Canceled in 2020, postponed this year?
The 2021 edition of the Foire du Trône - which is held "normally" in April and May in the 12th arrondissement of Paris - is again threatened by the restrictions linked to the health crisis.
In a world without Covid, the assembly of the 350 attractions (including a quarter of "giant" rides) of the fair should begin at this time.
But the organization of fairgrounds remains, to this day, prohibited for reasons of fight against the pandemic.
And the lawn of Reuilly, which hosts the “biggest fair in France” each year, is only frequented by walkers for the moment.
Not a fairground semi-trailer on the horizon.
“From an administrative point of view, fairgrounds are subject to the same rules as amusement parks,” recalls Louis Joubert, former head of the fair committee and current president of an association for the defense of the fairgrounds.
“If the state gives the green light, amusement parks will reopen in the spring.
We want to do the same for the Throne Fair, ”he insists.
Preparatory work on the Reuilly lawn has not started
The fairground, who participated last week with some colleagues in a videoconference of "preparation" with the town hall of Paris, says he is confident in the support of the authorities.
On the City side, we confirm that we are in favor of the organization of the fair this year ... subject of course to the lifting of prefectural bans.
It should be remembered, however, that the installation of the gigantic funfair does not happen overnight.
The assembly of the rides - in particular the 80 biggest "trades" - is traditionally spread over three weeks in March.
The showmen assure that they could reduce the operations to ten days.
Paris, April 17, 2020. Fairgrounds confined, rides stopped: last year the coronavirus put a stop to the Throne Fair in full installation.
LP / Philippe de Poulpiquet
But this stage is preceded by preparatory work on the lawn of Reuilly (installation of electricity and water networks, etc.) which also take time and which have not yet started.
“We have to make contracts, the service providers have to equip the entire site.
There are incompressible deadlines, ”recalls Olivia Polski, Anne Hidalgo's assistant in charge of trade, who estimates the time required between the start of operations and the opening of the fair at two months.
The cancellation of the 2020 edition cost 1 million euros
Translation: even if the site development procedures started today, the party could not open until May, a month behind the usual schedule.
The town hall of Paris also does not intend to launch now costly preparatory work by anticipating an authorization to reopen the fairgrounds ... which may not happen.
Last year, containment took place in mid-March, when the installation of the fair was already almost completed.
Between the costs of technical installation, guarding and the elimination of space rights for fairgrounds who could not work, the cancellation of the 2020 edition cost the City nearly a million euros.
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"We cannot afford to take over this financial risk this year", specifies Olivia Polski, who has made an appointment with the showmen in 15 days for a new situation update.
"By mutual agreement with them, we are working on the hypothesis of an opening of the fair in June and for one month, if the sanitary rules allow it", underlines the elected official, in uncertainty.
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"The sooner the better", emphasizes Louis Joubert, recalling that many professionals present at the Foire du Trône continue their season with the Fête des Loges de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in Yvelines (also canceled in 2020) , which normally starts at the end of June.
“In any case, we really need to rework.
We're dying!
», Concludes the representative of a desperate profession.