The Agen festival of Folies Vocals is heading towards its 7th edition

This Wednesday evening, it was time to take stock of the previous edition and present the 2025 program to volunteers. The countdown to Folies Vocales has already started for the forty volunteers present at the general assembly, which was held at the Tannery. They were able to discover a preview of the musical surprises concocted by the association’s office.

A clean assessment for the 2024 edition

There is no doubt that the public will be there for the next edition. The impressive numbers for 2024 speak for themselves. The last edition included 36 hours of shows accumulated over two days of the OFF festival, 12 professional groups, 50 musicians and singers, 8 guest choirs with 300 singers, 2 free balls hosted by professional groups on the square in front of Saint-Caprais Cathedral , a closing parade and an anthem written for the festival. Around 4,500 spectators attended the event. The “next door festival” offered 11 hours of educational concerts and interventions in schools, hospitals, EHPADs, reaching a total of 2,300 people, including 690 kindergarten students, 385 from primary schools, 995 middle and high school students, 100 patients and healthcare workers, 80 people in Pompeyrie and 50 EHPAD residents.

For the IN festival, where Aurélien Vivos, the winner of the show from Agene, performed The Voice1,400 people attended the four major concerts of this 6th edition.

A significant economic impact for Agenais

With a budget of €154,000, including €80,000 in municipal and urban subsidies, the Folies Vocales festival plays a key role in the local economy during the week of the festival. A slight increase in the budget (around 3%) is planned for this year. Among the expenses, we find the rental of 88 rooms and 380 meals for a total of €11,000, €40,000 injected into local businesses for structures, stages, sound, video and equipment rental, as well as €11,000 for advertising and communication. In total, nearly 47% of the budget is invested directly in the local economy. “And that’s without counting the direct revenue for the heart of Agen, in bars, restaurants and take-away shops,” specifies Alban Lapeyre, member of the association’s office.

A reputation that goes beyond “borders”

The notoriety of this festival has gone far beyond the borders of New Aquitaine, affecting 16 departments. “We work in a network with other festivals. The town of Agen and its surrounding area benefit from real cultural influence. The budget remains constant, modest and fragile, because the Folies Vocales are based on the commitment of public partners, in particularly the city, our main partner. However, we encounter difficulties in bringing together private partners, who withdraw each year despite the growing visibility of the festival”, laments the president.

A tribute was paid to Jean-Max Llorca during the general assembly, “a true defender of our festival and a private partner to whom we owe a lot”, underlined Cathy Judit.