No events of more than 5,000 people before September: Édouard Philippe formalized a French summer Tuesday without a major festival. The cultural world expected it and had already largely anticipated this new white season.
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The Cannes Film Festival, the most important in the world for the seventh art, originally planned for May, had already drawn a line under a delay in late June-early July. Its general delegate Thierry Frémaux has so far refused to throw in the towel completely, saying that the event could continue in another form. He notably mentioned the possibility of a Cannes alliance with the Venice Film Festival, if the latter could be held in September. The dates of the Italian festival are currently confirmed (September 2-12).
But by then, twenty leading film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin or Toronto, will participate in a virtual event that will offer free films on YouTube. This “We Are One: A Global Film Festival” will be held online from May 29 to June 7 and will feature feature films, short films, documentaries, music and virtual round tables.
Music: cancellation festival
From mid-April, music festivals took responsibility. The Francofolies (scheduled from July 10 to 14, 150,000 spectators in 2019), the Eurockéennes (July 2-4, 128,000), the Main Square (July 3-5, 115,000), Les Nuits de Fourvière (July 2 - 31, 190,000) ), Art Rock, Garorock, Europavox, Marsatac, Musilac or Jazz à Juan and Jazz à Vienne threw in the towel. Printemps de Bourges, Hellfest, Lollapalooza and Solidays had preceded them.
The Rock en Seine festival, in the Paris region, scheduled from August 29 to September 1 (100,000 spectators last year) seems on the hot seat. Its managers are waiting for the moment to communicate information on the holding or not of their next edition.
The Interceltic festival of Lorient, scheduled from August 7 to 16 (nearly 750,000 festival-goers last year) cannot take place, as indicated by Ouest-France. A board of directors must ratify the decision this Thursday, April 30.
"Large gatherings, festivals or concerts, were the first to close, they could be the last to reopen to hear speeches from the public authorities" , was sorry to AFP mid-April Jérôme Tréhorel, director of the Vieilles Plows.
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Also in mid-April, the Avignon Festival, the most famous theatrical event in the world, had canceled its 2020 edition. The "In" first, then the "Off".
But it is the entire cultural life that is impacted, not just the major media festivals. Edouard Philippe, before the deputies, has in fact stipulated that "the great museums, which attract a large number of visitors outside their living area, cinemas, theaters and concert halls, where we stay at the same place in a closed environment, will not be able to reopen ”from May 11, the date decreed for a start of progressive deconfinement. He added that "the village halls, the multipurpose halls will also remain closed until June 1" .
