“Luckily there are three of us or we wouldn’t have left!” »explain the three new co-chairmen of the Cornouaille festival with one voice. Laure Cavret Dorval, Lenaïg Leroux and Éric Vighetti were appointed last April, succeeding Jean-Michel Le Viol, who ended a presidency of more than 30 years. “More than 70% of us are active on the board. Accessibility is not easy to find,” points out Éric Vighetti, director of the tourist office. “We were not meant to take this position. We did this to prevent the festival from disappearing. We could not imagine that it would go away because of the vacancy in this position,” he adds. The three new co-chairmen had to make this decision quickly. “A succession was planned, but in the end it could not take place. “It is a scenario that we could not have foreseen.”
“The image of the festival was not clear enough”
They agreed to take up the challenge. And what a challenge! The hundredth edition of Cornouaille, in 2023, left a slate of €100,000. An assessment from which many misgivings arose, especially regarding the maintenance of the parade. A question that was finally brushed aside when the programming was announced last April. However, the next edition, which will take place from 18 to 21 July 2024, has confirmed its refocus on Breton culture in continuity with the anniversary edition. “Before, the image of the festival was not clear enough. Money or no money, we decided to refocus,” says Éric Vighetti. “The main lines are a model that worked, but is no longer sustainable. It is the main names that have brought the festival down in recent years.” The director of the tourist office takes the example of the James Blunt concert in 2011. “The tickets were gone in three days. It was sold out, the concert was great, but the financial model was not balanced. It would have taken a gigantic place to accommodate such a concert.”
“The parade has always paid off!”
When asked if the parade will return to a paid format this year, the co-chairmen reply in unison: “The parade has always been paid for! Except last year on the occasion of the centenary. This costs money (estimated at €60,000 this year). The circles and bagadas do not parade for free. They are associations and they need it,” they argue. Not to mention security-related costs, which continue to rise year-on-year. The co-chairs still insist on guaranteeing “a price accessible to all”, at €5.
Laure Cavret Dorval, Lenaïg Leroux and Éric Vighetti are determined to “re-enchant things” and are also planning the 2025 edition of the festival. “We want to reinvest the city center and highlight a contemporary vibrant culture through street arts, summer universities and why not gouren demonstrations,” they say. “Ultimately, these difficulties that the festival is going through force us to reassess ourselves and go through things in the right direction,” positive Laure Cavret Dorval.
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