“Lack of magic”, visitors generally “very disappointed”

According to the testimonies of the very many visitors, the 2022 vintage of the Lyon Festival of Lights will not go down in history. If some animations have been able to pull out of the game, like the Big Mix proposed place des Terreaux or Saint-Jean cathedral, the edition as a whole seemed very “minimalist”.

“It’s the worst I’ve seen,” slice Salam straight away. “It had been a few years since I had come and I was disappointed. There is almost nothing, laments in turn Yanis. Among the rare illuminations, only two sights were beautiful. In short, it was disappointing. “I find that the previous years were much more ‘wow'”, also emphasizes Camille.

“On the peninsula everything was bland”

“Regular of the Festival of Lights”, faithful to the meeting since 2014, Alexandre has trouble hiding his disappointment. “On the peninsula, everything was bland, the facilities were very small,” he explains, with supporting examples. The animation of the Place de la République? “It could have been fine if the structure wasn’t so ridiculous. » The place of the Jacobins? “There was incredible potential with the installation, which was not exploited at all: no music. The magnificent fountain above which hovered “three garlands that light up and go out” seemed very bland in Chantal’s eyes. “It was flat”, summarizes this Lyonnaise who does not miss any appointment.

If the cat installed on Place de la Bourse or the fish on Rue Grôlée were able to seduce passers-by, the fiasco was resounding on Place des Célestins. Not better on the Place du Change side. As for Place Bellecour and its I Love Light composed of used lamps, it also left visitors perplexed. “It was very poor and it had little interest”, judge Françoise who had not gone to the Festival of Lights for 13 years. His “friends who came especially from the East” were “particularly disappointed”, those who expected to be amazed. With the exception of the shows offered at Place des Terreaux and Place Saint-Jean, they remained unsatisfied.

“I don’t understand how a party that wants to be international dares to be so minimalist in its entertainment. I have the impression that the city of Lyon is overwhelmed by the scale of the event. The organization to access the events is not likely to make us come back”, continues Françoise.

“Sometimes you have to know how to change, but poetry at the moment is important”

Peter, a foreign tourist, was stamping with impatience at the idea of ​​discovering this famous Festival of Lights which he “had heard so much about”. “The best in the world”, he had been praised. In the end, the boy says he is “incredibly disappointed”, too. “Most of the animations were conceptually very weak and sluggish, even lazy,” he argues. Had to wait a long time in the cold to get to shows and see mediocre entertainment, I still have a bitter taste in my mouth.”

“We saw things that were too intellectual, incomprehensible. The designers may have had fun with moderno-intello-artistico works but in the end, it’s shitty”, abounds Alain for whom the other editions were “much more poetic”. “There were flowers projected on the ground, childish animations on the buildings, a spectacle on the construction of the cathedrals in Saint-Jean, he remembers. It’s true that sometimes you have to know how to change, but poetry is important right now. »

Same speech on the side of Sandrine who does not mince words. “Lyonnaise has always been, I’ve never seen such a bad party,” she complains. In question: “no magic, no poetry. No highlighting of the monuments, a disaster,” she replies before adding: “Only the Tête d’or park is doing well. “It’s not what it used to be, it lacks sparkle,” adds Denis soberly. Challenged by the “lack of creativity”, Maryline also wonders. “It’s not a story of means but of humor, of joy”, she believes.

The Tête d’Or park and the Terreaux are unanimous

Among the few satisfied visitors, Elodie doesn’t hesitate to claim that she “enjoyed”. “The organization was at the top”, she underlines, seduced by “the beauty of the Tête d’Or park”. If it was sometimes necessary to be patient – waiting up to two hours to enter – the place has charmed walkers. “It was sublime, it plunged us into a wonderful, magical world,” says Stéphanie. “It was very beautiful, especially the candle lights” which populated the rose garden, concedes Alexandre.

In this edition judged globally “dull”, three shows however won all the votes: the Tête d’Or – you will have understood it -, the Saint-Jean cathedral to a lesser extent, and the Terreaux with its characters in paintings. singing the most famous popular tunes. “Finally a new and catchy proposal”, enthuses Elodie. “Extraordinary and innovative animation that surpasses all the others,” says Nicole. Lyonnaise by birth, I attended every December 8 from a very young age, she smiles. Congratulations to all the participants for once again making us dream. »

“We must keep this kind of event like many others. Let’s keep our origins and our way of life whatever the holidays,” concludes Henri optimistically. The proof that not everything is to be thrown away this year…

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