A festival programmer receives between one hundred and three hundred applications per season. Many are discarded in under two minutes. Not because the project is poor — because the materials don’t answer the right questions in the time the programmer can give them.

Submitting a project to a festival isn’t about sending everything you have. It’s about answering three very specific questions, in the order the programmer asks them.

The three questions every programmer asks

Does it fit our programming? The question isn't about artistic quality — it's whether the project fits what the festival actually programmes. A jazz festival is not an entry point for a contemporary dance company, however excellent.
Can we host it technically? Does the stage have the right dimensions, can the technical team handle the rider, does the budget work.
Can I defend it to my team? The programmer needs to be able to justify the booking to their board, sponsors, and colleagues. They need arguments: credentials, references, previous press.

Your materials need to answer all three in that order. If the first answer is no, the others don’t matter.

Research before you submit

The most important step happens before sending anything: verify that the festival programmes projects like yours.

Look at the last two or three years of programming. What kind of artists appear? What show format? What audience? If you don’t fit the pattern, don’t waste your time — or the programmer’s.

A very common mistake is sending the same application to twenty festivals without adapting it. The programmer immediately recognises a mass-email template. And they reject it, not for lack of quality, but for lack of respect for their time.

The materials you need ready

A personalised introductory email (not a template)

The email is your application. It needs: the festival name and why you fit their programming specifically, a two-paragraph maximum description of the project, and a link to your digital press kit. Nothing attached to the email — everything via link.

Video of the specific project you’re proposing (not a showreel)

The programmer needs to see the specific project you’re pitching, not a highlights compilation from the last five years. A well-lit rehearsal video of the current project is more useful than a professional video of a different show.

Technical rider (downloadable PDF)

Without a rider, the programmer can’t know whether they can host you. It’s not optional. It must specify: required stage dimensions, sound and lighting needs, load-in and load-out time, technical personnel you provide and what you need from the venue.

Performance history and credentials

Where you’ve performed, when, in what context. They don’t need to be major venues — a clean list showing consistent professional activity and, where possible, a name the programmer recognises. If you’ve been in recognised circuits (Mercat de les Flors, FIRA de Tàrrega, Edinburgh Fringe, Circostrada), mention it explicitly.

Fee and economic terms

State your fee or range. Many artists avoid naming a price for fear of being ruled out, but economic ambiguity just drags the process out unnecessarily. If your fee is negotiable, say so. If you have a subsidy that reduces the cost to the festival, that’s an argument, not something to hide.

After submitting: the follow-up

If you haven’t heard back in three weeks, one follow-up email is appropriate: “I’m writing to ask whether you’ve had a chance to review the application I sent on [date].”

One follow-up. Not weekly. Programmers manage hundreds of applications and aren’t obligated to reply to all of them. If they say there’s no space this year, ask whether you can reapply next year and when.

The materials you submit to a festival are your digital press kit. If yours isn’t structured yet, read What is an EPK and why you need one.

If you’d like help preparing materials for your next submission, tell us about your project.