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Summary
The global festival market, particularly music festivals, was booming until it faced a significant downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the industry to a standstill in 2020. In France, prior to the pandemic, there was a 26% increase in the number of festival-goers for the top 100 festivals, with major groups like Vivendi and Live Nation investing in the sector. However, the pandemic led to the cancellation of 85% of major current music festivals, with an estimated direct economic impact between €383 million and €535 million.
Despite the challenges, there is hope for recovery as nearly 95% of festivals surveyed by All Festivals wish to continue in 2021, albeit with reduced capacities, and 81% of festival-goers are reportedly willing to pay more. The geographical distribution of festivals in France is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with Brittany being the most represented region for current music festivals. Overall, the market saw a substantial growth trajectory which was abruptly interrupted by the pandemic, yet there are signs of resilience and willingness to adapt among both organizers and attendees.
French Festival Market Trends and Audience Insights
The festival scene in France, specifically the music festival market, has become an integral part of the country's cultural fabric, with a significant proportion, over half, being music festivals. These events have been attracting an increasing number of attendees, with a 26% jump in the number of festivalgoers, hitting close to 7.5 million for the top 100 festivals. This boom signifies the French populace's strong inclination towards music-related festivities. Festival attendance patterns reveal a sense of loyalty among attendees, with 62% having been to at least one festival before, while around 38% are newcomers. The loyalty is starker when observing that on average, attendees have been to around 10 previous editions. However, most attendees, more than 70%, tend to participate in less than 15% of a festival's programming.
When dissecting the profile of festival audiences, a majority are women, mirroring a broader cultural engagement pattern in France. Geographic proximity also plays a key role, with over half of the participants hailing from the same department as the festival. Age distribution suggests a varied demographic but with fewer attendees in the 35-50 age range. Youth is more pronounced at current music festivals, while jazz and classical music festivals appeal significantly to older demographics. Motivations to attend festivals extend beyond the programming, as 42% of participants were not familiar with the artists prior to engagement. Factors like socializing and experiencing a collective euphoria play substantial roles, particularly among younger audiences.
The French music festival market before the Covid-19 crisis was characterized by steady growth, diversification, and substantial investments by big groups like Vivendi and Live Nation, indicating corporate interest and the potential for commercial expansion. The average festival generates around 54% of its revenue from tickets, with sponsorship and local government grants being other vital revenue streams. Regulations govern these cultural gatherings, mandating declarations or authorizations for public space usage and adherence to safety, licensing, and rights-related legalities.
Despite the robust structure and significant demand, the Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted the market, compelling cancellations and adaptations like virtual events and anticipations of reduced capacity gatherings in the post-pandemic period. In summary, the French festival market is a vibrant and evolving industry that attracts millions each year and is marked by a diverse and loyal audience.
Though it faces challenges and is subject to regulatory compliance, its steady growth pre-pandemic indicates a resilient potential .
Main Players in the French Festival Market
The French festival market is vibrant and diverse, with a range of players contributing to its dynamism. These entities span from production powerhouses to specialized organizers, each playing a significant role in shaping the experiences that festivals offer to attendees. They leverage their unique capabilities to ensure festivals are not only musically enriching but also operationally successful.
- Live Nation: Known as one of the giants in the live entertainment industry, Live Nation is a key player with a substantial footprint in the festival market. The company has extended its reach by acquiring various festivals over the years. Their complete ownership of the popular Lollapalooza festival since 2017 is a testament to their dominant position. Further, Live Nation's ownership of TicketMaster signifies its involvement in comprehensive festival experiences from staging events to ticketing.
- Vivendi: This French conglomerate has made strategic investments within the festival landscape, aiming to diversify and control every aspect of the festival experience. By fully acquiring Garorock in 2019 and also investing in the production arm via Olympia Production, Vivendi exemplifies its integrated approach to festival organization.
- Sony: On the lookout for opportunities that resonate with its brand, Sony has invested significantly in the festival sector. Their 33% investment in the eco-friendly We Love Green festival in 2014 showcases their commitment to participating in events that share a strong identity and ethos.
- Morgane Group: Not just content to produce festivals such as Printemps de Bourges, Morgane Group has expanded its media presence through investments in Morgane Presse, thereby strengthening its influence over festival culture and reach.
- AEG: A prominent player in the live production scene, AEG has taken strides into the French festival market with significant stakes, like their equitable share in Rock en Seine, indicating their commitment to recurring, high-profile live music events.
- LNEI: Straddling the line between media and festivals, LNEI has used its acquisition of Rock en Seine to further its interests and connections within the cultural sector, merging event organization with its media presence through Les Inrockuptibles.
- Fimalac: An entity focused on diversification, Fimalac has stakes in festivals that speak to varied audiences, including the electronic-centric Les Nuits Electriques. Their presence in ticketing via MyTicket and community engagement platforms like Bandsquare speaks to Fimalac's interest in enhancing the festival experience from multiple angles.
