Solidays Smashes Records

Apart from smashing the attendance record it set a couple of years ago, Solidays has staked its claim to be France’s biggest outdoor.

The three-dayer attracted 168,000 to the world-famous horse racing track at Longchamp, 6,000 more than the 162,000 who turned up in 2008.

It’s doubtful that any other French festival will pull a daily crowd of 60,000, which Solidays did on its opening day, and that any of the longer events will attract a total crowd of more than 168,000.

A three-day ticket for euro 49 ($61.42), particularly as the lineup included Kasabian, N.E.R.D, Florence & The Machine, and Rodrigo y Gabriela. A one-day ticket cost euro 32 ($40.31).

Solidays is run by Solidarite Sida, which helps fund the non-governmental French-based global aid organization for around euro 1.2 million per year. The fest is in its 12th year.

The other acts helping it set records June 25-27 included Archive, Toots And The Maytals, Blood Red Shoes, Wax Tailor, Vanessa Paradis, Crookers, Nneka, Brother Ali, Babylon Circus, Femi Kuti, Revolver and Hocus Pocus.