How a large-scale music and arts festival pivoted during quarantine to keep humming along
By Scott Feehan
The Festival International de Lousiane was about a month away from hosting its 34th annual cultural celebration when the world shut down during the 2020 pandemic. Instead of taking over Lafayette’s downtown area and welcoming 300,000 festival goers, the team was suddenly faced with giving up or diving into something brand-new. In the end, the choice to pivot to a virtual festival became an opportunity to strengthen support, acquire new technical skills, and reach a more global audience.
In a typical year, the non-profit that produces the largest international music and arts festival in the U.S welcomes tourists, bands, and artists to experience the city and its customs, while also enjoying other cultures from around the world. But as everything was abruptly cancelled, including this event, the Festival International team knew it had to do something to lift the community and fans during the crisis instead of throwing in the towel. The full production of Virtual Festival came together in only three weeks, but it turned out to be a bright beacon of light that people are still talking about a year later.