The Rouge Gorge theatre denounces sexism at Avignon box offices

Avignon – 21 July 2026: Amid the intense July bustle of the Festival Off d’Avignon, the Rouge Gorge theatre has drawn attention to sexist behaviour towards women working at its box office. According to the venue, this is not an isolated incident but a recurring situation. Those affected are employees in direct contact with the public, at the small ticket window where enthusiasm, impatience and sometimes bad manners meet.

The theatre cites in particular verbal comments, persistent looks and gestures perceived as violent or inappropriate. The statement does not describe any criminally established facts and does not name specific individuals or individual cases. This caution points to a familiar problem in the cultural sector: boundary violations often do not begin dramatically, but with an alleged joke, a tone of voice or a look that fails to respect a woman’s professional role.

Avignon Festival & Compagnies, the organisation behind the Off festival, supports Rouge Gorge’s appeal. Its deputy director has urged people not to ignore such incidents but to report them. This is more than a precautionary formula. For many people, box office staff represent the first contact with a theatre; this work must not become a test of endurance. Attention and clear reporting channels should prevent those involved from feeling left alone with their experiences.

The Festival Off d’Avignon takes place this year from 4 to 25 July and celebrates its 60th edition. In the city, which transforms into a large open-air theatre stage during the festival, hundreds of venues, companies and independent productions coexist. The particular appeal of this world lies in its proximity: audiences and theatre staff meet directly, often under time pressure and in confined spaces. That is precisely why respect is not a minor detail, but part of the cultural infrastructure.

The Off festival’s ticketing platform is provided by Avignon Festival & Compagnies, while individual theatres organise their box office work independently. Rouge Gorge’s warning is therefore not directed against an abstract festival audience, but points to a concrete responsibility shared by all involved: venues must protect employees, and visitors must know their limits. A culture that sees itself as a place of exchange cannot ignore the conditions of that exchange.

The case adds a discreet but necessary emphasis to a festival otherwise shaped by premieres, flyers and the search for available seats. The fact that a theatre speaks publicly about its employees’ experiences makes visible what happens behind the curtain and in front of the auditorium entrance. The call to report incidents is not the end of the debate. It is an attempt to turn looking the other way into shared responsibility.