The festival will resume its rights on the Malsaucy peninsula until Sunday for four days of festivities and a largely refreshed program, with 54 artists, including 45 who have never performed there.

The concert of the British group Muse, which will release its new album "Will of the people" in August, and the show of the Belgian singer Stromae will hold the top of the bill.

"Music is life, music comes back, life comes back!", had launched in February the president of the festival, Matthieu Pigasse, summarizing the state of mind of the organizers.

But their enthusiasm does not prevent them from being realistic in the face of a complicated economic situation.

"The ability to resume festivals is hampered by purchasing power" and "the offer is a bit excessive" this year in France, because "some producers, in a somewhat naive optimism, thought that the start of the school year was going to end. do it in a dazzling way", notes the director of the Eurockéennes, Jean-Paul Roland.

Festival-goers attend a concert on July 6, 2019, during the 31st edition of the Eurockéennes de Belfort SEBASTIEN BOZON AFP / Archives

Unlike the pre-Covid years, when the festival was regularly sold out – up to 135,000 spectators in 2018, a record year – the rate of ticket sales for the 2022 edition is less intense.

"Party for Youth"

"But we will reach our financial balance", assures Mr. Roland, who believes that the "Eurocks", crowned in March 2020 "best festival" in the world at the Arthur Awards, are not among the most affected events.

For the 2022 edition, whose budget reaches 9.7 million euros, the Belfortain festival can indeed count on its public, on the subsidies of the communities, "at the rendezvous", but also on its 140 patrons, always many more to support the event.

This year, the organizers will pay particular attention to young people.

"We do not yet know if young audiences are returning to festivals", after two years of health crisis, analyzes the director.

“In general, we discover the festival between 17 and 18 years old, but this age group is already a student without having ever set foot in the “Eurocks”, he continues.

Masked festival-goers attend a concert on July 20, 2021, during the 32nd edition of the Eurockéennes de Belfort SEBASTIEN BOZON AFP / Archives

The programmers have thus designed the 32nd edition as "a great celebration for young people" with, among others, the Radar stage devoted to the new hip hop scene (Thaanos, DYK, Juste Shani, Davinhor, Jok'Air, KR Malsain, Captain Roshi, Lyna Mahyem and Kodes) and the Eurotronik electro night (Paul Kalkbrenner, Meute, APM001, Lilly Palmer, Paloma Colombe, Paula Temple, Sherelle and URTrax) organized on Saturday evening after midnight, simultaneously on the site's four stages.

Zero plastic goal

To find out how to adapt in the years to come, the festival has recruited a student to observe how the young public reacts during the 2022 edition. But Jean-Paul Roland has no doubt, "the pleasure of coming together will remain" and "nothing will replace the experience of the Eurocks" or similar major events.

Among the essential formations will occur the cult Australian crooner Nick Cave, Diplo, SCH, Simple Minds, Foals, Clara Luciani or the rappers Kaaris and Kalash Criminel.

French electro stars Bob Sinclar and Pedro Winter will offer "a best of all that the French Touch has done best" and metal will be represented by Suicidal Tendencies or Fever 333.

Festival-goers attend a concert on July 20, 2021, during the 32nd edition of the Eurockéennes de Belfort SEBASTIEN BOZON AFP / Archives

Promising young artists such as Girl in red, Ziak, Wet Leg, La Fève or Ziné complete the picture.

The Eurockéennes are also pursuing their "Zero Single-use Plastic" objective, set for 2024: in partnership with the company Contigo, reusable plastic water bottles will be distributed free of charge to festival professionals and put on sale for the public on the internet or in the water bars on site.

The festival is also testing a new device for listening to festival-goers, entitled "Listen up! Listening & benevolence".

About sixty volunteers will be easily identifiable on the site and will be able to invite people in need to stand aside to listen to them, in safety.

Then, the referent identifies "the need" and directs the festival-goer to the right service.

www.eurockeennes.fr

© 2022 AFP