(VIP-NEWS) — After three years of research, advocacy, and capacity-building, the European Festival Association’s Future-Fit Festivals (3F) project has officially concluded.
Funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe program, the initiative provided valuable resources to help festival organizers address challenges such as climate change, audience engagement, and event safety.
Key 3F Outputs and Resources
Throughout its duration, 3F released several publications and toolkits, all available for free use. These include:
– European Green Festival Roadmap 2030 – a guide to sustainable festival practices
– Diversity & Inclusion Toolset – strategies to promote inclusivity in festival settings
– Festivals for Ukraine Toolkit – guidance on organizing fundraising and awareness campaigns
– 3F Safety Report – an analysis of safety trends in the festival sector from 2022 to 2024
– European Festival Reports (EFR) – annual reports summarizing promoter and audience survey results
A summary publication, translated into Spanish, French, Chinese, and Arabic, provides an overview of 3F’s findings and recommendations to make festivals more resilient, responsible, and relevant.
Widespread Industry Impact
The project reached over 12 million people through international campaigns supported by more than 150 festivals and organizations across 30+ European countries.
Key initiatives included:
– #WeVoteForEurope (2024) – encouraging participation in the European Parliament elections
– Life is Live (2024) – raising awareness about youth mental health
– Festivals for Ukraine (2023) – supporting humanitarian efforts
– #ImpossibleWithoutYouth (2022) – celebrating young festivalgoers
Additionally, 3F organized 15 conferences and training events, engaging over 3,000 festival professionals. Notable events included the European Festival Summit in Karlsruhe (2024), the European Festival Conference on Pag Island (2023), and specialized workshops on sustainability, event safety, and diversity.
Next Steps: 3F 2.0 and Future Initiatives
While the initial 3F project has ended, its mission continues. YOUROPE has secured EU funding for a four-year extension, 3F 2.0, running from January 2025 to 2028.
This next phase will introduce new publications and tools, including:
– Extreme Weather Toolbox (2025) – strategies to mitigate climate risks at outdoor festivals
– Fair Ticketing Guide (2026) – developed in partnership with the Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing (FEAT)
– Green Festival Navigator Tool (2027) – helping festivals implement sustainable measures
– Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Roadmap (2027) – concrete steps for increased inclusivity
– Crowd Management Competence Levels (2028) – enhancing safety in event planning
– Support for Ukraine (2028) – a dedicated initiative to aid the Ukrainian festival sector
– Youth Professional Exchange & Internship Program – ongoing opportunities for young industry professionals
Holger Jan Schmidt, General Secretary of YOUROPE:
“3F marked a turning point for YOUROPE (The European Festival Association). After more than 20 years of existence and groundbreaking achievements, we applied for European funding in the middle of the pandemic for the first time. The Network Support of the Creative Europe Program offered the opportunity to expand on what had been achieved so far, to put it on a more solid foundation and, in addition, to supplement it with new, complementary activities in order to consolidate and strengthen the scope of the association.
YOUROPE has been a partner of the longest-running Creative Europe project of all time – the European Talent Exchange, developing and promoting music and artists across Europe. 3F now gave us the opportunity to concentrate on what it takes to offer them a stage as part of our festivals: future-proof events, with skilled, happy teams and the highest possible standards in all conceivable production areas.
Let`s not kid ourselves: no two festivals are the same, and in many areas, there is no one size fits all solution. We cannot credibly set a standard for future-fitness. What we can do, however, is provide the thousands upon thousands of brave, creative and enthusiastic festival makers with tools and knowledge that will help them to confidently master the process of moving into the future. After three years, I feel that YOUROPE has come closer to this goal. We speak for and especially with festivals of all kinds – from boutique to major – in all of Europe. We help outsiders understand our sometimes crazy industry and we help to ensure that the magical moments that we all love so much can continue to be created!
The confirmation of the EU funding for 3F’s successor project is a significant recognition of the quality and relevance of the achievements made. Therefore, while wrapping up 3F, we have already started 3F 2.0, continuing the great work and developing new tools and guidance on additional focus topics, such as fair ticketing, extreme weather, and resistance to new threats, be they political, economic, or societal.”
Through continued research, advocacy, and collaboration, YOUROPE aims to help festivals adapt to emerging challenges while maintaining their cultural and social significance.
