Arts Festivals Summit Peralada / Girona 23 - 26 April 2023

The Arts Festivals Summit takes place from 23 till 26 April 2023 in Peralada / Girona, Spain. Hosted by the Festival Castell de Peralada, the Summit will unfold the 70-Years-On Agenda and invite festivals, cities, the business sector to connect and work together on some key issues related to the role of the arts, festivals and festival stakeholders in society. Get ready for an inspiring 4-day event gathering 200 delegates in the heart of Catalonia.

Let’s talk Business: the European Arts Festivals Alliance at work

For 70 Years now, the European Festivals Association (EFA) is under continual construction: to contribute to the understanding that the role of the arts and arts festivals in society is to be harnessed more fruitfully; that trans-local and national collaboration is important to embrace the spirit of reciprocity and mutual learning; that the arts and festivals are a fundamental dialogue partner with all sorts of stakeholders around festival making.

In 2022, at the occasion of EFA’s 70th anniversary, the 70 Years-On Agenda was endorsed as a joint basis to enter into reflection and interaction about the responsibilities and possibilities of festivals today. Openness and expansion remain key features of the agenda; an agenda committed to a growing range of societal causes: environmental sustainability, arts in public spaces, inclusivity, etc.  Elaborated by the 70 Years-On Thinking Group, the 70 Years-On Agenda guide EFA in the next few years.

Different crisis situations, such as the current war in Ukraine, fear and resentment in our societies or the skyrocketing prices of energy and raw materials, show the need for human connections and mutual support across borders. They also reveal that the world is interconnected and that the different spheres of society need to collaborate more to ensure public spaces, fundamental freedoms, health and well-being of our societies. Festivals are at the crossroads of several sectors such as tourism, urban planning, health, and business. EFA will be there to offer a platform for dialogue by bringing different stakeholders to the table. 

Let’s talk business and invite business representatives, next to city and regions delegates, to join our European Arts Festivals Alliance at work and discuss the 70 Years-On Agenda.

Peralada and Girona

The medieval castle of Peralada is the setting for the Festival Castell de Peralada - the host of the Summit 2023 - during July and August. The gardens of the castle park, the church and the cloister will host delegates for a unique working day with visits and concerts in the medieval town of Peralada on the Costa Brava.

Girona is located in the north-east of the region of Catalonia in northern Spain. Known as "the city of the four rivers", it has a historic centre dominated by medieval buildings and Roman, Arab and Jewish remains. This relatively unexplored city is well worth a visit, as it is home to so many art festivals.  

Peralada and Gerona will allow us to discover the specificities of Catalan culture, its artists, its traditions, its wine and culinary delights.

EFA's Arts Festivals Summit 2023 is hosted and co-organised with Festival Castell de Peralada.

With the support of

In collaboration with