Should the festival be postponed in the future? Several political leaders floated the idea, and the heat turned the streets of Avignon into an oven for thousands of spectators and actors, often in costume. According to the organization, this would not be in keeping with the spirit of Jean Vilar.
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It’s 15:30 now. in Avignon. The fluorescent green caduceus of the pharmacy across the street reads 42 degrees Celsius. In front of the Scala Provence, the city’s largest theater complex with nearly a thousand seats, thirty-year-old Aurélie stands impatiently in one of the queues, fan in hand and thick sunglasses perched on her nose. “It’s okay because I’m young“, explains a festival visitor. “But my mom, I have to spray her every ten minutes or so. And I regularly give her a water bottle to keep her hydrated.“.
Festivalgoers battle the heat at the Avignon festival
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© Frederic Roche / FTV
Even if theaters adapt to the heat by queuing in the shade before performances, audiences suffer on the hot mineral streets. “We’ve been coming for fourteen yearst,” testifies Aurélie. “During the day, you need to systematically return to the hotel to freshen up a little by taking a shower“.
Nowadays we can no longer spend the whole day in the intramural pool. We systematically return to the hotel
Aurelie, festival participant
in France 3 Provence Alpes
Gray hair topped with a straw hat, Alain, standing behind her in line, joins the conversation. “They will never see me in a room without air conditioning, it has become impossible!“.
While most of the city’s 250 concert venues are air-conditioned, there are still a few venues that are difficult to adapt. As does l’Eveilleur, a former tile factory in the Saint-Ruf district whose impressive volumes have been transformed into a third cultural venue, and which hosts shows during the Off festival. “We don’t plan anything in the afternoon“, explains Arnaud, the venue manager. The cooperative has launched a subscription to improve the roof insulation. But given the height of the performance hall, it is impossible to think about air conditioning.
Offering mostly outdoor shows in Avignon’s most prestigious courts and monasteries, the IN festival must also rethink its organization to take global warming into account.
A heat wave puts pressure on technicians working to set up decorations at the Avignon Festival.
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© Frederic Roche / FTV
On a stage set up in the main courtyard of the Palais des Papes, Apolline, along with several other technicians, is busy setting up the set for the evening’s performance of Maldoror, the culmination of the 2026 production directed by Julien Gosselin. “We waited for the elements to go into shadow to work“, explains a festival employee. To avoid long hours of work in the kiln, many of the 750 technicians and reception agents at the Avignon Festival have changed their schedules.”Some now start at 5am, others work at night after shows. “, explains Clementine Aubry, the festival’s deputy director in charge of social and environmental issues.
Clementine Aubry, deputy director of the Avignon Festival, in front of the stage of the main courtyard of the Palais des Papes.
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© Frederic Roche / FTV
And the management team runs the show with their eyes on the weather.
We systematically schedule shows during the cooler parts of the day.
Clementine Aubry, Deputy Director of the Avignon Festival
in France 3 Provence Alpes
We support performances with preventive measures and messaging at performance venues, allowing audiences and professional teams to stay covered and hydrated.“, adds the deputy director of the festival.
But as heat waves multiply and scientists predict even higher temperatures in the future, will current adaptations be enough? On the occasion of her visit on the first weekend of the 2026 festival, the Minister of Culture said that “We admire the work of the Festival in preparing for abnormal heat“.
Minister of Culture Catherine Pgard during the opening of the Avignon Festival
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© Frederic Roche / FTV
But Katherine Pgard also threw a spanner into the pond: “Perhaps one day we will think about holding the Avignon Festival for Easter or All Saints’ Day.” she said with a half-smile during a press briefing, remembering “distant future“.That was all it took for the new mayor of Avignon to join the debate.
Postpone the festival? Yes, “we have to ask ourselves a question– says Olivier Galzi on the sidelines of an interview with Paris-Match.
In Avignon we are used to the heat, but here we are surprised, yes, by the delay of the festival.
Olivier Galzi
in Paris-Match
Show presented at the Off festival in Avignon. The topic of global warming is omnipresent.
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© Frederic Roche / FTV
The item is now on the table. But a settlement is far away. Responsible for three theaters in Avignon, Anaïs also takes care of her teams and audiences. But into the ICI Vaucluse microphone she admits her bewilderment about the possible change in the calendar: “Unfortunately, this largely depends on the school system, because there are also theaters that in high schools, colleges“ young woman explains.
As director of the Avignon Festival, Clementine Aubry is even more categorical: “When actor Jean Vilar created the Avignon Festival 80 years ago, he wanted to hold it during the summer and school holidays so that everyone could have access to art and culture. Thus, the Avignon Festival will remain a summer festival for several more years.
The delay of the Avignon Festival is not relevant at all.
Clementine Aubry, Deputy Director of the Avignon Festival
in France 3 Provence Alpes
The Deputy Director also highlights economic benefits”for Avignon and beyond“at the peak of tourist attendance, which brings great benefits to the region.
As for heatwave episodes rather than postponement, those responsible for the Avignon festival are calling for increased measures to slow warming. “We need broader national climate action“, says Clementine Aubry. Through their programs, they hope that culture itself will help raise awareness. For example, this summer, with the show “One Degree Celsius”, which allows Korean choreographer and dancer Sung Im Her to explore the human impact on the environment through a modern dance performance.
Choreographer Sung Im Her’s “One Degree Celcius” dances to raise awareness of global warming.
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© Sung Im Her
On the esplanade of the Palais des Papes, a dozen amateur actors in the Aristophanes-inspired production of “The Horsemen” had not yet finished long hours of sweating under their thick period costumes.
During morning and evening tows to meet potential spectators. And also in the open air Cour du Barouf, where they play during the hot afternoon hours.
Amateur actors from the show Cavaliers sweat under their costumes as they tow cars through the streets of Avignon.
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© Frederic Roche / FTV
“We are used to the heat; during our performances in the Parisian heat it was even worse.– testifies Victor, one of the actors, wearing a mask on his head.”It’s almost a holiday here with the Mistral“, laughs an art student at the International Academy of Performing Arts in Versailles.
A stone’s throw away, also in (the grooms’) suits, “Nene” and “Bichoko” play clowns in a dry cleaner’s alley, spraying admiring tourists with a water pistol. Lots of laughs are guaranteed, as well as a few extra entries for their show “La Folie des Glandeurs”, which has been running in Avignon for 12 years.
The actors of “Madness of the Brilliant” hand out leaflets in Avignon.
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© Frederic Roche / FTV
But behind the façade of good cheer, the heat looks like the straw that broke the camel’s back. “We tow six hours a day.
The Avignon Festival is a serious physical challenge, especially in the heat. It’s very, very hard
Frank Mijon, actor
in France 3 Provence Alpes
We must be athletes of warmth as much as we are athletes of emotion on stage.“, says Franck Mijon, one of the duo’s actors. He concludes: “I am increasingly convinced that Avignon, with its unbearable heat and frantic pace of life, is a morale-crushing machine. It’s very, very hard“.