Montpellier theater festival faces audit over 'significant dysfunctions'

The "Printemps des Comédiens," a major theater festival established in Montpellier in 1987, is facing scrutiny from the Occitanie regional audit office (CRC) over "significant dysfunctions" in its management. The CRC's report, covering the period from 2019 to 2024, highlights a "preoccupying" financial situation and criticizes a governance structure that allowed the festival's director, Jean Varela, to centralize decision-making. This concentration of power, according to the audit, led to insufficient justification for numerous expenses.

The audit specifically points to "two conventional departures" costing a total of 143,000 euros, both signed by the director. It also questions the "poorly detailed" budgets for two major productions: "Après la répétition/Persona" by Ivo van Hove in 2023, with a budget of 720,529 euros, and "Bérénice" by Romeo Castellucci in 2024, costing 911,517 euros.

Valérie Renet, president of the CRC, stated that the association is "structurally deficitary." Over the six-year period examined, the festival received significant public support totaling 12.8 million euros from local and regional authorities, as well as the state. However, the CRC noted that these funding bodies did not fully exercise their oversight role.

In response to the audit, the Métropole de Montpellier indicated that Varela's functions were terminated in December 2025 due to "financial uncertainties and a lack of transparency." Varela, however, contested the audit's findings, asserting that the situation was far from being in deficit.