FESTIVAL AU FIL DES VOIX

What FESTIVAL AU FIL DES VOIX does

Festival Au Fil Des Voix is a non-profit cultural association (loi 1901) founded in 2008 and based in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France, that operates an annual world music and vocal music festival. The festival stages approximately 20 artists across roughly 17 evenings at four iconic Paris venues — Le 360 Paris Music Factory (its primary operational venue and co-located headquarters), Le Trianon, New Morning, and La Machine du Moulin Rouge. Its core mission is to serve as a showcase platform for artists with recent discographic releases, addressing the high cost of Paris venue production for labels, booking agents (tourneurs), and independent producers through a mutualization model that co-produces showcase concerts at reduced cost.

The festival's revenue model is multi-streamed and characteristic of French non-profit cultural associations: ticket sales via the Billetweb online platform, individual donations qualifying for a 66% income tax deduction (as an organization of general interest), corporate sponsorship/patronage qualifying for a 60% corporate tax deduction, and a 70/30 record/merchandise sales split favoring artists. Artist cachets are standardized at €200 gross per performer; the festival covers venue rental, backline, sound, lighting, and a dinner, and imposes geographic exclusivity around the event window. Beyond concerts, the festival operates a Village des Enfants du Monde (free family cultural day), Dansez dance workshops, Conversations artist talks, DJ sets, and Lundi Littéraire literary evenings, extending its programming reach.

The festival is anchored in the Barbes/La Goutte d'Or neighborhood through partnerships with local businesses (Brûlerie de Barbès, Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or, Le Vin en Tête, La Cave de Don Doudine) and recruits volunteers for event operations. It maintains flagship media partnerships with Ville de Paris / Clear Channel outdoor, FNAC metro advertising, France 3 Île-de-France television, and Télérama editorial, and has received coverage in Le Monde, Les Inrockuptibles, FIP, L'Humanité, Marianne, and the UK's Songlines. Since 2008, the festival has hosted over 1,000 artists from 65+ countries across 14 editions, reaching 43,000+ cumulative spectators, with the 19th edition scheduled for January–February 2026 and a 20th anniversary edition planned for March 2027.

Name

FESTIVAL AU FIL DES VOIX

Legal name

L'association Au Fil des Voix

Website

https://aufildesvoix.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Festival Au Fil Des Voix is a Paris-based non-profit association operating an annual world music showcase festival featuring approximately 20 artists across 17 evenings at iconic Parisian venues, serving general audiences, music industry professionals, and corporate sponsors through a mutualization model with labels and tourneurs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Festival

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local) (MPAGAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG), Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• World music festival
• Live concert programming
• Artist showcase concerts
• Cultural association events
• Music industry mutualization

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales: The festival generates revenue through ticket sales for individual concert events across its multiple Paris venues, sold via the Billetweb online platform.
2. Individual donations: Individual supporters donate to the festival, which is recognized as an organization of general interest (intérêt général), making donations tax-deductible (66% reduction on income tax for individual donors). Donors receive tangible benefits such as concert tickets and bar vouchers.
3. Corporate sponsorship and patronage: Companies support the festival through donations and patronage, receiving 60% tax reduction on their contribution and benefits including brand visibility (15,000+ programs, metro/City of Paris signage), unlimited concert passes, dedicated ticketing service, priority access, preferred seating, discounted rates for employees, private venue use for corporate events, and proximity to artists.
4. Record merchandise sales: The festival exclusively manages an on-site record/merchandise sales area. Revenue from physical and digital record sales is split 70% to the artist and 30% to the festival, generating a small commission for the festival.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Festival Au Fil Des Voix is an annual world music festival held in Paris featuring approximately 20 artists across 17 evenings of programming at multiple Parisian venues (Le 360 Paris, Le Trianon, New Morning, La Machine du Moulin Rouge). The festival operates a mutualization model with record labels, booking agents, and producers to co-produce showcase concerts at reduced cost for artists with recent album releases, complemented by ancillary programs including family workshops, dance classes, artist talks, DJ sets, and literary evenings.

Product overview

Festival Au Fil des Voix is an annual world music festival in Paris, currently in its 19th edition (2026), featuring approximately 20 artists across 17 evenings at Parisian venues including Le 360 Paris, Le Trianon, New Morning, and La Machine du Moulin Rouge. The festival serves as a platform for showcasing new discographic projects from diverse musical traditions worldwide. The core offering centers on concert programming, complemented by cultural enrichment programs including Le Village des Enfants du Monde (family cultural activities), Dansez dance workshops, Conversations artist talks, and DJ sets. The festival also operates membership and sponsorship programs for individual patrons and corporate partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Festival Au Fil Des Voix - Annual World Music Festival
• Le Village des Enfants du Monde
• Dansez - Dance Workshops
• Conversations - Artist Talks
• Festival 360 Club - DJ Sets and Musical Events
• Lundi Littéraire - Literary Evenings
• Festival Membership and Patronage Program

