The perfect festival-goer’s guide

©Festival atmosphere with posters and people on terraces - Photo credit: Frédéric Dahm / Empreintes d'Ailleurs|Frédéric Dahm / Empreintes d'Ailleurs

©The Festival In d'Avignon invites itself into the Cour d'Honneur of the Palais des Papes - Photo credit: Christophe Raynaud / Festival d'Avignon|Christophe Raynaud / Festival d'Avignon

What's the difference between the Festival d'Avignon and the Festival OFF?

The two festivals run concurrently throughout July

The Festival d’Avignon, also known as the “In” Festival, was created in 1947 by Jean Vilar. The programme is decided by the artistic director, Tiago Rodrigues, and his team. Companies and artists are invited to present their work at the Festival, in emblematic venues such as the Cour d’Honneur of the Palais des Papes.

The Festival Off was founded in 1966 by André Benedetto as an alternative artistic movement protesting against traditional theatrical performances. The Off has no artistic director. The companies pay and rent open slots in the theatres that make their halls available.

Did you know?

A big parade takes place at the end of the day on the eve of the festival launch, with all the artists parading in costume and towing their shows. It’s a big open-air party, so don’t miss out!

How can I find tickets for the Festival d'Avignon?

By telephone on 04.90.14.14.14

On the official website

On site at the Cloître St Louis

At FNAC

Most tickets are snapped up as soon as they go on sale. But it’s always possible to find some, sometimes on the day of the show itself: some festival-goers sell their tickets at the last minute, usually in the Cloître Saint-Louis, where the box office is located! There you’ll find a wall of classified ads with lots of tickets for sale. Alternatively, you can go to the venue playing the show of your choice an hour before it starts. Reserved seats must be collected no later than 30 minutes before the start of the show, after which they go back on sale, giving a few lucky people the chance to win the precious ticket.

How do I get tickets for the Festival OFF?

At the theatre box office before the show

On Ticket'Off, the solidarity ticketing service

On online ticket sales sites

Some companies present their shows in the street, playing short scenes and offering preferential rates or even free tickets to festival-goers. Keep your eyes peeled!

Tourism and Festivals Office

The Tourist Office becomes the “Festival Tourist Office” for the duration of the festival!

Come and meet our teams for advice and answers to your questions about the festival: practical information, an information map of festival venues, show locations, expert advice, travel solutions, young audiences, etc….

👉 And always a point of information and sale of Festival Off Avignon season tickets.

Good plan

Buy the public season ticket at the Tourist Office or at the Village du Off. It entitles you to a 30% discount on all the shows in the programme, access to evenings and concerts at the Village du Off, cheaper visits to the Palais des Papes and many other advantages…

Olympic pool - La Palmeraie

More spots

Traffic in the city centre

Conditions in 2025(conditions in 2026 to come):

During the Festival, pedestrianisation will be a priority throughout the city centre, and access will be restricted from 12pm to 2am for vehicles with an access pass, thus encouraging environmentally-friendly travel. Pass applications reserved for local residents.

Access to the inner city is via :

Porte de la République
Porte Saint Michel
Porte Thiers
Porte Saint Dominique
Porte du Rocher

More information

Parking in Avignon

To make parking easier, there are a number of park-and-ride facilities with free shuttle buses to the city centre.

More than 4,400 free spaces are available in the 5 park-and-ride sites, with a guarded service from 10am to 2am.
Controlled access to the city centre for a calmer city, open to all, encouraging gentle travel.

Bustival

To help you get to and from the city late at night, a dozen bus routes are extending their timetables until around 1 a.m. to make it easier for you to get around.

Eco-responsible festival guideDownload

Eco-responsible festivals

Soft mobility, park-and-ride facilities, car-sharing, bike stations, waste management, sustainable food and freshness points… in this eco-responsible Festival Guide, you’ll find all the practical resources you need to enjoy the city during these not-to-be-missed events, but also to protect it. Let’s all be eco-responsible!

Products on sale in our shop

Want to take home a souvenir of the latest edition of your festivals? Then head to the Tourist Office shop, where you’re sure to find what you’re looking for!

You’ll also find a selection of items in our online shop: