Last December 20 was inaugurated Johnny Hallyday, the exhibition in Brussels, Belgium. Directed by Tempora, in close collaboration with Laeticia Hallyday, the event was to mark the occasion for the five-year anniversary of the rock star’s disappearance. From a scenographic, artistic and emotional point of view, the bet was won as 20 minutes had been able to see it by visiting the 3,000 m2 of a temple in the shape of a guitar which plunges into the intimacy of the Taulier. However, halfway through its operation in Belgium, the results of the exhibition seem mixed.
Johnny Hallyday, the exhibition is a work of reflection, collection of objects, production and installation which nevertheless took the Tempora teams and the singer’s wife almost three years. A job that will also have cost the producers 8.5 million euros and that will have to be made profitable. For this, the organization was counting on a forecast of around 150,000 visitors in Brussels and 400,000 in Paris for a total period of one year. Except that after a little over three months of operation in the Belgian capital, the accounts are not good. “We must be at more than 50,000 visitors”, assures François Henrard, project manager at Tempora, “if we extrapolate, we should reach the objective”, he adds. Doubling the number of visitors over the last three months is it possible? “The closing dates have not yet been decided, everything is still possible,” he says.
“The distribution is very uneven”
While the exhibition is open all week, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., this only represents an average of 440 visitors per day, or around fifty per hour. We are not going to count the ratio per m2, but the fact is that we do not step on it to go around the collection. “The distribution is very uneven and it’s true that during the week, it’s quieter than the weekend when the slots are full”, recognizes François Henrard. A “cultural” fact according to him, which will not be found in Paris because of “a larger population base” which will ensure a flow of visitors “almost all the time”.
But without assuming the love of the French for Johnny, is reaching 400,000 admissions in the French capital possible? Rumors of downsizing the expo to limit breakage are firmly denied by Tempora. Moreover, the Parisian stage of the event is essential for everyone to cover their costs. This is why the organizer is even considering new features. “We are thinking about enriching the exhibition with new things, but it will depend on what Laeticia can find”, explains the project manager at Tempora.
In Paris, early 2024
And lowering the price of tickets, 22.50 euros for adults, to attract more visitors is not on the agenda. “The price is calibrated in relation to what is done elsewhere, and there are preferential rates for young people, precarious people or families”, details to 20 minutes Time. For Paris, the entrance should therefore also be “around 20 euros”. Especially since selling off access could prove to be financially dangerous, the budget being balanced at 378,000 full-price admissions.
Nothing, therefore, will prevent Johnny Hallyday, the exhibition to take up residence at the Porte de Versailles, at the start of 2024. The precise timetable will be announced “in a few weeks”, probably in June. Hoping for Tempora and Laeticia that the memory of “the Idol of young people” will move the crowds as the singer knew how to fill the stadiums during his lifetime.