603,652 visitors for the 60th edition, a slight decline

The organizers spoke of a “complicated edition”, but also a popular festival always acclaimed by the public.

The Agricultural Show welcomed 603,652 visitors for its 60th edition, marked by the turbulent visit of the Head of State in the midst of an agricultural crisis, the organizers of the event announced on Sunday March 3.

Attendance is down slightly (-2%) compared to last year, when 615,204 visitors were recorded. The president of the Salon, Jean-Luc Poulain, spoke of a “complicated editing, especially at the beginning”but also a popular festival always acclaimed by the public, “come many” meeting farmers.

“The first Saturday left its mark on everyoneme first”confided Arnaud Lemoine, director of the event, to West Francein reference to the clashes which marked Emmanuel Macron’s visit. “Usually it’s a party and, there, we saw a multiplication day after day of demonstrations, of demands, certainly legitimate but which weighed on the climate of the event”he added.

83 visits from elected officials this year, compared to 52 in 2022

As for political figures, the Agricultural Show recorded 83 visits from elected officials during this edition, compared to 52 in 2022, according to Arnaud Lemoine, who would like “change a certain number of things so that the life of the Salon is not just a political life”.

Same story with Jean-Luc Poulain, who regretted from BFMTV that the European election campaign was so invited into the aisles: “You add up the electoral campaign + agricultural crisis, you have a mayonnaise that is not always digestible”.