FR Country guide
Street festivals in France
13 festivals in the directory, running from June to September. 12 of them run an open call.
France separates its street arts into an In and an Off almost everywhere. The In is programmed and paid; the Off is open to anyone who registers, pays a fee and finds their own pitch. Aurillac's Off is the largest of its kind on the continent and the most realistic entry point for a solo act. France also has the strongest public funding structures, which is why its festivals commission new work rather than book touring shows.
Applying in France
12 of the 13 festivals listed here accept applications directly — 5 through an online form and 7 by writing to the organisers. The rest build their programmes by invitation or through curators, which means the way in is to be seen at the festivals that do run calls.
Write in the local language wherever you can. It is a small circuit and a message in the organiser's own language reads as respect, not effort.