European Festival Awards 2025: Winners

As is tradition, the European Festival Awards got handed out on the opening night of ESNS, in Groningen, Netherlands, Jan. 14. This year’s EFA ceremony was hosted by IQ journalist Lisa Henderson, and A Greener Future CEO Claire O’Neill.

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Festivals from more than 30 countries were shortlisted in 2025, and 300,000 single votes have been cast by the public, which then got narrowed down by a professional jury. This resulted in 104 shortlisted nominees in 13 distinct categories, not counting the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Paléo Festival, which turns 50 years old in 2027, won in den major festival category.

The Best Major Festival Award at the EFAs is reserved for events with a capacity of more than 40,000 festival-goers per day. It rewards “a festival of outstanding quality, both in terms of its line-up and the overall experience offered to the public”, according to EFAs own wording.

The organizers of Paléo see the win as recognition of its “permanent team, the association’s members, and its 5,400 volunteers,” that make the event happen each year. Alongside the production of the 2026 edition, Paléo is preparing its 50th anniversary edition in 2027.

“This Best Major Festival title above all rewards a collective adventure and the exceptional commitment of the entire Paléo community, particularly its volunteers, who bring the Festival to life all year round to offer the public the most beautiful festival possible,” commented Daniel Rossellat, President of Paléo Festival Nyon, who won the EFA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award went to Austrian promoter icon Ewald Tatar, CEO of the Barracuda Music Group.

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The Promoter of the Year award, presented by Pollstar, went to the team behind EXIT festival, who’ve moved mountains and withstood immense government pressure to make EXIT’s 25th anniversary happen in 2025.

The Award for Excellence & Passion went to FKP Scorpio CEO Stephan Thanscheidt, a 2025 Pollstar Impact International Honoree.

The award for Best Medium-Sized Festival – for the best European festival with a capacity of 10,000 to 39,999 visitors – went to Pohoda, the Slovakian festival’s second win after first taking home the title in 2023.

Kristína Mlynárová of Pohoda Festival’s media team won the New Kid On The Block award. “Festivals are a team effort, and one of their key roles is to nurture the next generation of professionals for the arts scene. This respected award recognises young professionals in the festival industry, and it is great to see that, following last year’s nomination of Andrea Bláhová, the prize has now been awarded to another member of the Pohoda team, Kristína Mlynárová,” a statement from Pohoda Festival reads.

Pohoda Festival founder Michal Kaščák commented, “We are happy and excited. According to experts from the festival scene, Pohoda is the best festival in Europe. After a difficult year in 2024, this is a huge encouragement for us. In a way, it’s a miracle, and we are truly moved. Thanks to the support of our amazing visitors, as well as artists, partners, suppliers and the international festival family, we have experienced a rebirth that ultimately led to receiving the most prestigious award a festival can win. I am convinced this is important for the entire cultural scene in Slovakia; it is good news to feel respect for Slovak art in an international context.”

Regarding Mlynárová’s win, he added, “I am proud of our team. Recognition like this can only be achieved when people give their very best – maximum effort combined with attention to detail, as well as heart and passion. The award for Kristína Mlynárová as a professional from the young generation is further proof of the quality of the Pohoda team. We are looking forward to celebrating these successes together at the 30th edition of Pohoda this July at Trenčín Airport.”

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Here are all winners of the European Festival Awards 2025:

The Take a Stand Award
Presented by: Take A Stand
Sziget Festival (Hungary)

Line-Up of the Year
Presented by: IQ Magazine
Lowlands (The Netherlands)

The Event Safety Award
Presented by: Citymesh & YES Group
Rock for People (Czech Republic)

Agent of the Year
Steve Zapp (ITB)

Best Small Festival
Dynamo Metalfest (The Netherlands)

Newcomer of the Year
Presented by: ESNS
Addison Rae (USA)

The Brand Activation Award
Pinkpop with Libresse (The Netherlands)

Best Medium-Sized Festival
Presented by: Access All Areas
Pohoda Festival (Slovakia)

The Green Operations Award
Presented by: GO Group
Štěrkovna Open Music (Czech Republic)

Best Major Festival
Presented by: Eventim
Paléo Festival Nyon (Switzerland)

The Award for Excellence & Passion
Stephan Thanscheidt, FKP Scorpio (Germany)

Promoter of the Year
presented by: Pollstar
Exit Festival (Serbia)

New Kid on the Block
Kristína Mlynárová, Pohoda Festival (Slovakia)

The Lifetime Achievement Award
Ewald Tatar (Austria)

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