French festivals sold out and still lost money in 2025

The French culture ministry's statistics department surveyed 3,212 festivals for its 2025 barometer, published in July. Of the 1,258 that reported a fill rate, 38.8% ran at 98% capacity or higher, and close to three quarters ran at 75% or fuller.

The money did not follow the audience. Of the 1,188 festivals that reported both income and costs, 34% spent more than they took in. Only 20% ended the year in surplus.

Ticket income was the strongest growing line they have, rising at 42.6% of festivals. Public subsidy moved the other way: down at 38.8% of festivals for département funding, at 32.7% for regional funding and at 30.1% for the culture ministry's own. City funding held roughly steady.

The fastest rising cost across all of them is travel, accommodation and catering, up at 45.9% of festivals. That sits ahead of technical, logistics and security costs, and ahead of artistic fees.

If a festival pushed back on your flights or your per diems this season, that is the line they were watching.

Three quarters reported difficulties of some kind, financial difficulty more often than anything else. Even so, 88.4% said their next edition will certainly take place, and only 3.6% cancelled any part of 2025.