Main Square Festival: Arras an uachtarain!
Apr
14
Written by:
Monday, April 14, 2008
Summer's almost here, when the theoretical possibility of fine weather has bands on the back of lorries in every field, square and football pitch. In the rain. It's the festival season!
Your Paris-based blogger isn't sure if the brand-new Irish recession is going to limit your festival and travel spending power. It might even force you all in Eire to make heart-breaking sacrifices: only five drinking binges per week, no new Celtic jersey, clearing the second mortgage with the fourth credit card. Be strong.
Anyway, if you're thinking of travelling to a festival in Europe as part of your summer holidays, your blogger (like last year) will give you some ideas for outdoor music events in France. They tend to be cheap and sunny, so let's hope that continues for 2008. As soon as substantive line-ups are announced, we'll post about them.
First big event to play its hand is the Main Square Festival. It takes place in Arras, a town in the north of France near Calais, on the weekend of 4-6 July.
The location may not be as sun-kissed and exotic as regions further south, but the festival has attracted some big names. Okay, so the Radiohead show may not really be happening thanks to 'brown energy', but they'll definitely be there, headlining the Sunday night line-up that also features Sigur Ros, The Wombats and French band The Do. And more! If you didn't bother buying tickets for their Malahide show, now you can also not bother buying tickets for their French festival show. Who says globalisation is bad?
The Saturday bill is topped by Mika, born for summer festivals (and Christmas parties), with The Kooks, The Hoosiers, Digitalism and local Libertines-worshippers BB Brunes. And more!
The really impressive night of the show is the dance-flavoured Friday night. In reverse order, it stars the Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Justice, 2 Many DJs and Boys Noize. (Wait for it.) And more!
Tickets are still on sale via this page on the site of French ticket-agent FNAC, who are currently offering a three-day pass for just €95 instead of €135. The Radiohead-night costs €55 and the other two cost just €45. Camping costs an extra €7.50 and can also be booked in advance through FNAC.
So how do we get to Arras? Well, Calais is a well-known port, and the nearest big town is Lille, which is on the Eurostar line as well as the regular networks. You could fly to Paris or Brussels/Charleroi. The French rail system, SNCF, is planning to run a special train service from Lille to Arras for the festival. (As French regional trains are mostly controlled by French regional government, it's quite common to have special subsidised festival train services as support for the arts and culture).
Full details and updates are available in French on the festival's MySpace page - but you can get all your "useful informations" [sic] on the festival's English site.
That Friday night looks like great value. Here's 'DVNO' by Justice:
10 comment(s) so far...
Re: Main Square Festival: Arras an uachtarain!
i am still wondering if i'm going to solidays http://www.solidays.org/ -really cheap, nice line up, good cause, in paris- or to les eurockeenes de belfort http://www.eurockeennes.fr/ -excellent program, a bit more epxensive, +transport, probably same weather conditions than oxegen...
(both are the same week end than the arras main square festival)
By Edith on
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
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Re: Main Square Festival: Arras an uachtarain!
Solidays is good value if you're in Paris: always at least one or two good bands every day, even if the line-up quality varies a lot. The full Eurockeenes programme will be announced this Friday. A good idea might be to see the first night at Arras and then get the train to Belfort for the rest of the weekend. You have lots of money, I imagine, Edith :D
By aidan on
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
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Re: Main Square Festival: Arras an uachtarain!
of course i'm rich, i was even thinking renting like a big double decked bus with a driver to bring all my friends with me... ;-D
By Edith on
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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Re: Main Square Festival: Arras an uachtarain!
Of course you're rich - you can afford to live in Dublin ;D
By aidan on
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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Re: Main Square Festival: Arras an uachtarain!
and you live in paris! it's not much cheaper... or is it?
By Edith on
Thursday, April 17, 2008
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Re: Main Square Festival: Arras an uachtarain!
I hate to even ask, but do you think it's feasible for a gracious and well-intentioned but French-illiterate American girl to hold her own at the Festival? That €95 ticket is calling to me, even though I can't understand a word on the site I'm buying it from...
By K on
Thursday, June 05, 2008
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Re: Main Square Festival: Arras an uachtarain!
K, if you can make it through the ticket site OK, then the festival should be no problem to you. You'll do great :D
By aidan on
Thursday, June 05, 2008
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Re: Main Square Festival: Arras an uachtarain!
K , I am a brit here who can help if you like.
Colin
By Colin on
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
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Re: Main Square Festival: Arras an uachtarain!
Sounds like a fantastic festival, I'll be pencilling it into the 2009 diary. Tell me this much, does it take place in the actual town square?
By James on
Sunday, September 07, 2008
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Re: Main Square Festival: Arras an uachtarain!
James, the stage is indeed in the actual town square of Arras. The festival website (see above) has a downloadable street plan where you can see for yourself.
By aidan on
Sunday, September 07, 2008
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