Bad weather conditions, sick artists or rejected tours: French -speaking festivals must regularly react to the raised foot. Faced with these unforeseen events, they bet on the responsiveness of their programming teams and the proposed musical consistency, all often without cancellation insurance net.
Each year, it is not uncommon for artists to cancel their arrival at Montreux Jazz Festival. A situation that the organizers consider to be normal in view of the magnitude of the event. “We have a program that offers about 700 concerts and activities. So there are necessarily hazards and therefore cancellations, that is part of our work,” explains RTSINFO Kevin Donnet, director of communication at the festival.
But these cancellations do not all have the same consequences. When an artist programmed on a paid scene withdraws, the situation becomes more delicate. “In Montreux, each evening, we sell an evening with two paid concerts. So if an artist cancels, the question of reimbursement necessarily arises”. The festival assumes this risk. “We will never refuse a refund if a person came on purpose for one or an artist. It is part of the relationship of trust we have with our audience.”
Especially since Montreux Jazz, like many other festivals, has no cancellation insurance. Refunds are therefore funded via the cachet initially planned for the artist, who will not be paid. “The new name must please the public and it remains financially balanced. We cannot afford to sell more expensive tickets,” says Kevin Donnet.
Completely redesigned evenings
This year, the Festival based in Montreux had to face three cancellations of paid artists. Starting with the French rapper and singer Laylow, initially scheduled on July 12, who gave up his tour due to a ready -made album.
The concert by Inspector Cluzo, planned in the first part of Neil Young, was canceled due to a change in production. Finally Sam Fender, victim of a hemorrhage of vocal cords, also had to give up his arrival.
Our evenings are thought of as coherent or complementary sets. So we always try to offer a replacement that makes sense
When this case arrives, the programming team acts its network of agents in Switzerland and abroad. “It is then a question of finding an artist available on the scheduled date, which is more or less easy, depending on whether it is a weekday or a weekend,” explains Kevin Donnet. Replacement can sometimes be thought of in continuity with the planned musical style, but it also happens that the evening is completely altered. “Our evenings are thought of as coherent or complementary sets. We therefore always try to offer a replacement that makes sense.”
Cas par
In Neuchâtel, Festi’neuch opts for management on a case -by -case basis. Contacted, the festival explains that each cancellation is processed according to the artist concerned, the style of the evening and the replacement possibilities. Unlike other events, Festi’Neuch benefits from insurance, but only in the event of cancellation of the event or a full day.
>> Read also: The evacuation of Festi’Neuch questions the safety of festivals in the event of a violent storm
On FRAPP.CH, the Open Air summer, explains that the programming process first goes through agencies: “We contact the agencies that represent the artists to find out who is available.” It is often also necessary to compose with the calendar of other musical events: “In parallel, we must take into account other festivals, agree. In general we avoid programming the same artist in the same region.”
Replace without distorting the evening
On the side of the Paléo, the management of cancellations is based on the high responsiveness of the programming teams and a well -filled address book. “We are still looking for a replacement. In the vast majority of cases one or another artist is scheduled, sometimes the same day. It is more difficult for headliners since the tours are decided very early”, Explain to Rtsinfo Bastien Bento, head of the Paléo press service.
We have a good vision of artists on tour currently and excellent relations with European festivals, which can be used to find a replacement
As for Montreux Jazz Festival and for Festi’neuch, the programming of replacement artists is always done on a case -by -case basis. “We have a good vision of artists on tour currently and excellent relationships with European festivals, which can be used to find a replacement.”
Despite the lack of cancellation insurance, the financial consequences of these hazards remain limited for the Paleo. Indeed, the cancellations are rare (in 2024, 2 artists from Belleville out of 104) and the requests for reimbursement represent only a tiny part of the 35,000 tickets sold each evening.
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