About

What is YOUROPE?

YOUROPE – The European Festival Association was founded in 1998. It has since evolved into the most important association of European popular music festivals. Today, it represents 118 festivals and associated members from 29 European countries (as of August 2023).

The overall aim of the association is to strengthen and improve the European festival scene as a whole, to promote music and arts, and to connect cultures. By doing so, YOUROPE’s members want to inspire their audiences, cooperate with other cultural players, and contribute to the development of European society.

  • Establish an international network of music festivals
  • Apply public resources and a joint approach to cooperate and strengthen common values and the positive impact of our cultural field
  • Facilitate an exchange of experiences, knowledge and information (through meetings, conferences and workshops)
  • Improve the quality of the events of our members and of the whole sector, for our visitors and for the benefit of society
  • Foster event operations that are safe, responsible, fair, future-fit, and on all levels sustainable
  • Build capacity, provide education, share best-practice examples
  • Create synergies with other networks active in culture policy
  • Represent the festival scene in matters of mutual and public interest
  • Lead international dialogue and cultural exchange within and beyond our sector
  • Promote cross-border exchange of musical talent
  • Initiate and support cooperation in European projects

To fulfil these objectives, YOUROPE has established dedicated working groups and created continuing projects. Currently, there are two groups dealing with health & safety (YES Group) and sustainability & green operations (GO Group). In addition, the association organizes regular training events on topics like marketing & communication and mental health & wellbeing. YOUROPE also launched TAKE A STAND, the initiative for social awareness, presents the European Festival Awards (EFA) and hosts the bi-annual European Festival Conference (EFC).

These activities are where the international exchange, joint action and cooperation happens. Many colleagues from the association’s member festivals are leading experts in their fields. In these groups and projects, they also work with scientists, NGOs, and experts from outside the industry and make strong contributions towards better and more responsible events in Europe.

Having gained respect within the industry and at government level, YOUROPE has the power to lobby for all legal and industry issues relating to the European festival scene, and in conjunction with other associations in the live music business and the field of culture.

YOUROPE also focuses on other key issues for festivals, such as exchange of information regarding e.g. marketing, communication and digitalisation as well as legal affairs such as contracts, riders, broadcasting rights and insurances. For instance, the association launched its own YOUROPE standard terms for artist contracts and a standard agreement for public use.

YOUROPE‘s member festivals stand for a multi-million audience and an even bigger outreach. We are happy to provide places of identification, especially for the young generation of Europeans, and the stages where European talent develops into respected and successful artists. 

Mission Statement

Who are we?

We are European festival promoters, bringing culture, music, art and design to millions of young
people every year. Our events are a peaceful and joyful get–together of many different people in a
limited space over a limited time. Together with our audience, we are a community through our
passion for music, culture and through our love for festivals.

We want to be ambassadors of the European idea. We want to be an example of the togetherness
of different people from different countries, no matter what gender, race, religion, sexual orientation
or origin.
We stand for acceptance and cultural diversity.
Our business involves social responsibility – our aim is to be fair.
We stand for a high awareness in sustainability: ecologically, socially and economically.
We want our ideas of a peaceful cultural diversity to influence the future generation.
Through our partners, we want to spread our message into politics and make an impact in a positive
way.

We connect people through culture. We are bound through the collective thought of a common goal.
We want to exchange, educate, learn from each other and spread the message.

For future generations.
For the future of Europe.
For a strong community – not only in the festival sector, but all over Europe.

YOUROPE created this mission statement in December 2015 and published it at the beginning of 2016. It was also the beginning of something much bigger: the movement Take a Stand. It encourages festivals − and basically everybody else – to motivate people to participate in politics and social activities, to speak up for peaceful dialogue, humanism, tolerance and mutual understanding, to make the world a better place for everyone. 

Board & Office members

Board Members

YOUROPE is governed by an Executive Board. It consists of five persons who are nominated by a member and elected by the General Assembly for two years. Currently, the five board members are:

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Christof Huber

Chairman/Open Air St. Gallen

Marta Pallarès

Primavera Sound

Fruzsina Szép

Superbloom Festival

Maiju Talvisto

Flow Festival

Mikolaj Ziolkowski

Open’er Festival

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Christof Huber

Chairman/Open Air St. Gallen

Marta Pallarès

Primavera Sound

Fruzsina Szép

Superbloom Festival

Maiju Talvisto

Flow Festival

Mikolaj Ziolkowski

Open’er Festival

YOUROPE Office

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Holger Jan Schmidt

General Secretary

Katharina Weber

YOUROPE Project Management

Founding members

The following 21 festivals founded YOUROPE in London on March 24th, 1998:

  • Arezzo Wave, Italy
  • Hultsfred Festival, Sweden
  • Roskilde Festival, Denmark
  • Summer Rock Festival, Estland
  • Open Air St.Gallen, Switzerland
  • Gurten Festival, Switzerland
  • Doctor Music Festival, Spain
  • Stockholm Water Festival, Sweden
  • Provinssirock, Finland
  • Summer Jam, Germany
  • Bizarre Festival, Germany
  • Midtfyn Festival, Denmark
  • Hurricane Festival, Germany
  • PopKomm Festival, Germany
  • The Little Big One, Liechtenstein
  • Ruisrock, Finland
  • Paleo Festival Nyon, Switzerland
  • Libro Music Festival, Austria
  • Sonoria, Italy
  • Pinkpop Festival, Holland
  • Torhout‐Werchter, Belgium

Honorary members

YOUROPE has elected six honorary members that have been of particular service to the organization:

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Bernard Batzen

Long-time YOUROPE board member

Professor Ben Challis

Long-time YOUROPE legal advisor, creator of the YOUROPE standard terms

Philippe Cornu

Founding YOUROPE board member

Professor Chris Kemp

Founder of YES Group (YOUROPE Event Safety Group)

Ivan Milivojev

Long-time YOUROPE board member

Rikke Øxner

Long-time YOUROPE chairwoman