Festival d'Avignon Kicks Off 75th Anniversary Edition in France

Festival d'Avignon has officially returned to France for its 75th anniversary edition.

The festival kicked off yesterday, July 5, with a a production by Portuguese director Tiago Rodrigues of Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard", starring French screen legend Isabelle Huppert.

A South African dance performance by choreographer Dada Masilo was pulled from the programme prior to opening opening night after members of the troupe tested positive for COVID-19.

Audience members will not need to show proof of vaccination or negative COVID tests, but masks will be required.

Learn more about the festival and the full lineup at https://festival-avignon.com/en.

Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, the Festival d'Avignon is one of the most important contemporary performing arts events in the world. Every year in July, Avignon becomes a city-theater, transforming its architectural heritage into various majestic and surprising performance venues, welcoming tens of thousands of theater-lovers of all ages. The Festival manages to bring together a popular audience and cutting-edge international creation. Avignon is also a state of mind: the city is an open-air forum where festival-goers discuss the shows and share their experiences as spectators. For a month, everyone can have access to a contemporary and living culture.

The programme includes shows, but also readings, exhibitions, films, and debates, which are so many gateways into the worlds of the artists and intellectuals invited to the Festival. Every evening, there is at least one show première, making Avignon a place of true creation and adventure for artists and spectators alike.

The Festival's directors are appointed by the board, and have to be formally approved by the Mayor of Avignon and the French Minister of Culture. Since Jean Vilar, the artistic director has been entirely free to draw his or her programme up. This independence from any interference has always been guaranteed, regardless of the political context.

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