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- Number of pages : 30 pages
- Format : Digital and PDF versions
- Last update : 06/07/2023
Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of the study
A festival is an event organized with the objective of gathering for one or more days in a festive environment and around an activity related to art, entertainment or leisure. It is part of the the more general sector of cultural events .
The study deals with all forms of festivals, with a particular focus on music festivals, which are the most widespread and most frequented. Indeed, in France 55% of the festivals organized in 2018 were current music festivals
The global festival market is experiencing a boom this growth is based in particular on the success of music festivals, which have been growing steadily since the 1950s. Nevertheless, there is a slowdown in growth at the European level in 2019
The French music festival market is in line with the global trend, recording a 26% increase in the number of festival goers between 2016 and 2019 for the top 100 festivals. Some of the big groups, such as Vivendi or Live Nation In the last few years, they have invested in music festivals
The covid-19 pandemic However, the sudden ban on festivals brought the entire market to a standstill and thus called into question the dynamism of the market on a global and national scale.
List of charts
- Taux de première participation à un festival
- Intention de participation aux différents spectacles des festivals
- Avec qui va t-on au festival ?
- Répartition hommes - femmes des festivaliers
- Origine géographique des participants à un festival
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Latest news
Novelty Magnum Dushow: Equipping more and more shows - 07/03/2024
- the entertainment company supplies sound and light equipment and know-how to France's biggest festivals and concert halls,
- the company won a tender to help organize the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on the banks of the Seine
- Business is increasingly concentrated in the Paris region, at the Adidas Arena at Porte de la Chapelle in Paris and the Grand Paris Arena in Tremblay-en-France (Seine-Saint-Denis).
Music: billions in the concert business - 04/01/2024
- Taylor Swift has booked 149 concerts in 20 countries up to December 2024.
- The singer is set to become the first music star to break the billion-dollar barrier
- Before Covid, live music generated $21.5 billion worldwide.
- By 2023, live music revenues should exceed $28 billion, according to Goldman Sachs.
- Live Nation, the world leader in the concert business, holds over 75% of worldwide ticket sales via its Ticketmaster platform.
- In one year, Live Nation sold almost 120 million tickets worldwide.
- The group can fill the equivalent of 1500 Stade de France with these ticket sales.
Vivendi demerger project well received - 14/12/2023
- Vivendi climbs over 10% on the stock market following the announcement of its demerger project.
- The operation involves the creation of three separate entities around Canal+, Havas and an investment company.
Vivendi reinvents its business model with the acquisition of Lagardère - 22/11/2023
- Vivendi's annual sales will rise from 9.6 billion to 17 billion euros following the acquisition of the Lagardère group.
- Vivendi's adjusted operating profit will rise from over 800 million euros to over 1.2 billion euros.
- The number of Vivendi employees will increase from 38,000 to 66,000.
- Vivendi sold Editis to International Media Invest for 653 million euros (including debt).
- Vivendi owns 59.74% of the Lagardère group.
- Other major shareholders in the Lagardère Group are Qatar Holding LLC (11.52%), Arnaud Lagardère (11.11%) and Financière Agache (7.97%).
Vivendi takes control of Lagardère: "A big change" - 22/11/2023
- Vivendi officially takes control of Lagardère on November 21.
Vivendi now holds 57.95% of Lagardère's capital and 50.50% of its voting rights. - Vivendi's sales rise from 9.6 billion euros to 16.5 billion.
- International activities account for 63% of Vivendi's revenues (compared with 54% previously).
- The number of Vivendi employees rises from 38,300 to 65,700.
- Bernard Arnault holds a 7.7% stake in Lagardère via Financière Agache.
Fimalac is busy with blockbuster exhibitions - 18/10/2023
- Fimalac Entertainment has sales of 450 million euros and 530 employees.
- The group manages 5 theaters in Paris and 22 Zenith-type stages in the regions.
- The "Titanic" exhibition drew 300,000 visitors, while "Harry Potter" drew 600,000 in Paris.
- Encore Production, a company integrated into Fimalac Entertainment in 2014, has set up 40 immersive exhibitions in three years, attracting between 2 and 3 million spectators each year.
- Encore Productions generates sales of 20 million euros and organizes 2,000 events over 500 exhibition days a year.
- The "Imagine Van Gogh", "Imagine Picasso" and "Imagine Monet" exhibitions cost 1.5 million euros and generally pay for themselves by the third leg of their tour.
- They are shown all over the world.
- The "Van Gogh" exhibition attracted 350,000 admissions in Buenos Aires in 2022.
- Of the 15 million admissions to Van Gogh exhibitions worldwide, 3 million were recorded by Encore Productions.
- "Small is beautiful", an Encore Productions co-production with Fever, has already won over audiences in Paris, London, New York and Brussels.
- The "Imagine Picasso" exhibition, which opens in Zurich on November 17, will tour to Riyadh, Tokyo, Sydney and Melbourne in 2024.
- Immersive exhibitions produced by Fimalac Entertainment and Encore Productions are presented worldwide, from Australia to the Philippines, from Japan to Saudi Arabia, via Switzerland and Poland.
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