What is the Festival d'Avignon?
In September 1947, the actor and director Jean Vilar staged a week of theatre in Avignon, the walled city in Provence where the popes lived in the 14th century. He wanted to bring theatre out of Paris and to a broad, new audience, and he set the stage in the Cour d'honneur, the great courtyard of the Palais des Papes. The Festival d'Avignon became France's oldest existing festival, and one of the most important theatre festivals in the world.
Every July, for about three weeks, the official festival, known as the In, presents theatre, dance and performance by companies from France and around the world, with premieres, long-awaited productions and new names. Its most famous venue is still the Cour d'honneur, where performances under the stars, against the walls of the papal palace, are among the great experiences of European theatre. The festival's other venues range from cloisters and chapels to quarries outside the city.
Alongside it runs the Off, an unofficial festival begun in 1966, which has grown into a vast open market of performances. Hundreds of companies rent small theatres, halls and courtyards across the city, playing several times a day, and promote their shows by handing out flyers and performing in the streets. In July, the whole of Avignon becomes a theatre, its walls covered with posters.
In 2026 the festival celebrated its 80th edition, with the In and the Off running on the same dates, from July 4 to 25.
What to expect
The festival runs for about three weeks in July, with performances from morning until after midnight.
Mornings
The city wakes
Morning shows in the Off start early, and the streets fill with performers in costume handing out flyers and acting out scenes to attract audiences.
Afternoons
Shows and the heat
Dozens of Off shows run in small air-conditioned theatres, while the squares and cafés of the old town fill with festival-goers comparing notes and planning their evening.
Nights
The Cour d'honneur
The biggest In productions start after dark, when the Cour d'honneur of the Palais des Papes is lit up for performances under the summer sky, often running past midnight.
A street band during the Festival d'Avignon
Photo by jean-louis zimmermann / flickr · CC BY 2.0
Planning your trip
Getting there
Avignon has a high-speed TGV station, about two and a half to three hours from Paris, and a central station just outside the city walls. Marseille airport is about an hour away. The old town is compact and best explored on foot; leave the car outside the walls.
Where to stay
Hotels and apartments inside the walls are the most convenient, but they fill early and prices rise in July, as many are taken by the visiting companies. Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, across the Rhône, and towns nearby, such as Arles and Nîmes, are good alternatives.
What it costs
Tickets for the In are moderately priced, with discounts for young people. Off shows are cheaper, and a discount card is sold for the Off. Accommodation is the main cost; staying outside the walls or in nearby towns saves money.
Go like you know
- Many In productions are in French, though some have surtitles in English; check the programme before booking.
- Visit the Palais des Papes by day to see the courtyard without the stage.
- Walk onto the Pont d'Avignon, the half-bridge of the famous song.
- Eat late, like the festival crowd: restaurants in the old town stay busy until well after the evening shows end.
- Keep the flyers you're handed; they're the best guide to what's on in the Off each day.
- Edinburgh's Festival Fringe, in August, is the world's biggest open-access arts festival.
- Paris's Fête de la Musique, on June 21, opens France's summer of festivals.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Festival d'Avignon?
For about three weeks in July. In 2026, the 80th edition, it ran from July 4 to 25, with the Off on the same dates. The 2027 dates are announced by the festival, usually with the programme in the spring; expect early to late July.
What is the difference between the In and the Off?
The In is the official festival, with a curated programme of theatre and dance in major venues such as the Cour d'honneur. The Off is an independent, open festival, where hundreds of companies stage their own shows in small venues all over the city.
Do I need to speak French?
It helps, as most shows are in French. But the festival also presents international productions, some with English surtitles, and dance, circus, music and street performances need no translation. Check each show's listing for its language before you book.
