most important contemporary performing arts events in the world.

Every year in July, Avignon becomes a city-theater, transforming its architectural heritage into various performance venues, majestic or surprising, welcoming tens of thousands of theater-lovers (over 100,000 admissions!) of all ages.

Its legendary space is the “Cour d’honneur” (main courtyard) of the Popes’ Palace, the heart of outdoor performances, for nearly 2,000 spectators, on summer nights in Provence. The spectators see a few of the 40 or so shows, mostly plays and dance recitals and occasionally concertsor plastic arts events. The Festival successfully brings together a general public and international creation for an original alliance.

Avignon is also a state of mind: the city is an open-air forum where festival-goers discuss the shows and share their experiences as spectators. For a month, everyone can have accessto a contemporary and living culture.