Ever higher artist fees, increasing costs such as energy prices or the security budget… In recent years, Tours festivals have faced an increase in their expenses, often leading to an increase in the price of passes. for the public. So which events have increased their prices the most? What are the cheapest festivals in the department? We take stock.
End of November, 3-day passes « early bird » sold by Terres du Son were snapped up in a few minutes. 89€ instead of 105€ or around 15% reduction to attend the 20the anniversary of the event on July 11, 12 and 13, 2025 at the Domaine de Candé in Monts. In return, you had to buy your ticket “blind”, since no artist name had yet been revealed. In force for several years, this promotion is also used by many other Touraine and French festivals. A way to respond to criticism of the high prices and to thank the early fans who come for the event, rather than for names.
In a global context of inflation, and in a world where major concerts easily exceed €100 (in Paris, in stadiums or for the Chambord Live festival in Loir-et-Cher), spend a whole weekend at a festival is a budget (especially if you have to add on-site expenses such as food and drinks).
Scheduled from June 6 to 8, the Moorea electro festival, which is preparing its 2e edition, is even more expensive with a full-price 3-day pass at €109 (but €42 per day when Terres du Son is €49). Of course, there are regular discounts for families, job seekers, or with the Culture Pass, but it is understandable that access to stages becomes more and more complicated for part of the public.
Because if we take the example of Terres du Son, in 2019, before the Covid crisis, the 3-day pass was €70. We have therefore made +50% in 6 years. And almost +20% between 2021 and 2025 (from €90 to €105 for a full weekend). Between 2024 and 2025 alone, €7 has been added to the price of the full ticket. The case is not isolated. In 2021, the 3-day Yzeures’N’Rock pass was €73…€85 in 2024 (+15% in 3 years), €95 in 2025! The day pass jumped from €29 in 2021 to €39 4 years later, a 30% increase.
Is this price increase widespread? No. Or in any case, not necessarily in the same proportions. In Avoine Zone Grovve, the price of the day pass has even decreased: €37 in 2019, €35 for 2025. The 3-day pass has increased by €15 in 6 years, going from €60 to €70. An increase of €5 was applied between 2024 and 2025. It should be remembered that the event is largely financed by the Veronese town hall, but we can see that its means are not unlimited.
So far, the inflation of passes does not seem to have had much of an impact on attendance at Touraine festivals. Terres du Son, Avoine Zone Groove, Yzeures’N’Rock and Aucard de Tours generally achieved good attendance figures. And too bad for the haters who keep complaining about disappointing programming in the comments (we have to believe that they are not in the majority). The equation still remains tense because a failed year can impact a budget to the point of calling the future into question. Aucard de Tours remembers it, having had to launch a call for help in 2016, when 4 days of concerts were ruined by the flooding of the Gloriette.
Manage your business plan well to maintain and keep a little margin just in case. This is what will happen at La Chapelle-Blanche-Saint-Martin for this year 2025. Despite a still fragile financial balance, the Moorea Festival has managed to launch a 2e edition but must increase its revenues while it chooses to increase its duration from 2 to 3 days and is kept at arm’s length by an association, without large financial partners, particularly public ones (like Yzeures).
Break even without appearing too elitist. This is the dilemma of the Touraine festivals which have sacrificed international headliners, frightened by their astronomical fees. From now on, to see them, you have to go to Rock en Seine near Paris (€89 only for Wednesday August 20), to the Main Square Festival in Arras (€169 for 3 days) or to Vieilles Charrues in Brittany.
Apart from free events (like Les Horizons, every last weekend of June in Saint-Avertin), the cheapest major music festival in Indre-et-Loire remains Aucard de Tours with its 5-day pass at €35 for 2025 (it was €30 in 2019, or +15% over the period). A low price possible thanks to the challenge of welcoming emerging artists, but without sacrificing the popular side since the event is sold out almost every evening from one year to the next.
In conclusion, in recent years, all the major paying festivals in Indre-et-Loire have increased their prices in generally comparable proportions which also follow the overall increase in the cost of living. And even if we have the right to find it too expensive, we must keep in mind the progression of fixed costs (artistic, human, energy, etc.). Can we do it cheaper? Yes, but at the cost of artistic choices or reduced gauges (as Aucard proves) or through public subsidies.
And could we also make more money by playing on another table with international stars? Perhaps, but for the moment everyone is refusing it, Terres du Son explaining for example that it would force it to reduce the number of concerts. In addition, these artists now perform in front of crowds much larger than the 15,000 people in Candé. This is also an argument to take into account.
