The 31st edition of the Eurockéennes Festival, in Belfort, in 2019 -

SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP

They wanted to believe it, for a long time, but are already resigned.

The summer festivals of current music, also called the "big festivals", give up one by one their 2021 edition. This Friday morning it was the turn of the Eurockéennes de Belfort to throw in the towel.

In question, the health crisis and the restrictions announced several weeks ago by the Ministry of Culture.

The “Eurocks” denounce in a press release a “straitjacket” totally “incompatible with the state of mind of a living and stirring event”.

For the record, the framework set by the government for the organization of festivals this summer is 5,000 people maximum, seated and distanced.

So without pogo but also without refreshment bar or food stand ...

Insufficient aid

The Eurockéennes join a sad list of events already canceled for two consecutive years: Solidays, Hellfest, Garorock, Main Square, Art Rock, Lollapalooza ... For the moment, among the "big", only the Old Plows resist ( 270,000 spectators in 2019) and the Francofolies (150,000 in 2019) which promised to take place while adapting.

The Printemps de Bourges, scheduled for early May, has been postponed from June 22 to 27, and has already anticipated by leaving its largest enclosure to 10,000 people.

But its organizers are still waiting for a timetable for the reopening of cultural places in France.

Malika Seguineau, from Prodiss (National Syndicate of Musical and Variety Show) points to "the insufficiency" of the aid fund dedicated to festivals: "Of the 30 million, there are 20 for all aesthetic music, contemporary music in classical, and 10 in the direction of street arts and theater.

We understand that we would have to organize an event on our own funds, when we will need it to restart the momentum in 2022, so we cannot take this risk for 2021. "

Festivals in peril

All the festival organizers joined by

20 Minutes

make the same observation.

The conditions are untenable, even with a doubling of the aid already announced.

"We already know that we are going to drink the cup and we are even almost sure of drowning if we go.

Frankly, it does not make you want to jump into the bath… ”, summarizes a director of a festival which will announce its cancellation in a few days.

Thus, the rare festivals of more than 50,000 spectators who have not yet announced their cancellation for 2021 are simply waiting to have informed their partners first.

"We realize that the government is communicating on a new hope for this summer, but it will be without us," explains Jean-Paul Roland, general manager of Eurockéennes.

We cannot organize our festivals overnight, there is a long, incompressible preparation time.

We are not denying the pandemic, but what hurts our stomach the most is that we are canceling even earlier in 2021 than in 2020. "

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  • Eurockéennes de Belfort