Some 30,000 people are expected on Saturday evening in this village of 110 inhabitants, where this edition of Teknival is illegally taking place.
Thirty years that this high mass dedicated to electronic music delights partygoers. The Teknival 2023 was installed by surprise in Villegongis (Indre), Thursday, May 18. While 23,000 people have already defied the prefecture’s ban, the peak attendance should be reached on Saturday evening, with 30,000 revelers expected. Four people have already had to be taken care of in absolute urgency, for injuries or discomfort. Franceinfo takes stock of the biggest techno music event in France, which is due to end on Monday.
At least 23,000 people already there
Turntables, speakers and tents were installed on Thursday on agricultural land in Villegongis, a small village in Indre with 110 inhabitants. While the last edition dates back to 2019, before the health crisis, more than 20,000 people returned to the event on Friday, according to figures from the prefecture. AT 9 a.m. Saturday, the number of participants was estimated at more than 23,000 and State services expect up to 30,000 teknivaliers by the end of the weekend.
An event maintained despite the prefectural ban
A prefectural decree published on May 16 effectively prohibited the holding of the Teknival. It stipulates that undeclared gatherings of a musical nature and the circulation of sound equipment are prohibited. “from Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at noon until Monday, May 22, 2023 at 3 p.m.”.
Teknivals weren’t always illegal. From 2004, on the decision of Nicolas Sarkozy, then Minister of the Interior, the collectives of “free parties” took over places offered by the State in exchange for medical and emergency resources. “In 2015, there was a rift between techno collectives and the government, despite several attempts to propose legal projects”regrets Samuel Raymond, director of Freeform, the main mediation association with organizers of “free parties”.
Taken by surprise by this gathering, although theoretically prohibited, neither the town hall of Villegongis nor the local authorities were able to organize themselves to supervise such a surge of participants. “We are presented with a fait accompli, so let’s make sure that it goes as well as possible. Going to the site and to the castagne, is that better? I don’t think so”reacted Friday to the microphone of France 2 the mayor of the village, Jean-Marc Sevault.
“The Teknival not having been declared in the prefecture and being prohibited, it did not allow the State services and the local authorities to prepare this gathering in the best conditions”lamented for his part the prefect of Indre, Stéphane Bredin.
Four people in absolute emergency
Since the start of the rally on Thursday, rescuers have already carried out 207 cases. According to the last press release from the prefecture on Saturday, 64 people were sent to the advanced medical post, with four festival-goers in absolute emergency and 58 in relative emergency. Thirteen people were evacuated to the Châteauroux hospital center.
For three of the four people who were taken care of in absolute emergency, the vital prognosis “is not engaged”, learned France Bleu Berry on Friday evening. The first seriously injured, a 40-year-old man, fell asleep in the tall grass and was run over by a motorist who was backing up without seeing him.
The second seriously injured was bitten by a viper, while the third suffered from discomfort considered worrying by the emergency services. No details have been given, for the time being, on the fourth person.
320 gendarmes expected on Saturday
During the second day of Teknival, Friday, 270 gendarmes were mobilized. A helicopter was also hovering over the scene. The checks by the police have notably led, according to the latest report, to the verbalization of 23 driving under narcotics and four driving while intoxicated. The law enforcement system is ramping up on Saturday, with 320 gendarmes engaged.
He “has been sized to ensure the safety, in particular health, of at least 30,000 Teknivaliers in the next two days”assured the prefect of Indre on Friday. “This Saturday is the time when we expect the most people on the Teknival, we know that we will largely reach 30,000 tonight and that it is the evening that will be a bit of a tense evening”explained Saturday at the microphone of franceinfo Marc Fleuret, president of the Departmental Council of Indre.
The health consequences of this peak in attendance are worrying medical staff. “This type of event is very accident-prone, with discomfort, people who consume illicit products combined with alcohol”recalled Friday on franceinfo Louis Soulas, boss of Samu and emergencies at the Rennes University Hospital, whose services were sent as reinforcements to Villegongis.