The 2024 edition of the festival begins on Thursday, but the next one was not guaranteed, due to a conflict between the organizers and the municipality of Carhaix. A 33rd edition is now confirmed, without further details.
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David Guetta will be launching the 32nd edition of Vieilles Charrues on Thursday, July 11. It is one of the biggest festivals in the country, but for several weeks, it is not the poster but the political context that has been the talk of the town. The mayor of Carhaix is demanding a new tax of several hundred thousand euros from the festival for the occupation of the land, raising the threat of expatriation or even the disappearance of the event.
One thing is for sure, the 32nd edition of Vieilles Charrues will be off to a good start tonight. Before David Guetta, the group Gossip, the French group L’Impératrice or Cerrone will get the Kerampuilh meadow in Carhaix dancing, the historic venue for Vieilles Charrues every year since 1992. At the time, the festival was co-founded by Christian Troadec, the current mayor of Carhaix. Since then, tensions have continued to grow with the organizers.
In the spring, the man who has been running the city in central Brittany for 23 years decided to ask for a fee for making the land available to the festival organizers. The municipality is demanding nearly 400,000 euros, and wants the size of the campsite, which is vital for the festival, to be reduced, as well as the pre-emption of a building in which the association at the head of Vieilles Charrues wanted to set up its offices.
These three sensitive subjects, causing arguments and disputes, led to a mediation meeting on Wednesday July 10. Around the table, the president of the Brittany region (ex-PS) Loïg Chesnais-Girard, the mayor of Carhaix, the president of the department (various right) Maël de Calan and the prefect of Finistère Alain Espinasse.“Everyone agrees that the Vieilles Charrues festival should remain in Carhaix,” confirmed the latter after a two-hour meeting, indicating solutions were being developed. They have not given further details for the moment but a general agreement has been reached: the city needs its Plows. A new meeting is planned for October 15.
