The day after the videoconference of the festival organizers with the Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot, who announced to them Thursday, February 19 an outdoor health setting with a maximum of 5,000 spectators seated, masked and distanced for this summer, the first decisions fall.
One good, two bad.
As their director, Jérôme Tréhorel, explained to us on Thursday evening, the Vieilles Charrues are going to reinvent themselves for their 29th edition.
And prove it by announcing this Friday that they will be held exceptionally this year over ten evenings, between July 8 and 18.
The biggest French festival will be held on its usual site, in Carhaix in Finistère, but in a new configuration.
If the health framework does not move - it can change if the figures of the Covid-19 epidemic evolve positively - it will welcome 5,000 spectators on a mixture of floor and bleachers.
Celine Dion uncertain at the Vieilles Charrues
The artists will be announced in the spring, but it's a safe bet that the programming will be very French-speaking, with Anglo-Saxon headliners pushing back almost all their tours to 2022, like Céline Dion, who was to create the event this summer at Les Charrues, but promised the organizers to come back… “Since this morning, we have been calling primarily the turners of the artists who were scheduled this summer with us to see who will turn or not, specifies Jérôme Tréhorel.
We will organize between two and four concerts per evening, with a single and moderate price.
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A pop-up festival, special ticket office.
It will open in the spring, while those who want to be reimbursed for tickets already purchased for July 16, 17 and 18 will be able to do so from February 25 on the festival website.
Those who had tickets for the 15th, when Celine Dion was to perform, can keep them until the artist confirms the postponement of her concert, and until when.
This summer, there will be no camping at Vieilles Charrues, that's for sure, but Jérôme Tréhorel is optimistic about discussions with the Ministry of Culture on food stands and refreshments.
“We have already thought about a dedicated space that respects health rules,” says the festival director.
If people stay on site for five or six hours, it is essential that they be able to drink and eat there.
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HellFest is meeting in a year
Laughing Plows, Crying HellFest.
The biggest French metal festival will officially announce this Friday at 5 pm the cancellation of its 15th edition and its postponement to June 17, 18 and 19, 2022. It is not a surprise for its organizers, who knew well that it could not be held next June with 60,000 spectators per day and 90% of foreign groups in its programming.
"Our fate was sealed before this decision, given the size of our festival and its aesthetics", recognizes the boss of HellFest, who was at the origin of the meeting with the Minister of Culture.
Like last year, the festival, which was sold out, will offer holders of the precious 3-day passes and day tickets purchased in 2020 to keep them for 2022. “This summer, we will try to organize something but not under the HellFest name, explains Ben Barbaud.
We are thinking about a digital edition or small concerts for our volunteers.
Making something for festival-goers is complicated.
I don't see myself drawing 5,000 people out of the 60,000 who have already bought their tickets.
That would make 55,000 injured.
"
The boss of HellFest admits that "the Minister of Culture gave a quick and clear answer".
"But unlike some colleagues, I find it hard to be happy about its announcement, because it will obviously penalize all those who love metal, rock, rap, electro, music that can be appreciated standing up and without distancing, he said.
While the epidemic appears to be calming down, the restrictions remain the same as last summer.
I am happy if other festivals manage to adapt, in classical, jazz, song or dance, but it will be a disaster for young people.
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"A seated concert, it's called a church, not Garorock"
Another shock cancellation, Garorock.
The festival was to celebrate its 25th anniversary in Marmande (Lot-et-Garonne) from June 23 to 27 with 50,000 festival-goers per day, including 40,000 campers.
“Garorock's DNA is meeting and celebrating,” sums up the festival's founding director, Ludovic Labordie in the Sud-Ouest newspaper.
Doing a seated concert is called a church, not Garorock.
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“We cannot distort the Garorock experience, adds the festival team in a press release, specifying that this is a cancellation and not a postponement, and that the tickets purchased will therefore be refunded.
“Before our reunion in 2022, we are thinking about offering you alternative initiatives,” specify the organizers.
We'll tell you more in a few weeks.
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