In July 2017, Avignon will beat the heart of the theater for another year. And even if Avignon is far from alone in offering a theatre festival, it is home to by far the biggest festival of the summer. Almost 1 month to the rhythm of the shows.
So, amateurs, regulars, beginners festival-goers, here are some tips and advice to guide you during your getaway…
1- Two Festivals in Avignon: differentiate between IN and OFF
A first distinction to make is this difference between the In Festival and the Festival Off. To say that the world of In and Off are opposed would be a bit strong, however, it is without exaggeration to say that they are extremely different.
On the one hand, the IN and its official and selective programming, showcase of a public service of typically French culture with its subsidies and its sometimes experimental and disproportionate dimensions.
On the other, the OFF and its exponential abundance, its 1400 shows of uneven quality, even sometimes questionable, but which always contains beautiful discoveries.
For the IN, the selection is made by the artistic director of the In, Olivier Py in 2017, while any company (provided you have money) can access the premises of the OFF. That said, some theaters of the OFF are more spotted by the public and professionals because they each make a selection of the projects to be hosted.
While tickets for IN shows are often sold in full even as the festival begins, OFF companies must conquer their spectators every day by dint of towing, communication, display, and chatter. This also makes the "folklore" of this festival.
The OFF companies live for nearly 3 weeks a real marathon, often without a day off, 
while the shows on IN are given on average 7 times in much more comfortable technical and financial conditions.
It is therefore very different artistic proposals that we find in these 2 universes. In recent years, those of the IN have been criticized for their sometimes very contemporary attempts and too often trying to meet the expectations of the artistic director and a sharp audience. It therefore happens regularly that it is in the OFF that the nuggets are hidden, for who knows how to listen, venture or be lucky …
2- Discount cards
A stay in Avignon represents a significant budget, between accommodation, food, transport and above all, tickets. Because most of the time, spectators take advantage of their stay to satisfy their appetite, with an average of 3 or 4 shows per day. So, in addition to the fact that I advise you not to have your eyes bigger than your stomach by gorging yourself with shows until you can no longer enjoy them (3 shows a day being a reasonable number), know that there are reduced rates.
For the IN, in addition to the classic reductions (under 18s, job seekers…) There is the 4/40 for under 26s (4 shows at 40 €). For the greediest, the Grand Spectateur subscription from 5 reserved shows allows you to have fun at a lower cost. This year in particular, some shows benefit from a discount by ordering 2 tickets for the same day.
More information on the IN website: http://www.festival-avignon.com/fr/reservations-tarifs
The Off Card: an essential discount card
As we have already mentioned, a festival-goer of the OFF is not satisfied most of the time with only one show a day. The OFF Card is then an indispensable ally of your festival. Acquiring it will cost you 16 € and it allows you to benefit from at least 30% discount on all shows of the OFF. Without going into detailed calculations, this means that it is profitable from 3 shows.
In addition, it allows access to events, concerts, closing ball, at the Village du OFF.
And, not least, it allows discounts all year round in many partner theaters throughout the France: http://www.avignonleoff.com/theatres-partenaires/
Where to buy this sesame? In one of the 5 places of the OFF: The Point OFF, the Tourist Office, the Town Hall, the Village of the OFF. http://www.avignonleoff.com/pratique/lieux
Even better, to avoid queues (which can be long) on site, you can order the card online, before June 28, to receive it hot in your mailbox: http://commandes.avignonleoff.com/cartes/
Tip +: for the lucky ones who arrive early in Avignon or who live there, many companies offer a free public pass on Thursday, July 6, at the schedule of the program. Find out in theatres if companies open their doors to spectators for their last rehearsal before the marathon…
Tip +: In order to launch word of mouth, many companies apply the formula 1 place bought = 1 place offered in the first days of the festival. The opportunity to venture out and perhaps find a future success…
3- Select your shows in Avignon
The multitude of artistic proposals makes the choice difficult… The risk is to accumulate disappointments, to fall into monotony or worse, to miss out on beautiful discoveries. How then to get out of the crowd these proposals likely to please you?
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Determine what your expectations and preferences are: would you like to attend one-man shows (proposals abound), contemporary, classical, dance shows…
Creating and performing a show is very expensive. As a result, minimal proposals multiply and more and more the logic of the only one on stage spreads. If the idea is sometimes a source of real success, it becomes slightly irritating if you want to see troupe theater.
The first advice is therefore to select shows performed by several actors under the direction of a director and in which a real work of staging and troupe energy is at work.
– The OFF Festival is not reserved for theatre only, and other arts are present, which proudly represents the diversity of the performing arts: puppetry, dance, circus, song… Everyone can find their way around. The program also offers a classification "by style".
Tip +: in order not to risk the overdose of theater, we strongly advise you to alternate artistic proposals during your stay. An entertaining show in the middle of more advanced proposals, a dance performance among classics. In short, the choice is vast, take advantage of it –
- Browse the program of the OFF: this "bible" of festival-goers is very well constructed: indexes are proposed by schedule, by style, by author, by theater … Turn the pages, filter according to your desires, the titles that attract you, the names of companies you already know.
- Let yourself be tempted: finally, to live the "off" as a real festival-goer, stroll according to the posters, let yourself be seduced by the parades of the actors who distill excerpts of their shows in the street and discuss with the actors who pull. And last tip: let your ears linger, because word of mouth remains an essential value!
So much for the first elements on the Festival d'Avignon, or should we say on the Avignon Festivals…
Coming soon: Other tips and activities to do during the festival, and our tips "drink and eat"…
