After only a few months of reopening, the discos must again close their doors for a month from this Friday, December 10. Government decision to try to stop the progression of covid-19 which has started to accelerate everywhere in the country, despite vaccination. To close all the nightclubs means thataround 1,200 establishments are pulling back the curtain and find themselves once again in the dark, with activity completely at a standstill.
Between three and five months of reopening
The decision therefore fell as a sentence for nightlife professionals, who had only reopened since this summer, or even since this re-entry for some. In the greater Pau area, out of the eight existing discotheques, five had reopened in July, two in September, and one which was still waiting for the holidays to restart.
Among these nightclubs, La Marina à Idron is doing well a very last big evening before closing. She announced it enthusiastically on her Facebook page. But behind this optimism, the manager, Florence Lyautard is annoyed: “There is a feeling of disgust, of injustice. We respected the rules, there was even the wearing of the mask that we also imposed on customers. I don’t know what we did not do well to that we are punished. Because that’s it, we are punished, it annoys me “.
Close in December, the worst time of the year
For many professionals, these announcements also come at the worst time: the holiday season. According to Lionel Imirizaldu, vice-president of the Union des Métiers et des Industries de l’Hôtellerie en Béarn et Soule, the month of December represents between 20 and 30% of the turnover of discotheques, it’s the biggest month of the year.
There is also the new Year on which nightclubs are once again giving up. “It’s the most festive evening” said Florence Lyautard. “I have clients who come back only for that evening, and there everything is on the floor”. The unions in the sector are also considering asking for a exceptional exemption to allow an opening only that evening.
Four weeks, and after?
Despite the aid promised by the State, namely full coverage of charges and the extension of partial activity devices, nightclub managers are also worried about the vagueness of this closure decision, especially over the duration. Many fear that these four weeks will be lengthened, like Florence Lyautard from La Marina: “We tell you four weeks, but we saw how it went for a year and a half. We were told two months, then three months, and each time we pushed back, we were told no, you do not open. And I’m afraid that after four weeks we will be told one month, then two months … that’s my great fear “.