The festival, this new touristic product

So, instead of pushing the walls, the organizers are starting to rethink their perimeter: what if a festival simply became a form of stay? A comprehensive product, where music would only be one ingredient among others in a weekend orchestrated from start to finish, from ticket to bed. So, instead of pushing the walls, the organizers are starting to rethink their perimeter: what if a festival simply became a form of stay? A comprehensive product, where music would only be one ingredient among others in a weekend orchestrated from start to finish, from ticket to bed.

1. The end of the "ticket + beer" model

The equation is well known: costs are soaring, margins are shrinking. Artists' fees are skyrocketing, technical standards are becoming heavier, and logistical inflation weighs on every budget line. At the same time, public subsidies, once the discreet foundation of many festivals, are dwindling.

Faced with this financial tension, organizers no longer really have a choice: they must diversify their revenues; it's a matter of survival.

2. Accommodation: an underestimated lever

In this race for resilience, accommodation could be an unexpected pillar.
First, because it is already an integral part of the festival experience: few participants sleep in tents today. Many are looking for comfort, proximity, an all-in-one package. And if possible, without getting lost on 5 different sites when it's time to book.

But above all, accommodation is a space of value. Some festivals are starting to forge partnerships with hotels or to offer packages including lodging + ticket + benefits. Few do this in a structured way yet, but those who try quickly see the double benefit: additional revenue and loyalty of the experience.

3. The festival becomes a tourist product

A shift is underway. More and more, the public does not come just to "see concerts": they are planning a stay. Three days, two nights, music, local gastronomy, lounging during the day. A festival is becoming a reason to travel, just like a weekend by the sea or a culinary getaway.

"The organizer no longer sells just music: he sells a moment of life." This repositioning is reminiscent of Club Med, which managed to maintain the DNA of "all-inclusive" while upgrading its offerings, scripting the experience, and transforming its stays into premium, codified, frictionless moments. What Club Med understood before many others is that people do not only want an activity; they want someone to organize their time.

The festival today enters this logic: it is no longer just a date on a calendar; it is a complete, scripted, immersive bubble.

This requires thinking differently: welcoming, mobility, hospitality, local partnerships, services around the artistic core. And it opens the door to new economic models, far beyond the food truck.

4. The intelligence of data

Offering accommodation is not just a service. It is also a source of strategic data.
Where do festival-goers come from? How many nights do they book? Are they alone, in a couple, in a group? This type of information is worth gold, especially when it comes to:

• Segmenting communication,

• Convincing a sponsor,

• Preparing a geographical extension or a new edition.

Today, few festivals exploit this lever. Tomorrow, it will be the norm.

5. Towards a new definition of the profession

The role of the organizer is changing. He is no longer just a curator of a program: he is becoming a designer of a temporary ecosystem, of a total experience.
This shift is demanding but promising. It opens up new margins, new narratives, and new ways to connect with the audience.

And if accommodation, long relegated to the bottom of the “to-do list”, became the starting point for a richer, smarter, more sustainable model?