The Techno Parade is making a comeback in Paris, led by a float in the colors of Ukraine

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The infrabasses kept the rain at bay on Saturday September 24 in Paris. Tens of thousands of partygoers, some with Darth Vader masks, others disguised as Marsupilami, roamed the Parisian asphalt during the Techno Parade, back after two years of pandemic. “The Techno Parade is really magical! I never miss it! Good free music in the open air in front of the most beautiful monuments! What more could you ask for?”, exclaims to AFP Anthony, a 23-year-old student, at the foot of the Lion of Belfort, place Denfert-Rochereau transformed into a giant dance floor.

Before the start, the eleven floats of this 24th edition took position, to the rhythm of the different techno currents (house, trance, drum’n’bass…). At 2:00 p.m., the kick-off is given: in a deluge of decibels, the float of the “Help for Ukraine” association, in the colors of Ukraine and France, opens the way to the great electro charivari which, after 6.5 km, was to reach the Place de la Nation around 7:00 p.m.

Among a hundred artists on the decks, two Ukrainian DJs, Xenia and Nastya, were the guests of honor at this electro reunion, under the sign of celebration and freedom. “It’s very important for me to be there, to be happy to dance, not to be at war, not to think” to death, told AFPTV DJ Xenia, who was guest of honor at the Elysée for the Music Festival. For Nastya Muravyova, “by being there as an artist, we can show what is happening in our country, how brave we are!”

“We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people so that Ukraine remains Ukraine and that Russia withdraws”, said former Culture Minister Jack Lang, who helped create the Techno Parade in 1998. To the unison of the participants, mainly those under 30, he was delighted “to meet again after two years of Covid to celebrate electronic music again in the street”.

The Institute of the Arab World, which he chairs, has chartered a float in the colors of “Habibi, the Revolution of Love”, an exhibition on the queer Arab world, which opens its doors on Tuesday, September 27. “We were all very emotional when we saw the floats arrive. We hadn’t been able to march or dance for two years… We had a wonderful afternoon with crazy energy!”, commented Tommy Vaudecrane, president of Technopol, the association for the defense of electronic music, which organizes the Techno Parade.

If the frenzied sets of The Avener, Feder or Bakermat set fire to the Place de la Bastille, this 24th parade was also demanding: “Techno festival organizers always face difficulties”, according to Technopol. “Electro festivals must be able to establish themselves on a long-term basis… We claim permanent places, far from dwellings”, said Tommy Vaudecrane. Another complaint: recognizing DJs as intermittent artists. “I am completely in favor of it. I spoke about it to Rima Abdul Malak, the Minister of Culture. (She) told me that she likes techno very much”, Jack Lang told AFP. “I think she will try to find ways for the situation of DJs to be fully recognized.”


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