巴黎 —— 马戏节目出租与落地条件Circus Act for Hire in Paris — The French Licence-Holder, the DRAC Declaration and the Season
法国是马戏的故乡，也是全世界流程最清楚、要求最硬的市场。这里有一件事必须先说清楚：非欧洲经济区的演出商不能单独在法国做演出，链条里必须有一个持牌法国演出商。理解这一点，报价和工期才谈得下去。France is where modern circus lives, and it is the most procedural market in the world for a visiting act. One structural fact has to come first: a producer established outside the EEA cannot simply stage a show in France — a French licence-holder has to sit in the chain. Everything else follows from that.
法国的特殊结构：持证人必须是法国方The structural rule: a French licence-holder is required
France regulates who may run a live performance. The old entertainer's licence was replaced in 2019 by a declaration registered with the DRAC, the regional cultural affairs directorate, which issues a receipt acting as the licence. The practical point for a foreign act is this:
- A performance entrepreneur established outside the EEA that wants to work in France must inform the DRAC at least one month before the first performance, and is required to have a contract with a French licence-holding live performance entrepreneur, which is sent to the DRAC with the declaration.
- Entertainers and technicians engaged for occasional performances are employed through GUSO, the French single desk for occasional performance work.
- Foreign artists also need a work authorisation. A short-duration exemption exists for artistic engagements when the artist already has the right to enter Schengen: the organiser files an online dispensation through the SIPSI portal at least two working days before the first show. Engagements outside that exemption need the authorisation requested by the employer first.
Read this before pricing a French date. The French licence-holder is the employer and producer of record. That party — not the visiting company — carries the regulatory position, the social charges and the work authorisation request. A French booking is therefore a three-party structure, and it has to be agreed before dates are promised.
场地与节目形态Venues and what the city programmes
| Circus venues and festivals 马戏场馆与节庆 | A discerning audience. Paris knows circus well, and programmes are curated rather than spectacle-led. A tight, technically strong act reads better here than a loud one. |
|---|---|
| Fairs and funfairs 集市与游乐场 | The big seasonal opportunity. The spring fair season brings the largest funfair audiences of the year, with programmes set months in advance. |
| Exhibition halls and arenas 展馆与场馆 | Where the rigged acts fit. Halls are the indoor category that reliably clears the height a wheel needs. |
| Department stores and retail 百货与商业 | Christmas windows and evening events. Short, atmospheric sets, and heavily constrained by floor loading and clear height. |
| Corporate and gala 企业与庆典 | Compact and elegant. A 20 to 30 minute set, programmed to sit inside a dinner or an award ceremony. |
档期The season
- Spring — the fair season. The largest outdoor audience of the year, and the dates that French producers plan around.
- November to January — the Christmas period. Retail events, illuminated programming and family shows. Committed early.
- Summer — festivals and touring. Outdoor work across the regions, weather-dependent and with the licensing route firmly in local hands.
- The school calendar drives family programming throughout the year; French holiday zones stagger rather than align.
器械与保险Equipment and insurance
- Freight. Professional equipment enters under an ATA Carnet, which is well understood at French ports and airports. Road movement of oversized loads needs its own authorisation and, in the city, night-time scheduling.
- Insurance. French venues commonly ask for liability cover with a French-language certificate, and the limit is set by the venue rather than by the act.
- Documentation. Technical dossiers are expected in French. We prepare apparatus specifications, load calculations, crew credentials and a safety method statement so that the French licence-holder can file directly.
需要您提供什么What we need from your side
- Which party will be the French licence-holder for the engagement.
- The venue, its clear height, and whether the show is ticketed or private.
- The first performance date, since the DRAC declaration runs from that date backwards.
- The nationality of every artist travelling, because that determines whether the short-duration exemption can be used or a full work authorisation is required.
Give us those and we will set out the format, the document list and the sequence, before any contract discussion.
常见问题Frequently asked questions
Do you have a resident show in France?
No. We do not hold a resident production in France. Each engagement is set up with the French licence-holder who carries the production, and we prepare the technical and personnel dossier that party needs.
Can a non-European company produce a show in France directly?
Under the French rules a performance entrepreneur established outside the EEA must notify the DRAC at least one month before the first performance and must hold a contract with a French licence-holding live performance entrepreneur. That is why a French engagement is a three-party structure.
Do the artists need a work permit?
Yes, unless a specific exemption applies. A short-duration exemption exists for artistic engagements where the artist already has the right to enter Schengen, and the organiser files an online dispensation at least two working days before the first show. Otherwise the employer requests the authorisation first.
How are the artists employed?
Occasional performance work in France is routed through GUSO, the single desk for occasional performance employment. Payroll and social charges sit with the French side.
When should we start?
At least three months, and longer around the spring fair season and Christmas. The one-month DRAC notice is a floor, not a planning horizon.
取得联系Start the conversation
Email mengtangshow@outlook.com with your venue type, the format you have in mind and your target dates, or reach us on WhatsApp at +86 189 6899 9691 (GMT+8). Site surveys are free of charge and come before any contract is discussed.
中文要点
- 法国是流程最严、最明确的马戏市场 —— 先理解结构再谈价格
- 非欧洲经济区演出商不能单独在法国做演出：必须提前至少一个月向 DRAC 申报，且必须与持牌法国演出商签约（合同一并报送）
- 因此法国场次是三方结构：法国持证方是雇主与出品方，承担监管责任、社保与工作许可申请
- 演员一般需要工作许可；短期艺术活动有豁免通道（需已有申根入境权，由主办方提前 2 个工作日在线申报）
- 偶发演出用工走 GUSO 单一窗口，薪酬与社保在法方
- 档期：春季集市季是全年最大户外观众量；11 月–1 月圣诞档为第二个高峰
- 巴黎观众懂马戏，偏好紧凑、技术扎实的节目，而非"堆场面"
- 器械走 ATA 单证册；技术资料需法语；赔偿责任限额通常由场馆设定
- 目前在当地无驻场演出，合作为项目制