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LN France hails ‘historic’ Main Square Festival

Live Nation France bosses have hailed a stellar year for the returning Main Square Festival, which attracted a record crowd for its 16th edition.

Staged from 30 June to 3 July at the Citadelle d’Arras UNESCO World Heritage site, the multi-genre 40,000-cap festival hosted 65 artists over three stages including DJ Snake, Sting, Twenty One Pilots, Black Eyed Peas, Pixies, SCH, Sum 41 and George Ezra.

“What a pleasure to be back at the wonderful Citadelle d’Arras for a record year with 150,000 festivals-goers,” LN France head of festivals Armel Campagna tells IQ. “It was so good to see artists connects again with their fans and shout out to all the shadow workers that are making the live music such a timeless moment! We are back at it and it just feels so good.”

Launched in 2004, the four-day event made its return for the first time in three years as a result of the pandemic. Its 2023 edition has already been confirmed for June 29 to July 2.

“We have just concluded a historic edition”

“We have just concluded a historic edition in terms of attendance, but also following multiple postponements due to the health situation,” says Angelo Gopee, MD of LN France. “Fans didn’t miss the rendezvous – Main Square Festival was up to their expectations.

“I would like to thank the festival teams who did an extraordinary job, our partners as well as the providers and all the artists we had the pleasure to welcome and bring live on stage.”

The promoter’s attention now turns to Lollapalooza Paris from 16-17 July at the Hippodrome de Longchamp, where acts such as Pearl Jam, Imagine Dragons, A$AP Rocky, David Guetta, Megan Thee Stallion and Måneskin will perform over the course of the weekend.

 


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Live Nation France MD receives government honour

Live Nation France MD Angelo Gopee has been honoured by the French government.

Through the culture ministry, Gopee has become Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) for services to music.

The award is conferred on persons who have distinguished themselves by their creativity in the field of art, culture and literature or for their contribution to the influence of arts in France and throughout the world.

“He is a leading advocate for the growth and success of live music in France”

“All of us at Live Nation are delighted for Angelo,” says Live Nation EMEA president John Reid. “He is a leading advocate for the growth and success of live music in France.”

Gopee is an active member of French trade body Prodiss and is a longtime campaigner for the country’s live music and performing arts sector.

 


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Covid-safe Lolla Paris to take place in July

The team behind Lollapalooza Paris has joined forces with Parisian couture house Balmain to host a one-day, musical picnic event on 19 July.

The adapted edition of Lolla Paris, which will take place on the original festival weekend at its home at the ParisLongchamp Racecourse, is also put on in collaboration with Michelin-starred French chef Jean Imbert and champagne brand Veuve Clicquot.

C3 Presents and Live Nation France called off the 2020 edition of Lolla Paris, which was set to feature Billie Eilish, Pearl Jam, Asap Rocky, Vampire Weekend and Rita Ora, due to the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing country-wide event ban.

Now, as touring gets set to return to France next month and venues, including stadiums and racetracks from 11 July, are allowed to host up to 5,000 people, a tailor-made Lollapalooza Paris 2020 is to take place.

Fans will sit on picnic blankets designed for the event by Balmain’s artistic director, Olivier Rousteing, and sample a menu prepared by Lolla chef Jean Imbert, accompanied by a bottle of Veuve Clicquot rosé champagne with wine and food pairing.

“[The event] will celebrate a certain French art of living in an exceptional summer setting”

The event will take place in compliance with current sanitary rules and distancing measures.

Tickets go on sale on Thursday 2 July at 10 a.m. CET on the Balmain website. Proceeds from ticket sales will go towards the Global Fund’s Covid-19 response, in collaboration with HIV/AIDS charity (RED).

To further raise awareness and funds, five customised pairs of Balmain trainers and several collector’s picnic blankets will be sold online on the day of the event with all profits raised going to the fund.

Angelo Gopee, general manager of Live Nation France, says the collaboration between Balmain and Lollapalooza, “two emblematic brands with an international reputation”, was “obvious”. “[The event] will celebrate a certain French art of living in an exceptional summer setting.”

“If there was one thing that the months of confinement made very clear, it was how much of life’s beauty that we had taken for granted,” adds Rousteing. “Forced apart, we realised how important it was to be together. Locked inside, we longed for the beauty of springtime in Paris.”

A full programme of content for Lolla Paris 2020 will be available online soon.

 


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