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Published on
Oct. 21, 2024 at 6:50 a.m.
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Don’t look for witches in your surroundings at the end of the month if you don’t live in Bernay (Eure). They all met there, from October 31 to November 3, 2024at the Samhain Festival organized by the Trouble-fêtes de Bernay association.
A true local star of the last edition, the one called Rutabagaeagerly awaited by families, will come out of his closet for the occasion, angrier than ever it seems…
Market, concerts, candy hunt… you can do everything on foot
The Samhain festival being unique and atypical in Normandy, the witches will rub shoulders with many pirates, the theme of the festival being this year The cursed pirates.
The heart of the event, which will take place throughout the city center, will be Bernay Abbey Church (Notre-Dame Abbey) as can be seen below. You can do everything on foot… or by horse-drawn carriage, with shuttles providing free access during the day (between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.) to the various entertainment centers from Place Gustave Héon and Place de la Gabelle.
The abbey church of Bernay is a desecrated place which, since then, has seen all the colors. To take just a few examples, the thousand-year-old abbey church served as a fire brigade arsenal; it is also there that the Extases of Ernest Pignon-Ernest were exhibited; it is also here that the works of forty major urban Art artists have just been highlighted, during the exhibition Art in the Street, 40 Years of Urban Adventures.
Bernay, capital of witches, who says so?
Bernay capital of France of witches ? It’s not us who say it. The first to use this term was Moe Greenwitch, in one of her Instagram stories. “Positive tattoo model artist, medium and spirit designer”, as she presents herself on her Instagram account and on her “professional” site www.terrederenard.com, the specialist who has nearly 40,000 “followers” (people who follow on social networks) will be one of the more than 100 exhibitors (110 exactly) planned at the abbey witch market.
“She is one of the famous witches who will be welcomed at the festival”specifies Bernayenne Sandrine Hubert, president of the Trouble-feasts association, and therefore high priestess of the festival.
Who else? Sandrine Hubert and her acolytes – 7 active people, very active, within the organizing committee and around fifty volunteers on the big day – have difficulty selecting some more than others.
The stars of the exhibitors
By helping a little, we can announce exhibitors among the stars Zelly’s workshop (11 000 followers Facebook), Pan’s hut (68,000 followers on Instagram), or even Lunaecreations (41,000 followers on Instagram, see below) …and many other well-known stands in the world of piracy like The find shop, The cursed tavern, Sukre’s lair or The hottie’s drinks (which were very popular last year).
New this year, concerts will be organized. Concerts with Celtic sounds but in very different styles.
In pretty cool fashion, Telennaria. A fashionable Viking, Marie Flamewho became known to the general public by participating in the show The Voice in 2014, but who has been evolving for a long time “in “another world”, Marie Flamme also being one of the sirens of the company Les Néréides.
In Medieval Rock mode, Rhesus.
In “pagan metal” mode (yes, yes… it exists) Indeed.
Eihwar, revelation of the last Hellfest festival THE festival for “metalheads” has paid dates all over France and Europe since its success at Hellfest. In Bernay, the Eihwar duo will play for €6 (see price details at the end of the article)
A second edition only
This will only be the second edition of the festival, its organizers – the Les Trouble-fêtes association – having however “experienced their hands” previously with very well organized Halloween parties.
But this year more than ever, the Samhain Festival should see thousands of visitors descend on Bernay. How many will there be exactly? According to Sandrine Hubert:
We are counting on a forecast number of 20,000 people but in truth, there is an element of unknown. We rely partly on social networks, but on these, the response rate is four times higher than last year. For example, we created a Facebook event. A month before this event, there were already 7,300 people who said they were interested.
The Samhain Festival in Bernay will last four days a witch’s market with artisans, esotericism and renowned witches, in a thousand-year-old abbey, lit and with sound; a highlighting of ancient Celtic traditions and pagan festivals during dedicated shows ; of the concerts. The program being very dense, we can only advise you to come there, having previously made your choice among the activities offered. To do this, go to the Samhain Festival website
Many Samhain festival activities are accessible free of charge, others are available at low prices. Prices for entry to the abbey pole festival (public garden and abbey church): one day adult €6; one day child from 4 to 14 years old €1; for children over 14 years old, possibility of paying with the Normandie asset card; free on October 31 for costumed children; free for children under 3 years old. Freedom pass for €14 for one to four days unlimited. Family pass: single price valid for all members of the same large family (parents and x number of children) for one day, €14. Family freedom pass: €30, one to four days unlimited. To book, go to samhain.fr
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