Case study

DIESE at the Festival d’Avignon: Managing Multi-Venue Operations with Precision

February 3, 2026
Avignon Cour d'Honneur du Palais des Papes

Every summer, the Festival d’Avignon mobilizes hundreds of professionals across more than fifty venues, during a period of exceptional activity. To manage planning, coordinate personnel, and oversee production costs, the Festival relies on #DIESE as its central tool for operations and administration.

Managing a Large-Scale Festival

The Festival d’Avignon is known for its complex, highly seasonal organization. Each edition requires coordination across dozens of venues, extensive technical teams, and very active administrative services.

Activity peaks sharply during the festival period. Annual contracts jump from around forty to nearly seven hundred. Managing this volume reliably demands robust tools that can handle high workloads without losing accuracy.

Historically, each venue was managed independently, with different practices and tools. This fragmented approach limited overall visibility and mid-term operational oversight.

Clear Operational Goals

The project, led by the technical management team, addressed several key objectives:

  • A single master schedule covering all activities and venue usage.
  • Reliable personnel planning, especially for short-term technical contracts.
  • Streamlined HR processes, including pre-employment declarations, contract management, electronic signature, and payroll integration.
  • Transparent management of programming, keeping internal teams informed at all stages up to the official program release.

#DIESE as the Core Coordination Tool

To meet these needs, the Festival uses the standard #DIESE system without custom development.

  • Programming is managed from internal planning stages to final program publication.
  • The activity schedule centralizes all venue usage, tours, and events.
  • Personnel planning, particularly for technical teams, provides clear visibility of assignments, schedules, and costs.

#DIESE integrates with the sPAIEctacle payroll software (GHS), ensuring contacts and payroll variables are transferred without re-entry for all contract types. Production costs, especially for technical contracts, are consolidated into budget tracking, enhancing financial oversight and planning for future editions.

MyDiese: Supporting Internal Communication

The MyDiese employee portal is central to festival operations. It enables communication of individual and team schedules, distribution of practical information, and access to internal documents. For permanent staff, it also manages leave requests.

The Festival has contributed to evolving some workflows, including mass HR forms, recruitment, and automatic publishing of schedules in advance.

A Structuring and Sustainable Project

Launched in 2019 and operational in 2020, the project demonstrated #DIESE’s ability to handle very high volumes of activity while maintaining clarity and reliability.

It also reflects a collaborative, trust-based partnership between Festival d’Avignon teams and IT4Culture, supporting smoother, more efficient management.

Today, the Festival is expanding its use of data to further strengthen decision-making and operational oversight.

Managing a multi-venue festival or organization?
Reach out through our contact form and explore how #DIESE can support your planning, resources, and operational management.