Avignon in July is never quite Avignon. Posters cover the walls, the terraces fill up early in the morning and you can stumble upon an impromptu stage by simply going to get a coffee. I grew up with this annual event: sometimes you grumble about the crowd, but then the city seems strangely empty when it returns to its calm.
The Avignon Festival 2026 in a nutshell
The 80th edition of the Avignon Festival takes place from July 4 to 25, 2026. This year, the IN and the OFF take place on the same dates, something that hadn’t happened for almost twenty-five years. The OFF is also celebrating its 60th anniversary. In other words, everything starts at the same time and the city doesn’t really experience a period of preparation.
The identity of this edition revolves around doubt, represented by a rather frank question mark. The South Korean creation is also highlighted, with a scene that is still little known in Europe.
What the Festival changes in the city
The change isn’t just due to the number of shows. Habits are also changing. People are eating later, staying out later, and places are becoming real meeting points. There are costumed actors in the streets, programs in every hand, and always someone to talk to about a play that you absolutely have to see.
What I prefer remains the impression that anything can happen on the street. Some days are too full, some shows leave no indelible memory, but for three weeks the city possesses an energy that it does not have at any other time of the year.
The IN and the OFF: two ways to experience the Festival
The IN brings together major international creations in places like the Palais des Papes. The programming is more institutional and sometimes more demanding. I also love the contrast between the performances and the buildings that host them: the decor almost counts as much as what happens on stage.
The OFF program is much more diverse, with more than 1,500 performances spread across a hundred theaters. There is definitely some very good stuff and some more forgettable ones. I find it a shame to try to plan everything: leaving some room for a recommendation heard on the terrace or an eye-catching poster is part of the Festival.
Prepare a few days in Avignon
For the hotels, restaurants and cafes, I have prepared A guide with my addresses in Avignon during the Festival. Among other things, you will find Le Change, place du Change. It’s an address I often return to and about which I have also written. the new identity and the creation of the site.
If you want to get a better feel for the city without using a program, I have also written my more personal look at Avignon in July.
Useful links
- Festival IN: festival-avignon.com
- OFF Festival: festivaloffavignon.com
- Where to sleep, eat and have fun in Avignon
And what about you? Do you prefer to prepare the programming several weeks in advance or choose the show at the last moment in the streets of Avignon?
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