Is the Lorient Interceltic Festival too expensive?

Admission, concerts, drinks, food, not to mention any souvenirs from each of the Celtic nations… The Interceltic Festival of Lorient (Fil) can quickly become expensive for some festival-goers! The so-called “support” package – which gives access to the main rooms for ten days and at a reduced rate for the Kleub – has gone from €5 in previous years to €9 during this edition. A rate change that falls badly while inflation has come to nibble the wallets of festival-goers. Asked a few days before the start of the festival, Jean-Philippe Mauras, its artistic director, considered that it was “very affordable given what is offered”, emphasizing the free admission “for children under 12”.

Pay artists and infrastructure

Inevitably, organizing a festival like Le Fil is expensive. The festival does benefit from financial aid from the Brittany region, but it still needs to secure some income. And that, some festival-goers have understood. “You have to pay the artists, the infrastructure”, justifies a couple from Lorient with two young children. Before adding: “If people want culture, it makes sense to have to pay the price”. For Joël and Virginie, who have just arrived from Troyes, “€9 for one evening is a bit expensive”, since you have to add the price of drinks on the site. “On the other hand, if we take advantage of the ten days of the festival then it’s downright affordable, it comes down to 90 cents a day”, puts the couple into perspective.

The fact that the price of entry has increased significantly, it’s chilling!

What about small budgets?

If the end justifies the means, the significant increase in the price of admission does not please everyone. For those on a tight budget, the change in the price of the “support package” from €5 to €9 is not well received: “The fact that the price of entry has increased significantly, it gets cold”, argues Maëlys, 21 year. At Interceltique, she and her friends are mainly looking for fun and drinks. “We don’t want to take the €9 bracelet when there are bars nearby where you don’t need to pay admission,” continues the young girl.

At the end of Parc Jules-Ferry, near the Quai des Indes, two young workers from Lorient are defending small budgets. They find the prices affordable, but they believe that there should be certain reductions: “There should be at least a student price”, they argue, in solidarity. For Marie and Pierre, two Vendeans in their forties, the blame is more on the lack of daytime entertainment. “It’s a shame that the atmosphere only happens in the evening, when you have to pay”.