Ben Barbaud, director of Hellfest, threatens to relocate the festival in the face of a lack of support from local elected officials.
Hellfest in danger of leaving Clisson
Ben Barbaud, founder and director of Hellfest, no longer hides his frustration with the agglomeration of Clisson Sèvre et Maine. In an interview given to West Francehe deplores what he calls a “lack of political courage” from local elected officials. According to him, the largest Metal festival in France, which attracts thousands of festival-goers to Clisson each year, is left behind in terms of the infrastructure necessary to host such an event.
At the root of his discontent is the lack of support for work to improve the wastewater network at the festival site. Barbaud refuses to bear these costs alone and calls on elected officials to take their responsibilities to adapt the network to the needs of an event of this scale.
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A “cash cow” festival for the region
According to Ben Barbaud, Hellfest is often seen as a “cash cow” by local elected officials, who benefit from the economic impact of the festival without investing in its infrastructure. “We would just like to have a little better than a sanitation network planned for a village of five homes”he says, recalling that the festival attracts an average of 60,000 people per day. Barbaud also criticizes the attitude of certain elected officials, who, according to him, come to enjoy the festival while refusing to help: “Continuing to take us for a cash cow, while coming to enjoy a glass of Muscadet at the festival, is no longer acceptable”he declared.
A worrying threat of departure
Faced with this situation, Ben Barbaud no longer excludes moving Hellfest to a region that is more favorable and grateful to the event. He mentions the possibility of “packing his bags” if local elected officials do not respond to his calls. A decision which, if it came to fruition, would mark the end of an era for Clisson, where Hellfest has become an emblematic event, symbolizing the cultural dynamism of the region.
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