“
When you come to the Trans, there is a real emotion because it's a festival that has a soul.
The pleasure outweighs the fear of covid,
”says Stéphane, 56, who came from Paris to participate in the Trans Musicales of Rennes 2021, placed under high health surveillance.
For the first important evening of concerts, Thursday, December 2, at the Parc Expo, in the midst of the 5th wave of the epidemic, 4,500 festival-goers were expected.
A test for the legendary Rennes festival, which for its 43rd edition is counting on 40,000 visitors over five days.
Read also Trans Musicales: the prefect calls for the responsibility of the public to avoid a cluster
“
We are in the spotlight, it's an anxiety-provoking period.
We see that contamination is resuming, that borders are closing, but we feel the envy of people, and we want to show that we can organize a festival in 2021, in 2022,
”explains Cédric Cimadomo, administrator of Trans Musicales 2021.
After having voluntarily lowered its gauge to 75%, the festival received the green light from the prefecture to return to 100%.
To do this, he had to show white paw.
Alongside the posters of the most memorable concerts, panels inviting festival-goers to keep their masks and to respect barrier gestures have appeared.
The organizers did not skimp on the quantities of hydroalcoholic gel, 130 liters, or masks, 30,000, or even disinfectants, 75 liters.
At the entrance, around twenty lines dedicated to the control of the health pass have been set up.
In total, the Trans have invested 25,000 euros to promote compliance with health measures.
Read also Trans Musicales, feverish groups against the backdrop of the Covid-19 recovery
Mostly accepted constraints
Hall 8, the Franco-Armenian group Ladaniva begins with a traditional lyrical song.
At this point in the evening, the audience seems to be following instructions, and the mask is only down to sip a beer.
With an incidence rate of 285.3 per 100,000 inhabitants in Rennes Métropole on December 1, against 179.4 on November 23 according to the Regional Health Agency, the figures are cause for concern.
On December 1, the prefecture called for the “
responsibility of festival-goers
” to avoid the formation of a cluster during the festival.
“
I was a little hesitant to come but I thought it was going to be one of the last shows for a while. We are masked, vaccinated, and these are large halls, we are not confined,
”reassures Nina, a 26-year-old town planner from Brest. "
We know we're taking a risk, but it's been so long since we last had a concert that we want to enjoy it. We will do tests afterwards if necessary and we will stay at home if there is anything,
”also says Caroline, 20, a student in Rennes. After a blank year and virtual concerts, Sandrine, a regular at Trans for 25 years, is also happy to find “
her
” festival again. “
If we want to support culture, and it continues to do us good, we have to accept the constraints. What matters is the music and it's there,
”
she
says.
Hall 3, young high school students dance to a DJ set. "
Dancing with masks is not a problem for us, we are so used to wearing it all day in class.
Tomorrow I have a family meal, my parents told me to be careful,
”testifies Hugo, 16 years old.
In the event of a release, more than a hundred security agents have been tasked with recalling good practices.
Despite all precautions, the organizers admit that they cannot however "
be behind 30,000 festival-goers
".
To conclude Cédric Cimadomo expresses wishful thinking: “
We
rely
on everyone's responsibility, especially for wearing a mask because we know very well that distance is complicated to respect in a concert pit.
»To be continued.
