Solidays Leads French Charge

A total three-day crowd of 170,000 beat the previous record of 168,000 set in 2010. Competitors may cry foul as the festival, which is underwritten by non-governmental French-based global aid organization Solidarite Sida, charges only between euro 39 ($50) and euro 79 ($101) for a three-day ticket. 

Les Eurockeennes de Belfort and Main Square Arras, which couldn’t sell out and break even on that ticket price, were having their own race for second place.

Main Square did more than 100,000 across three days, at an average of 33,000-plus, while Les Eurockeennes did 127,000 over four days at an average of 31,700 per day.

Salomon Hazot’s Rock En Seine Aug. 23-25 may challenge that pecking order but, above all, the French festival market appears to be in good health.

Solidays had David Guetta, Beady Eye, Asian Dub Foundation, and Gogol Bordello. Les Eurockeennes had Blur, Jamiroquai, and My Bloody Valentine, while Main Square had Sting, The Prodigy, Green Day, Thirty Seconds To Mars, and Alt-J.