Festival de Montfort

A festival in the heart of the Provençal garrigue

The Festival de Montfort takes place every summer on the Coteaux de Ponfiges, a natural amphitheater nestled in the garrigue of the village of Montfort, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Since 2001, the association Ama Garrigue, chaired by Cyril Molina, has organized two to three evenings of open-air concerts combining contemporary music and conviviality.

An eclectic and ambitious program

The festival has always focused on musical diversity. From rock to reggae, from electro to hip-hop, from swing to world music, each edition offers a rich and surprising sound panorama. Over the years, more than eighty artists have performed on the festival's two stages: the main stage for headliners and a secondary stage for local talents. Among the memorable artists are C2C, Deluxe, Superbus, Sinclair, Debout sur le Zinc, La Ruda, Watcha Clan, Oai Star, Raspigaou, and Puppetmastaz.

Magical thematic decorations

Each edition of the Festival de Montfort is placed under a different theme that inspires the decorations, entertainment, and general atmosphere. In 2016, the theme of puppets transformed the site into a fantasy world where giant puppets adorned the bars, refreshment stands, and stalls. About a hundred volunteers spend a full week before the festival to build the infrastructure and create original decorations in the pine forest.

An eco-responsible and supportive commitment

The Festival de Montfort is driven by values of solidarity and eco-responsibility. Reusable cups, dry toilets, waste composting, elimination of plastic utensils, encouraged carpooling: the festival strives to minimize its environmental footprint. As its president states, "solidarity is the soul of this festival." The event is entirely organized by passionate volunteers.

"Apéros sonores" and cinema evenings

In addition to the concerts, the festival offers "apéros sonores" (sound aperitifs), moments of conviviality at the beginning of the evening highlighting local musical talents. Some editions have also featured open-air film screenings, as in 2014 with the works of Provençal filmmaker Christian Philibert or in 2016 with the documentary about Massilia Sound System, accompanied by a Provençal dinner featuring daube.

An exceptional natural site

The setting of the Ponfiges hillsides, between pine forest and garrigue, offers a unique natural backdrop for a festival. The site hosts up to 1,500 spectators per evening in an intimate and warm atmosphere. A bar, catering with local products, an artisan area, and camping complete the offerings for festival-goers.