The Solidays festival, canceled in February due to the pandemic, will finally take place.
Or, at least, for a very specific audience.
The organizers of the event announced on Twitter on Thursday that a mini-festival would take place this summer, with a dozen artists in the lineup, but only for caregivers and only for one day.
A way of paying tribute to those who find themselves on the front line facing the Covid.
Read also: Canceled, maintained or postponed: the festival calendar in the time of Covid-19
Sunday July 4, the Paris-Lonchamps racecourse, a traditional venue for Solidays, will therefore open its doors for this very special 23rd edition. A real surprise, when the organizers had announced in February that the festival created in 1999 would not take place this year, for the second time in a row: “
It's a difficult decision, but it is our responsibility to take it. A small-scale formula was not viable, because this festival is used above all to raise funds for our international aid programs in the fight against HIV
”, then explained Luc Barruet, the boss of
Solidays
and founding director of the Solidarity AIDS association. The festival would normally be held from June 18 to 20, 2021.
After reflection, the organizers finally chose to maintain an "
unexpected and free
"
edition
, reserved "
for women and men who bring health to life,
" they explained in a statement. “
Pandemics disrupt the world as well as our certainties and hit the most vulnerable hard. Covid-19 dramatically reminds us of this today, as HIV did yesterday. Each time, the soldiers on the front line are the caregivers. For Solidarité Sida, their dignity, courage and devotion deserve to be saluted once again. But this time, in music
”, and thanks to“
the generous support of loyal partners of Solidays
”.
“
It is a real tour de force for Solidarité Sida to organize this mini Solidays, decided just a few days ago.
Especially when we know that the association has not recovered from the financial difficulties linked to the double cancellation of its festival,
”the press release added.
Indeed after a record edition which gathered 228,000 people in 2019, the organizers were forced to cancel the festival in 2020 in the face of Covid-19.
The organizers then launched an appeal for donation, since “
70% of the association's resources
” are usually recovered thanks to
Solidays
.
Read also: Solidays continues to collect donations after the festival is canceled
To participate in this special edition, "
Merci Les Soignants
", those interested can register now on the website. People must provide proof that they work "at
the hospital or clinic, in nursing homes or pharmacies, in health or vaccination centers, at school or at home, all those who support the most vulnerable
" . A draw will then be made on June 21 and 23, then the winners will receive by email a personal and non-transferable invitation, valid for two people.
Students in the health care community should also be welcome, the organization said on Twitter. A waiting period will be put in place to compensate for any withdrawals. The gauge is currently 5,000 people, but "
it may change depending on the next government announcements
." Finally, the ten artists present at the event should be unveiled soon.