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Le 360 Paris Music FactorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival Au Fil des Voix is a member of the 360 Paris Music Factory's 'Pôle d'entreprises et d'associations culturelles.' The 360 Paris Music Factory serves as the festival's primary venue (Le 360 Paris) and operational headquarters. The association is co-located at the venue, benefiting from shared infrastructure, production facilities, restaurant (Ô 18), and rooftop terrace. The venue's technical infrastructure (sound, lighting, IEM monitoring) supports festival operations.
• Ville de Paris (Clear Channel outdoor network)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerThe City of Paris provides outdoor digital advertising through its Clear Channel network, giving the festival broad public visibility across Paris streets and public spaces. This is a key component of the festival's annual marketing and audience development strategy.
• FNAC (metro advertising network)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFNAC provides metro advertising network visibility for the festival, reaching Paris metro commuters and contributing to broad audience awareness. This is a core component of the festival's annual media partnership package.
• France 3 Île-de-France (Television)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFrance 3 IDF broadcasts promotional spots for the festival, providing regional television visibility and adding broadcast credibility to the festival's media presence.
• Télérama and Télérama SortirflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerEditorial listings and promotional mentions in Télérama and its events supplement Télérama Sortir, providing cultural editorial coverage and audience reach to arts-interested Parisian readers.
• Brûlerie de Barbès (local business)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal specialty coffee roaster in the Barbes/La Goutte d'Or neighborhood (18th arrondissement), partnering with the festival to support local commerce and short supply chains as part of the festival's neighborhood anchoring commitment.
• Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or (local business)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal brewery in the La Goutte d'Or neighborhood partnering with the festival as part of its commitment to local commerce and circuit de proximité.
• Le Vin en Tête (local business)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal wine merchant in the 18th arrondissement participating in the festival's local commerce partnership network.
• La Cave de Don Doudine (local business)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal wine cave in Paris participating in the festival's neighborhood anchoring initiative.
• Labels, tourneurs, and producers (mutualization partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 100 labels, tourneurs, and producers (including Heavenly Sweetness, Crammed Discs, Buda Musique, Harmonia Mundi, Noa Music, and many others) participate in the festival's mutualization model, co-producing showcase concerts. The principle allows partners to offer Paris production at reduced cost with professional organization and promotion. The festival selects artists with recent discographic releases and coordinates with producers' press and communications teams for synergistic promotion.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Festival d'Avignon: France's premier performing arts festival, held annually in July. Much larger and broader in scope (theater, dance, music) but comparable as a French cultural festival drawing on institutional support and major press coverage.
• WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance): Global world music festival network founded by Peter Gabriel, with editions worldwide. Operates at much larger scale but shares the core mission of presenting global musical traditions and vocal/instrumental artists to general and professional audiences.
• Nuits de Fourvière: Major performing arts festival in Lyon held in a Roman amphitheater, featuring music, theater, dance, and circus. Broader in programming than Au Fil des Voix but comparable as a French regional performing arts festival with multi-venue programming.

Direct peers

• Les Suds à Arles: Annual world music festival held in Arles, France, focused on international and intercultural music traditions. Most direct French comparator to Au Fil des Voix, operating a similar showcase model and target audience.
• Festival Interceltique de Lorient: One of the largest cultural festivals in France, focused on Celtic and world music traditions. Comparable in mission (celebrating vocal and instrumental traditions from a specific cultural sphere) though much larger in scale.
• Fiesta des Suds (Musiques de Nuit): Major world music festival in Marseille featuring international and French artists across multiple venues. Comparable scale, similar world-music focus, and serves the same South-of-France/Paris ecosystem of artists and audiences.
• Les Rencontres Trans Musicales de Rennes: Annual music festival in Rennes focused on emerging artists and music discovery across genres. Comparable in scale and in its mix of professional (industry programmers, journalists) and general audience attendance.
• Babel Med Music: World music forum and showcase festival in Marseille targeting music industry professionals (labels, programmers, journalists) and general audiences. Closely aligned with Au Fil des Voix's dual B2B/B2C audience model.

Others

• Songlines: UK-based world music magazine that covers the international world music scene, including Au Fil des Voix. Ecosystem enabler (media partner) rather than a competing festival, but a key comparable for the world music audience and the artist circuit the festival serves.

Regional players

• Visa for Music: African and Middle Eastern world music market/festival held in Rabat, Morocco. Comparable in serving as a showcase platform for world music artists, but operates in a different geography with a different regional focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aufildesvoix
• Instagraminstagram.com/aufildesvoix
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/festival-au-fil-des-voix---le-rendez-vous-des-musiques-du-monde

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FESTIVAL AU FIL DES VOIX