Photo by Robin May

For a while late last year things were looking grim for Festival International. The globe’s biggest world-music festival announced a troubling trend: Corporate sponsorships, which have been a life blood of the event for much of its 30-year history and a big reason why the festival has remained free, were lagging. FIL announced in November that there would be no Heritage Stage for this year’s event.But on Wednesday, FIL President Scott Feehan had good news: LUS Fiber has signed on as the presenting sponsor for Festival for the next three years, plus a number of new sponsors had come on board and several sponsors that were uncommitted have re-upped for 2017.Wednesday’s announcement included a host of premier sponsors: LUS (Scène Internationale and LA Craft Biergarten), JD Bank (Pavillion de Cuisine), TV5Monde (Scène Lafayette), Laborde Earles Law Firm (Scène Fais Do Do), Coca-Cola (non-alcoholic beverages) and Service Chevrolet Cadillac (shuttle, T-shirts and volunteer services).Other confirmed sponsors include Chevron, IberiaBank, Atmos Energy, Sterling Automotive, Cypress Bayou Casino & Hotel, Progressive Waste Solutions, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Louisiana Lottery, Southern Lifestyle Development, Waste Management, Acadian Ambulance, Enterprise, Ramada and Stuller.

Festival International 2017 will be held in Downtown Lafayette April 26-30.

