Théâtre Rouge Gorge denounces sexism at Avignon’s box offices

Avignon – 21 July 2026: Amid the bustle of July at the Festival Off d’Avignon, the Rouge Gorge theatre has drawn attention to sexist behaviour towards women working at the box office. According to the theatre, this is not an isolated incident, but a recurring situation. It concerns female staff members who have direct contact with visitors—at that small ticket window where anticipation, impatience and sometimes bad manners converge.

The theatre particularly cites verbal remarks, intrusive looks and gestures perceived as violent or inappropriate. The statement does not describe criminally established facts and names neither specific individuals nor individual cases. This very restraint points to a familiar problem in the cultural sector: boundary violations often do not begin spectacularly, but as a supposed joke, a tone or a look that disregards a woman’s professional role.

Avignon Festival & Compagnies, the organisation behind the Off festival, supports Rouge Gorge’s appeal. The deputy director called for such incidents not to be ignored, but reported. That is more than a precautionary formula. Those who work at the box office are the first contact with a theatre for many guests; this work must not become a test of resilience. Attention and clear reporting procedures should prevent those affected from feeling left alone with their experiences.

The Festival Off d’Avignon runs this year from 4 to 25 July and celebrates its 60th edition. In the city, which turns into a vast open-air theatre during the festival, hundreds of venues, companies and independent productions stand side by side. The particular appeal of this universe 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 side issue, but part of the cultural infrastructure.

The Off festival’s ticket platform is provided by Avignon Festival & Compagnies, while the individual theatres organise their box office operations themselves. Rouge Gorge’s message is therefore not directed against an abstract festival audience, but identifies a concrete responsibility for everyone involved: venues must protect employees, visitors must know their boundaries. Culture that sees itself as a place for exchange must not ignore the conditions for that exchange.

The event adds a quiet but necessary emphasis to a festival otherwise centred on premieres, flyers and the hunt for available seats. The fact that a theatre publicly names the experiences of its female employees makes visible what happens behind the scenes and in front of the auditorium entrance. The invitation to report incidents is not the end of the debate. It is an attempt to turn looking away into shared responsibility.