Festival de Montfort
Open-air concerts in the garrigues of Haute-Provence
2016
About Montfort
Montfort — edition 2016
Festival de Montfort 2016 - 16th edition
The 16th edition of the Festival de Montfort, from August 4th to 6th, 2016, marked the 20th anniversary of the Ama Garrigue association. Under the theme of puppets, this edition transformed the Coteaux de Ponfiges site into a fantasy world where giant puppets adorned the bars, refreshment stands, and stalls.
On Thursday, August 4th, the opening evening featured an open-air cinema screening of the documentary about Massilia Sound System, the famous Marseille reggae band. The screening at 10 PM was preceded by an aperitif at 7 PM and accompanied by a full dinner featuring Provençal daube (by reservation).
On Friday, August 5th, the soul, trip-hop, and reggae evening showcased local DJs Märzahse and Johan Stross, who got the crowd dancing with their genre-mixing sets.
On Saturday, August 6th, the hip-hop and electro evening was headlined by Puppetmastaz, an international hip-hop group known for their performances with giant puppets representing the band members on stage, perfectly fitting the edition's theme. The atmosphere was described as "punchy" with a lot of humor and audience participation.
Highlights Montfort 2016
- 16th edition and 20th anniversary of the Ama Garrigue association
- Theme of puppets with giant decorations
- Screening of the Massilia Sound System documentary
- Puppetmastaz, the world's first "Toyband"
- Provençal dinner featuring daube
- Eco-responsible festival: reusable cups, dry toilets
Programme Montfort 2016
2016 Program - Theme: Puppets
Thursday, August 4th - Cinema evening
- 7 PM: Opening aperitif
- 8 PM: Provençal dinner (daube, reservation required)
- 10 PM: Screening of the documentary "Massilia Sound System"
Friday, August 5th - Soul / Trip Hop / Reggae evening
- DJ Märzahse – Soul, trip-hop set
- DJ Johan Stross – Reggae, dub set
Saturday, August 6th - Hip-Hop / Electro evening
- Puppetmastaz – Hip-hop with giant puppets
Prices Montfort 2016
Montfort — 2017 edition
The 2016 edition was held from 4 August to 6 August 2016. The dates for the 2017 edition have not been announced yet. This page will be updated as soon as the official programme is published.
Practical information — Montfort
Access
The festival takes place at the Coteaux de Ponfiges, Montfort (04600), in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
- By car: From Manosque (15 min), take the D4096 towards Sisteron. From Aix-en-Provence, take the A51 then exit La Brillanne/Manosque. Free parking on site.
- By train: Manosque-Gréoux-les-Bains station (approx. 15 km), then taxi or carpooling.
Practical information
- Camping: Free camping on the festival site.
- Catering: Bar and catering on site with local products.
- Eco-responsibility: Reusable cups, dry toilets, waste sorting. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.
- Children: Free entry for under 10s.
Contact
- Phone: 04 92 64 02 64 (Office de Tourisme Val de Durance)
- Facebook: facebook.com/festivaldemontfort
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.
Where does it take place — Montfort
Montfort in brief
History of Montfort
Edition 2012 Aug 2012Other festivals near Montfort
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