Festival d’Avignon: Pégard pushes for release of cultural funds – industry warns of liquidity gaps

Avignon – 05.07.2026: At the opening of the Festival d’Avignon, Culture Minister Catherine Pégard pledged to press the Ministry of Economy and Finance for the full release of cultural funds planned for 2026. She said there would be no cuts, but possible shifts in payment timing. The background is complaints from the sector that funds scheduled for the second half of the year are currently blocked.

Several associations and around 28 affected structures had pointed out acute risks in recent days. Especially at the start of the festival season, ongoing production and technical costs meet delayed liquidity inflows. Venues and independent companies note that contracts for tours, technical services and personnel can only be secured with reliable payment plans. If advance payments fail to arrive, short-term bottlenecks and programme changes may result.

The union CGT Spectacle criticized sharply and accused the minister of not defending the culture budget strongly enough against cross-sector cuts. It called for demonstrations in Avignon and other cities in the coming days if no concrete guarantees are provided. Industry representatives demand clear calendars for disbursements, if necessary with partial payments, to stabilise productions over the summer.

The Ministry of Culture stated that it is in close contact with the economic department. Government consultations on allocation and scheduling are underway to explore budgetary room for manoeuvre. Prioritised tranches for institutions with demonstrable short-term financial needs are conceivable. This is intended to prevent already approved projects from falling behind or contracts from collapsing.

The debate is made more sensitive by structural points. Professional associations report that the employment fund FONPEPS is endowed at a lower level for 2026 than the sector had expected. At the same time, technical procedures at the Agence de Services et de Paiement (ASP) are delaying individual transfers. This combination of later budget releases and administrative hurdles, according to the scene, exacerbates the situation at a time of high upfront costs for tours, guest performances and guest artists.

Pégard met in Avignon with representatives of festivals, producers and artists to discuss short-term solutions. What is decisive now are written commitments and a binding timetable for the lines affected in the culture budget. For organisers the rule is: the earlier advance payments and funding notices take effect, the sooner fees, technical services and accommodation can be secured without cutting programmes. Whether and to what extent funds will still flow in July depends, according to the government, on the ongoing consultations. In Avignon participants expect quick signals – otherwise the announced protests could gain momentum.