Avignon Off Festival: 1.6 million tickets sold, audience present but a darkening future
With two days to go until the end of the 59th edition of the Avignon Off Festival, the attendance figures released this Thursday are good. This success cannot completely overshadow the decline in cultural budgets throughout France.
By Sylvain MerleFrom the very first days, regulars remarked: "The public is here." Everywhere, in the halls, in the streets and on the terraces, Avignon was full during these three weeks of the festival , we noted. This impression confirmed by the figures of the preliminary assessment unveiled this Thursday, July 24 by the Avignon Festival and Companies association (AF&C) which coordinates the event. Based on the ticketing data reported by approximately 60% of the theaters, 1.6 million tickets were sold between July 5 and 26 out of the 2.6 million offered.
In 2024, the association estimated that approximately 1.5 million tickets had been sold. On Ticket'Off, the festival's sales platform—which represents between 10 and 15 percent of total purchases—there was a 40 percent increase in sales, from 203,000 in 2024 to 290,000 this year. Each spectator purchased an average of six tickets. According to estimates, the 139 Off theaters have an average occupancy rate of around 50 to 60 percent, with peak attendance occurring in the second week, from July 14 to 21.
Le Parisien
