In the hell of Hellfest, in Clisson,
Some are having their first beer, others brushing their teeth, but many are still sleeping. While the Hellfest has turned on the sound since Thursday afternoon for its 16th edition, in the small town of Clisson near Nantes, festival-goers have already made themselves comfortable this Friday morning. At the official campsite, tens of thousands of colorful tents, already housing some 35,000 people, open one by one. “We didn’t sleep too badly, apart from the neighbor who was snoring, smile Fabien, Nicolas, and Grégory, three Toulouse residents who are struggling to open their eyes. The guy is a chainsaw! You’re going to have to be really drunk tonight to get to sleep…”
Included in the ticket price and located a few minutes’ walk from the stages, the Hellfest campsite, set in fields, is a must. Dom, a metal fan who came from Switzerland for the seventh year, wouldn’t stay anywhere else for the world. “Even if we sleep little, it’s part of the experience,” he says, a festival t-shirt on his back. It’s free, we come there, we settle down, we have aperitifs with the neighbors that we meet every year. » With his friends, he did not hesitate to « run » when the barriers opened to find his location, the same for several years, and very close to the entrance. Because here, it’s first come, first served. “It’s practical, you don’t have to walk home less, and with toilets not far away,” says her friend Laurie, 26. And then there are the caddy games just in front! »
Because at the Hellfest campsite, we don’t just try to rest between concerts. After the last guitar riffs of the day, around 2 a.m., hundreds of people gather at “White Camp” to the brutal caddy, these cart fights in which festival-goers try to knock each other down. “As usual here, it’s very good spirit, and no shots are allowed, wants to reassure a regular. If that ever happens, the crowd shouts “kiss, kiss” and all ends well! A little further on, those who still have energy let off steam on the dance floor of the Macumba, an unofficial nightclub but now a must for any self-respecting camper.
It’s not easy to find your tent…
A merry mess that hides a well-run organization. On the handlebars of his quad, James, the manager, constantly surveys the 32 hectares of the site. Sorting waste, theft, respecting safety instructions (and in particular the ban on making fires), he and his team of 120 volunteers ensure that everything goes for the best. “The metalheads are nice, overall there is no problem, observes James. Camping is part of the festival, so much so that some stay here all weekend. Well, we also have those who, too drunk, struggle to find their tent! To try to avoid this, he divided the field into seven color-coded zones. But it’s not always easy to find your way around, in the middle of the night with thousands of green or white Quechua tents in front of you…
Axelle and Camille opted for a very showy decor, with brightly colored garlands and flags, to be sure not to get lost while making their little corner a little more cozy. Because some campers, like these young Parisians, are well equipped. “We also invested in an arbor so as not to be too hot like last year, continue the two tattooed friends. A canvas also to cool the tents at night, because you don’t want to cook completely! » Large plaid « for aperitifs », earplugs, trays of tabbouleh and wipes are also part of their essentials. “It helps out when there are too many queues to wash! “, they argue, while the Hellfest offers unlimited access to the showers, very popular, for 6 euros.
But for those who want even more comfort, go to another wing of this huge campsite. At EasyCamp, paying this time, we sleep in tepees, small bungalows, and even… cardboard tents. Convenient for those who come by plane or who did not want to complicate their lives. Small armchairs, hygiene kit, everything is provided… “We drove for seven hours in the car, so it’s very cool to find all that on site, observe Maïwen and Marco, who come to Hellfest for the first time. We want to make the most of the four days, so too bad, we added 150 euros per person to the 330 euros for the ticket… In short, we blew up the budget! »