It is the largest jazz festival in France by attendance. No less than 150,000 spectators are expected until Sunday at the 37th Meeting of the Erdre, the highlight of which takes place in Nantes, in the city center, from Friday evening. This event offers 110 jazz concerts on the public space but also brings together on the water some 200 boats in all genres, which makes it so original. And, like every year, all shows are free. An economic model that is more fragile than ever in the context of galloping inflation.
For the first time, the organizers are therefore asking spectators for financial support, through badges sold for 5 euros or a call for donations. “The organizational costs, those of the service providers, have increased by 5 to 10%, explains Loïc Breteau, director of the Rendez-vous de l’Erdre. It is very significant. Local authorities help us, they don’t give up on us, but they themselves are in financial strain. It’s a complicated period, as for other festivals and events for the rest. »
The sustainability of the festival is “not at stake”, assures the director, who wants the event to remain “popular and demanding in the programming”. No way to give up free. “Our DNA is to offer quality concerts to all audiences,” he insists. It goes through free, it’s carved in stone. Moreover, it would be unimaginable to privatize such an important area in the heart of the city. »
“As a distinctive sign”
Some 3,000 badges will therefore be on sale on the Nantes site of the festival from this Friday. “With the badge or a donation, we invite the public to express their support, to associate themselves with our development. It’s like a distinctive sign, we wear it to show that we are part of the big family of friends of the festival. The operation, which will probably be repeated next season, will only partially help the festival to secure its back. “It’s the small streams that make the big rivers”, considers, confident, Loïc Breteau.
The budget of the Rendez-vous de l’Erdre is 1.4 million euros, 80% of which is funded by public authorities, primarily the city of Nantes. The remaining 20% comes from private partnerships and consumer revenue generated during the festival.