The role of festival organizer with Patrice from Ar' Vran Fest

Before festival-goers cross the gates of Ar' Vran Fest, a full year of preparation takes place behind the scenes. Finding bands, managing the budget, communication, logistics…: the role of founder and festival organizer demands total commitment at all times. As the 2026 edition approaches, we met Patrice, the originator of Ar' Vran Fest, to discuss the birth of this unique event blending folk metal and a medieval universe!

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Hello Patrice! Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions! Can you introduce us to Ar' Vran Fest and tell us how the idea of creating an event mixing metal, folk, and a medieval universe came about?

During an evening with friends where we talked about the fact that there were very few, rarely or no, folk metal concerts or festivals in the region. And so we were forced to travel several hundred kilometers to be able to enjoy our style of music live. And that's how the association was born.

What are the main responsibilities of a festival organizer throughout the year, well before the doors open to the public?

Finding a venue, then dates. Then, carrying out research for artistic coherence based on the bands, and finding new things to offer festival-goers. 

We also work on the well-being, safety, and welcome of festival-goers, artists, and volunteers. 

Concretely, when does the preparation for a new edition begin, from one year to the next? We don't necessarily realize how much time it takes, nor the extent of everyone's responsibilities in contributing to the smooth running of a fest!

It's a minimum of one year's work. As soon as the festival ends, we start working on the next edition — sometimes even a few months before. As soon as I have the date and the venue, I begin my search for bands.

In general, what are the biggest challenges when organizing an independent festival today: budget, logistics, communication, competition…?

We don't consider ourselves to have any competition because today, you can find folk metal festivals, folk festivals, with medieval markets, but each festival has its own identity and that's great.

Every organization is different, but on our end, we have 2 challenges:

- Budget: We try to offer a great lineup at an affordable price, and above all to have enough cash flow to pay deposits. Which is no easy task today, as festival-goers buy their passes later and later.

- Communication: Communication is an important point in organizing a festival. It's a regular task, and you need to master social media. We have no training in that area, and we have day jobs on top of it, which makes it hard to maintain a regular pace.

Ar' Vran Fest is also a medieval market, entertainment, and a real festival village. Why was it important to go beyond the concerts?

Folk metal is a niche, and the local councils we've been lucky to work with have helped us a lot. So I felt it was only natural, in addition to offering concerts, to open the festival to the residents of the local community.

Furthermore, I was planning to introduce and showcase the medieval and metal world to a wider audience, and thus break down prejudices about these worlds. Universes that are still unknown to some and might "seem scary" ;). In reality, looking closely — without sugarcoating it — metal is a very tolerant and generous world. 

It's also a moment of sharing with families and craftspeople! The activities seem educational, original (for some) and fun to discover! 

The 2026 edition, which will take place on July 4 and 5, will have the pleasure of welcoming headliners such as Ensiferum. With hindsight, how much has the festival evolved since its very first edition? 

We started from a community hall with a market in a car park, and moved to a real concert venue, with the medieval market in a wooded park with a pond — a lovely setting! A large space to welcome more festival-goers, volunteers, craftspeople, and more bands, and indeed bigger bands. Yes, Ar'Vran Fest is growing more and more, and we are very proud of this evolution! But we still need to stay cautious, and operate on the principle that every edition is the first.

For you, what has been the most memorable or most unexpected moment since the festival was created?

Welcoming fabulous internationally renowned bands, as well as the "privilege" of continuing to welcome emerging bands, who, for us, hold an important place in our metal world!

Seeing one of my favorite bands, who came to play at my 1st edition, ask to come back and play this year because they absolutely loved the overall atmosphere of the festival… it's just incredible!

Unexpected moment: I would also say, seeing the closeness between the artists and the audience, and their open-mindedness… I was able to chat with them and it's unique…

Finally, to answer your question: meeting my wife ;) !

What advice would you give to someone who dreams today of launching their own festival and building a sustainable project in the music industry?

I don't claim to be part of the music industry, but when it comes to launching your own festival, I would say: believe in your project, be persevering and tenacious (without arrogance), take the plunge without being afraid of failing. And in any case, there is no failure — we grow and better understand things through our mistakes. You also need to be organized, not rush things, surround yourself with the right people (support, etc.), and not be afraid to pull all-nighters ;)!

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We hope that through this interview, we have given you some insight into the role of a festival organizer. If you would like to take part in the 2026 edition of the Ar' Vran Fest, don't wait any longer — go for it!