Tonight, at 11 p.m., the doors of the Lantern Festival will close… definitely. In any case, those of this first edition in Blagnac, after two first seasons in Gaillac. This new course, in the Ritouret park, has been open to the public since December 1, but the objective hoped for in June – 600,000 visitors – is far from being achieved.
We exceeded 400,000 visitors for this year in Blagnac – Patrice Gausserand
At the time of closing the site, the bar of 400,000 entries seems more realistic. The fault is with Covid19, and in particular with this double wave of Delta and Omicron variants, according to Patrice Gausserand: “It’s a satisfaction because there were a lot of constraints, with the mandatory health pass and this wave.” He chairs the company MAG Conseil, which owns the rights to the festival.
Slowed down by the epidemic, the Lanterns are doing quite well
“With a Covid year, it’s unexpected: at a time when festivals make less than 40% of their usual revenue or are simply canceled, yes it’s a success”continues Patrice Gausserand. “So we could draw plans on the comet by imagining that if there had not been the pandemic, we would have made 150,000, even 200,000 more visitors. But there with the constraints, with bad weather also the first ten days of December, making more than 400,000 admissions in a Covid year is exceptional.
For the deputy mayor of Blagnac, in charge of the festival, the Lanterns were able to pull out of the game by strolling outside. In this tense health context, it was an asset: “as it is an event that takes place outdoors in an 8-hectare park for which we also require the wearing of a mask, so I believe that we were able, by this specificity, to obtain a success” explains Didier Commincas.
A success from all departments, if we are to believe the contact sheets filled in by visitors, even overseas postal codes are represented. The Spaniards also came in large numbers.
In any case, the COVID is the most common reason that latecomers find to explain their arrival… at the last moment: “I couldn’t come earlier when it’s under my windows, but I had the Covid19”explains Amel.
See you next year ?
More consolidated figures should be communicated in the coming days by the town hall of Blagnac. Will they be convinced enough to convince the city to re-enlist? The municipality is linked with MAG Conseil by a one-year contract, renewable twice.
The Blagnacais and Blagnacaises will again be able to survey the Ritouret park normally during the month of February. Once all illuminations will be dismantled and recycled.