Canceled last year, the Carcassonne Festival was maintained this summer with some arrangements.
After welcoming Joan Baez, Depeche Mode, Sting or even Iggy Pop during previous editions, the event, highly caring for a flagship location, the Jean-Deschamps Theater, was able to start on July 9 with rigorous health measures, adapted and susceptible. new adaptations.
In the medieval city, we value this meeting a lot, its cultural influence and especially its economic impact on all businesses.
Three thousand places available, plus a space dedicated to antigenic tests, all in the open air: there was enough to motivate the most skeptical.
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Pascal Dupont, director and programmer, testifies:
“We had to modify our access protocol with the issue of the health pass.
Everything was done in concert with the city.
Currently, at the entrance to the city, any visitor is given a bracelet against presentation of a QR Code or a negative PCR.
This allows festival-goers with a ticket to visit the city during the day and attend concerts in the evening without being screened several times.
For those who do not have a health pass or PCR, we have set up tents where we perform between 200 and 300 antigenic tests per day. ”
Programming has also been impacted by the pandemic.
She is almost exclusively French this year.
With Alain Souchon, Patrick Bruel, Louis Chedid, Grand Corps Malade, Suzane or even Vitaa and Slimane for the youngest.
“This year, it was impossible to keep the festival in its original form, with an off that usually shines the spotlight on emerging talents. We had to build a program without having to compete with international sizes, with the exception of the Italian Zucchero, ”
continues Pascal Dupont.
"Young people don't want to play the game"
According to him, festival-goers seem to integrate the health constraint well. Less young people.
“It is mainly they who are lacking. They don't want to play the game. "
So much so that Pascal Dupont was forced to cancel the big evening of July 15, with Black M and PNL.
“Usually, the lineup brings together all ages and genres, but this year there is a real reluctance to buy tickets because of the health pass. Normally we do ten full concerts out of the twenty-three offered. This year it will only be four. "
Coming this Monday evening, Christophe Maé and Angélique Kidjo, Catherine Ringer on Tuesday, and finally, for the two closing days on July 30 and 31, Francis Cabrel.
Pascal Dupont has already unveiled the concerts for the 2022 edition. Those of the legendary hard rockers of Deep Purple and the great singer and blues guitarist Ben Harper.
Until July 31.
Tel .: 04 68 11 59 15.www.festivaldecarcassonne.fr
