what consequences for concerts, festivals and cultural events this summer?

The Olympic Games, because they will monopolize the police this summer, threaten many concerts, festivals and cultural events, in Paris and in the regions.

Despite the strong mobilization of law enforcement for the Olympic Games, the most important current music festivals, in particular Les Vieilles Charrues and Rock en Seine, are being maintained for next summer. But many uncertainties remain regarding concerts, certain festivals and cultural events throughout France.

As early as October 2022, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, had aroused incomprehension in the sector by evoking the need for “cancelled or postponed” cultural events in the summer of 2024, to ensure the security of the Olympic Games (July 26 to August 11), but also that of the passage of the Olympic flame (from May 8) and the Paralympic Games (from August 28 to September 8).

The great Parisian arenas requisitioned

The Stade de France, Paris La Défense Arena and the Accor Arena (Bercy) are requisitioned for the Olympics. “Dates cannot be moved, international tours will not pass through France in 2024. Some artists who had planned dates in France ultimately postponed their arrival, because the balance of the tour is linked to the passage through Paris”explains Malika Segineau of Prodiss (National Union of Musical and Variety Entertainment).

This union estimates the loss of ticket revenue for show producers at 150 million euros. Malika Seguineau also anticipates a “tension on equipment, on labor, the cost of which will soar with competition from the Olympics”. “Without forgetting the brands, which usually support certain festivals, which will favor the Olympics.”

In Paris, uncertainty for Lollapalooza and the Petit Bain room

If the major Ile-de-France festivals are maintained, including We Love Green (May 31 to June 1), Solidays (June 28 to 30) and Rock en Seine (August 21 to 25), the Lollapalooza festival, which generally takes place on the racecourse of Longchamp, is uncertain, because it collides with the opening ceremony. “We are trying to find solutions, for a different edition”summarizes Angelo Gopee, boss of Live Nation France, the structure behind this event.

For its part, Petit Bain, a Parisian concert hall established on a barge on the Seine, is “within the perimeter of the opening ceremony”worries its manager, Laurent Decès. “Eight to ten days before the ceremony, there will be a phase of mine clearance of the floating establishments and, once cleared, they will be sealed. We will no longer be able to access it. (…) We also have a temporary terrace on the quays, where we can do a little programming and we don’t know if we can count on it or be compensated.”, he adds. In the worst case, Laurent Decès figures at “the loss of turnover is close to 300,000/400,000 euros”.

Also leader of the SMA (Syndicate of Current Music), he has other reasons for concern: “Will transport be saturated during the Olympics? ? Will the Olympics scare Parisians? ? Will they desert the capital ?” “We didn’t need that in the current context, with inflation“, he unfolds.

In the regions, cultural festivities banned or threatened

Beyond the capital, there are also “all the events, village festivals, seaside resorts, which take place in the summer, which are a financial engine, a social link, a provider of cultural jobs and which are in the hot seat”alarms Samuel Raymond, director of Freeform, an association member of a collective defending popular and cultural festivities in France, which has stepped up to the plate.

This collective denounces “an increase in bans, by certain prefects, of festive and cultural events scheduled between June and September 2024”which cover, in addition to music, street arts or fairground arts, for example in Ain, Gard or Moselle.

“These small events will go under the media radar”warns Arnaud Thénoz, deputy president of the National Federation of Committees and Organizers of Festivities, i.e. 3,200 member committees. “Governments have not taken stock of the economic and social impact of these cancellations, it is comparable to the summer 2020 of Covid. Artists, professional structures and associations will collapse.”predicted this manager.