Enjoy a committed festival in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur this summer

What is a committed festival?

An environmental and societal pledge

The fine weather is back and with it, the much-awaited festival season – an ode to partying and sharing that paces every summer in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur! We love festivals of course, but the transport of crews and stage sets, plus the huge amounts of waste generated by each event, all have a substantial impact on our climate and more. Good news: a growing number of festivals in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur are now committed to a responsible approach. So, what exactly is a committed festival?

Céline Guingand, administrative and financial director of the “Collectif des festivals éco-responsables et solidaires”(Cofees), which brings together around fifty committed events in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, explains: “A committed festival takes its impact as a whole into account, i.e. environmental and societal aspects alike. That means reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption to a minimum, fighting against discrimination, cultivating gender equality and ensuring the festival is accessible to people with challenges”. In short, providing eco-friendly cups for festival-goers is good, but it’s not good enough: “the Cofees criteria go a lot further, for example sharing resources between festivals or using eco-designed sets, meaning the end of life of the event needs to be carefully planned from the outset, to ensure it has the smallest possible impact”.

Accessibility and the fight against sexual and sexist violence

Examples: Jazz des 5 Continents & Marsatac festivals in Marseille

As a festival-goer, it’s not always easy to measure the efforts that take place in the wings of the event you’re attending. Especially because, as Céline Guingand points out, “all of the Cofees member festivals are committed, but on a variety of levels: they all focus on different themes according to their particular identity. Bringing in huge crowds to generate more money isn’t necessarily compatible with a more eco-aware approach, but we need to remember that festivals are part of a global economic rationale”.

– Example: Marseille Jazz des 5 Continents, a jazz festival with international influences held at iconic venues in Marseille: “The festival has done a massive amount of work on accessibility. That means, for example, extra care in terms of communication and special rates for people accompanying disabled festival-goers”.

– Example: Marsatac, also held in Marseille, at Parc Borély, headlining big names from the Hip Hop, Electro, Rock and African music scene: “The festival is very proactive in the fight against sexual and sexist violence, with initiatives including a special awareness stand and the Safer app, which allows festival-goers to be geolocated if they are harassed or intimidated, so that volunteers can come and assist them”.

A reduced carbon footprint and support for the local economy

Examples: Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Off Avignon Festival and Altitude Jazz Festival in Briançon

Other regional festivals fly the flag of a minimalist approach that minimizes environmental impact.

– The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, which celebrates opera and classical music, has put a lot of thought into its sets, with the standardization of various elements to limit the quantity of items that need to be shipped around for tours.

– Another example: the Off Avignon Festival, which has now pooled the transportation of its stage sets. “Before now, only around twenty theatre troupes used rail transport rather than lorries. For the 2025 edition, that number has rise to 100”, notes Céline Guingand.

– Moreover, the Altitude Jazz Festival in Briançon has woven very close ties with the local area and its inhabitants. “That means a strong focus on promoting local producers and using short distribution circuits. The results are extremely promising in terms of societal impact, with an emphasis on humanity and sharing”.

Now you know, it’s up to you!

Choose your next committed festival in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

The above festivals are just a few examples! You can check out the full list of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur committed festivals belonging to the Cofees network.
And here, you’ll find the list of French “Eco-aware and independent” festivals (including 9 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) drawn up by Vert, an independent media outlet dedicated to ecology.
Looking for a good deal? The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Regional Council offers ZOU! bus and train services to facilitate travel to the Festival d’Avignon, Les Rencontres d’Arles and Chorégies d’Orange, for a simple, serene and eco-aware festival experience. Enjoy!