How to Organize a Nonprofit Festival: Our Experience

Organizing a festival: easier said than done

When we founded APS OnStage (Associazione di Promozione Sociale, Italy's "social promotion association") in 2021, we had a simple idea: bring hip-hop art and culture to the small towns of the Salento. We had no event-organizing experience, almost no budget, and plenty of enthusiasm. Three years later, RestArt has become a festival with regional recognition.

What did we learn?

1. The permit is the real festival

Red tape: this is the first obstacle that many associations never get past. Public land occupation permits, SIAE (Italy's collecting society for copyrighted music and performances) authorizations, notifications to law enforcement, noise-impact assessments... the list goes on.

Practical tip: start the paperwork six months in advance. Build a direct relationship with the municipality's cultural office — not with the forms, with the people.

2. Budget: the rule of three

Whatever figure you estimate, multiply it by three. The unexpected is the norm, not the exception.

Items that get forgotten:
- Event insurance
- Waste disposal
- Fair compensation for volunteers (expense reimbursement, meals)
- Backup equipment (the PA system always breaks)

3. Communication: start before you're ready

Many associations wait until everything is finalized before they start communicating. Mistake. Build anticipation months ahead: teasers, behind-the-scenes content, countdowns. The audience becomes loyal during the wait, not during the event.

4. The day after

A festival ends that same evening: the next one starts the day after. Gather feedback right away, thank your partners, publish the photos. An event's collective memory is built in the 48 hours that follow.

Our biggest mistake

RestArt 2023: we underestimated the catering. Three hundred people, a single food stand. The line was longer than the main show. We'll never forget that lesson.