WHICH FRENCH MUSIC FESTIVAL SHOULD YOU GO TO?
Sunbathing on a terrace, making one with the beach, getting amped at a French music festival... Summer is definitely the season of fun, and thanks to the holy gods of rhythm, it is also the perfect moment to get your music fix while enjoying some time in France.
With that many music festivals blossoming all around France between June and August, one can hardly hope to attend them all (though it might be doable for those of us who have been gifted with ubiquity). However, according to your music tastes and what you're looking for, I'm sure you'lle be able to find your soultival/festmate in the list below.
Hellfest
When: 19 - 21 June
Where: Clisson (35 km south-east of Nantes)
2015 lineup: Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Marylin Manson, Rise Against, Motorhead...
Hellfest (I'm sure you can find out what it means by yourself) is not one for the faint of heart. If you like heavy metal, hard rock, hardcore punk and other kind of "extreme music", it may be just what you're looking for. Nestled in the the peaceful Loire Valley, the city of Clisson becomes once a year the meeting point for leather jackets, boots and chains aficionados. If you decide to go, don't forget to take a t-shirt displaying the logo of a heavy metal band and be prepared to be rocked (literally, rocked).
Solidays
When: 26 - 28 June
Where: Paris (Hippodrome de Longchamp)
2015 lineup: Angus and Julia Stone, Asaf Avidan, Clean Bandit, Chinese Man, Lily Wood and the Prick...
Solidays* is more than a mere music festival. It is also and above all a solidarity event organised by Solidarité Sida every year since 1999 to help fight against AIDS. Apart from the always-great concerts, you'll find a wealth of exhibitions, forums and other attractions. Each year, about 1,000 people volunteer to organise the event and spread information on how you can help the cause. So get on board, have fun and share the love while discovering awesome music!
*obviously French festival organisers have a thing for English play-on-words
Main Square Festival
When: 3 - 5 July
Where: Arras (30 km from Lille)
2015 lineup: Pharrell Williams, Mumford and Sons, Muse, Lenny Kravitz, Hozier, The Script, Lily Wood and the Prick, George Ezra...
One of the highest-grossing music festivals in France, The Main Square Festival is also easily the most eclectic. Pop, rock, indie, electro, urban, soul... you name it, Main Square has it. What with its line-up full of big-name-bands, it attracts more than 40,000 people everyday in the Citadel of Arras, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. And on the plus side, Main Square is family-friendly so whether you're 7 or 77, if you just like music, Arras is the place to be this summer.
Eurockéennes
When: 3 - 5 July
Where: Belfort (30 km from Strasbourg)
2015 lineup: Ben Harper, The Chemical Brothers, Sting, Die Artwood, Flume, James Blake, Royal Blood...
Among French music festivals, les Eurockéennes are an institution. First organised in 1989, the festival is set in a beautiful nature reserve, right between two lakes, and welcomes festival-goers and musicians from all over Europe. It is highly regarded as a breeding ground for brand new bands, but also as a must-go festival for bigger artists.
The only downside? Les Eurokéenens is held on the same weekend as the Main Square Festival, and I wouldn't want to be the one who has to choose between the two...
Francofolies
When: 10 - 14 July
Where: La Rochelle
2015 lineup: Selah Sue, Christine and the Queens, Etienne Daho, Julien Doré, Coeur de Pirate, Frèro Delavega, Jeanne Added....
If your mind is set on discovering French bands, les Francofolies are just what you need! Ever since 1985, the festival has been aiming at promoting francophone music - in part through 'Les Chantiers des Franco', an event held in parallel of the festival that helps promote new artists - and has been doing a stellar job so far (do the names Christine and the Queens, Théodore, Paul & Gabriel, Zaz and Rover ring any bell?). Set in La Rochelle, on the French west coast, the festival definitely smells like summer.
Vieilles Charrues
When: 16 - 19 July
Where: Carhaix (Brittany)
2015 lineup: David Guetta, Muse, Flume, The Prodigy, Brodinsky, Archive, The Drums, Brigitte, Feu! Chatterton...
Bretons are well-known for their party spirit (crepes and chouchen anyone?) so when some of them combined their efforts to create a festival circa 1992, it could only turn out fantastic. At first, the Vieilles Charrues were a mere occasion to have fun with friends, but it quickly developed into the duper-famous music festival we know today. What you can expect: a friendly, warm atmosphere, good music and tons of fun.
La Route du Rock
When: 14 - 16 August
Where: Saint-Malo (Brittany)
2015 lineup: Björk, Ratatat, Jungle, Timber Timbre, Rone, Savages, Forever Pavot...
La Route du Rock is organised twice a year, right on the beach near Saint-Malo. The festival is centered on all-things rock - from pop to indie going through soft-edged electro - and casts light on famous artists and new bands alike. If you like vintage, stylish rock and exceptional settings (beach stage in the daytime, castle stage by night) don't think twice!
Rock en Seine
When: 28 - 30 August
Where: Paris (parc de Saint-Cloud)
2015 lineup: The Chemical Brothers, Alt+J, The Offspring, The Libertines, Kasabian, John Butler Trio, Fauve, Stereophonics...
When it is not the stage for dramatic band separations*, Rock en Seine is the perfect closing for the season of music festivals. The festival offers 1) a great ambiance 2) an international line-up and 3) an opportunity to spend time at the park before going back to work (bouh). Oh and it's also kids-friendly with a 'Mini Rock en Seine' festival being organised for children at a reasonable distance from the crowd of festival-goers.
*We're still weeping about the Oasis tragedy
PS: I don't know if you see what they've done here but 'Seine' (the river) and 'scène' (stage) have the exact same pronunciation. That gives us our last play-on-words today.
So here, now you have a panoramic view on what's going on in France this summer, you tell me which French music festival is right for you!