The organizers of the Chorégies d'Orange (Vaucluse), the oldest festival in France, announced on Wednesday the cancellation of the 2020 edition, scheduled from June 19 to August 1, due to the health crisis. “ Particular attention will be paid to the artists, technicians, permanent and intermittent workers who are the soul of this lyric art festival, ” announce the president of the Provence Alpes-Côte d'Azur region Renaud Muselier and the artistic director. Jean-Louis Grinda.
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The spectators who had reserved for this edition where in particular the Béjart Ballet Lausanne or Cécilia Bartoli and the Musicians of the Prince of Monaco could be reimbursed or reserved their place for the 2021 edition of this festival founded a century and a half ago at the ancient theater of Orange.
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The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, where a number of important festivals, starting with that of Avignon, have been canceled this year, is committed to maintaining all " voted grants " to cultural structures, as well as to set up an exceptional aid fund of 5 million euros for the sector.
In financial difficulty, the Chorégies d'Orange had been bailed out and taken over in 2018 by local authorities. They then employed five people full time, with a budget of 6 million euros.