Saturday night, the star is the arenas. Admittedly, the cream of French song (Vianney, Pierre de Maere, Florent Pagny, Juliette Armanet, Louane, etc.) is expected in Nîmes (Gard), to compete for the title of “Song of the Year”. But it is the millennial amphitheater, which hosts the flagship program of TF1, which will be the superstar. These old stones, this circular configuration in the open air, this perfect acoustics… At the arenas of Nîmes, the concerts are, always, an unforgettable bamboche.
And on television, it’s beautiful, too. This is also the sixth time this year that “The Song of the Year” has installed its barnum in the Roman building. “In terms of “telegenics”, the arenas of Nîmes are crazy, confides to 20 minutes Anne Marcassus, the show’s producer, co-president of DMLS TV. It feels like being in a stadium, with a 360° view. And then, of course, we feel the full weight of antiquity. The beauty of these stones, of the arches… It’s a magical place. And the artists, they love it. »
In Nîmes, “there is a real warmth” in the public, rejoices the producer
The configuration of the stands means that “the public is very vertical, in relation to the stage, explains Valérie Espin, responsible for the arenas with the manager, Edeis. It’s like a cauldron. And that gives off an extremely warm atmosphere. It is moreover to capture this Nîmes ardor that the production extended the stage to the heart of the arenas, this year, to be right in the middle of the spectators. Because the Nîmes public, who snap up free tickets to the show in a few minutes each year, “is incredible, confirms the producer. There is real warmth here. We only have good memories. One year, we recorded two shows in Nîmes. The second, it rained downpours. Well the people were there, despite everything. »
Moreover, if “The song of the year”, after five editions in the Gard, set its imposing stage in the garden of the Palais-Royal in 2020, then at the Château de Chambord, in 2021, it is because it was impossible to do otherwise, due to the Covid-19. And if, last year, Nikos Aliagas recorded the show on the beaches of Mourillon in Toulon, it is because the arenas of Nîmes were not available. “We always wanted to be in the arenas,” says Anne Marcassus. And if it is possible, we would like to stay there. Between “The song of the year” and Nîmes, a real bond has been woven. »
A deal that also delights the town. Because such an exhibition, on TF1, is a godsend, for the attractiveness of the Roman city. “Each time the program is broadcast, tourists tell us about it by showing up at the arenas, assures Valérie Espin, the site manager. They come to visit them, too, because they have seen them on television. This is a very nice advertisement page. “The song of the year” is “a huge element of communication”, confirms Frédéric Pastor, deputy for the festivities at the town hall of Nîmes. And if the production of the show is Parisian, “these are people who deeply love our territory, continues the elected official. We feel their desire to identify strongly with Nîmes. » Anne Marcassus is delighted, moreover, that each time, « everyone has their little red scarf in the public… We really feel the joy of a feria ».