Chas become a regional event. If we do not necessarily hear, yet, the Auvergne accent in the bays of the Un Noël à Royan site, on the other hand Bordeaux or Charentais accents are not rare there. We now come from quite a distance to greet Santa Claus or ride the Ferris wheel. With 350,000 entries (figure given by the organization), the event organized from December 6, 2024 to January 5, 2025 has this year broken all records with peaks in attendance at weekends. Particularly the second, December 14 and 15, with 45,000 entries on Saturday and 29,000 on Sunday. After “only” three years of existence, we can say that this end-of-year meeting is now on the agenda. Created by the municipal councilor responsible for youth and entertainment Yannick Pavon at a time when there was not much happening in the department with the disappearance of ice rinks that were too energy-intensive and expensive, Un Noël à Royan quickly found its audience.
This kind of funfair dedicated to the spirit of Christmas with its chalets, its tavern, its numerous rides and, since this year, its mini-farm meets a demand. “People don’t hesitate to come from La Rochelle, Angoulême, Cognac and even Bordeaux. We noticed, via questionnaires, that we are pushing back the boundaries of our reputation from year to year,” notes the elected official from Royan who does not intend to rest on his laurels. This success obliges him, from now on, not to disappoint. “It is imperative to renew ourselves. For example, we enlarged the site by an additional hectare, during this fourth edition, to install enclosures and present small animals used to seeing people without any stress. » A not-so-innocent clarification aimed at responding to some criticisms.
The enchanted fires attracted a lot of people on Saturdays.
Fanny Blanchard
Yannick Pavon accepts this, just like banning dogs from entry following an unfortunate experience a few years ago. “A child was bitten. I don't want to take this risk anymore. Some people are disappointed, but when the place is crowded on weekends, I think it's not their place. Whether for their well-being, safety and hygiene. »
Multigenerational event
With the program of 11 concerts this year, ranging from a gospel group to artists seen in the telecrochet show “The Voice”, the organizer intends to expand the genres and satisfy all ages. The key to success lies in this desire to build a multi-generational event with, among other things, the four Winter Show evenings hosted by a DJ for the youngest and fireworks for the whole family. The latter representing the most popular and strongest loss leader.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen so many people in December”
“On the day of the enchanted fires, Saturday, it felt like July 14th or August 15th. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen so many people in December,” says the owner of the bar restaurant Le Forum Nicolas Jehel. He who had coolly welcomed the disappearance of the ice rink at Place Charles-de-Gaulle and the relocation of the Christmas village to the Kerimel-de-Kerveno esplanade recognizes the positive effects, for him, of the event. And he is not the only one in this case.
The mountain to the sea
The visitors enjoy it. “I went there with my daughter and, for the children, it’s great,” says this dad we met at the start of the week. The liters of mulled wine sold and the sustained activity of the tavern, with the service of numerous raclettes, sauerkrauts and other tartiflettes, indicate the enthusiasm aroused by this mountain islet located between the Grande Conche beach and the port. “It’s a bit like the mountain moving to the sea. It’s a change from the products we’re used to consuming here,” comments the father.
Fanny Blanchard
The Lucien tree was one of the stars of Un Noël à Royan.
With the advantage that the weather, far from the mountain ranges, remained temperate. The site was only closed for one day, Saturday December 7, due to gusty winds. “We were rather spared on that side. It’s true that it also plays a big role in attendance,” notes Yannick Pavon, who has already started working on the 2025 edition. But he remains tight-lipped. “I don’t want to give ideas to others. »
The second life of the Lucien fir
The immense 15-meter-high tree, with its 900 meters of garlands, was one of the stars of Un Noël à Royan. Nicknamed Lucien, he will not disappear from the landscape, but will be reborn there in another form. “We are going to transform the trunk into street furniture,” announces event organizer Yannick Pavon. Some benches may therefore be labeled Lucien during the next edition.
