EXCLUSIVE. Dozens of musical festivals thrill the French every year. But what are the most popular events? Our survey carried out in partnership with YouGov makes it possible to distinguish the most appreciated.
France loves, loves… loves music festivals! After a blank period due to the pandemic, musical events are once again full, and everything is in good shape for these great moments of festivity to maintain their fervor this year. In 2022, there were nearly 7.4 million French people in the 100 biggest French festivals, according to calculations by the specialized site Tous les festivals. According to the Ministry of Culture, there are nearly 4,000 music festivals in France!
Another strong point is their diversity: there is something for everyone and everywhere around you during the summer period, or even the rest of the year. Still, among these musical events, some have a special place in the hearts of the French. What are the festivals where the French most want to go? The YouGov polling institute posed the question for Linternaute to a large panel of more than 2,000 people representative of French society.
We have carried out, with a solid methodology, five classifications. They make it possible to establish in each major musical category the favorite festivals of the French. And since these great events are in constant renewal, full of ideas, bringing new generations every year, we have also highlighted the favorite festivals of the youngest!
YouGov and Linternaute asked a panel of French adults who know the selected current music festivals to give the name of the one they would like to go to. In France, this is the category with the most musical events, with, at the top of the list, the most famous festivals in France, such as Vieilles Charrues, Printemps de Bourges, Solidays or Nuits of Fourviere.
2,017 people answered this question: which of these rock/metal festivals do you know? Of these, 1,279 responded positively, leading us to the following question: Of the current rock/metal festivals below, which one would you like to go to first, this year or in the future? And here are their answers:
Large category than those of new musical currents, from electro to urban music, including pop and independent music. Of a panel of French adults who know at least one of the festivals on offer, 10.4% would choose the TransMusicales de Rennes, as much as the famous Main Square. In third place in this ranking, it is the Nuits sonores which seem to be favored by those surveyed.
In terms of classical music and traditional music, the most popular festival among our panel of French respondents is, without a doubt, the Festival Interceltique de Lorient, which in 2022 brought together some 900,000 festival-goers. Here is the entire ranking, established thanks to 1,058 French adults who know at least one classical and traditional music festival.
Jazz festivals are popular in France! Bringing together several thousand festival-goers each year, these events are organized across the country. But which is the favorite of the French? We asked a panel of connoisseurs representative of French society which jazz festival they would like to go to first, this year or in the future.
View the full YouGov poll
This survey carried out by YouGov for Linternaute makes it possible to examine the interest shown in music festivals by young people, taking into account only the responses of respondents aged between 18 and 34. It shows that the tastes of the youngest, their desires and their interest, are not the same as those of their elders. 20% of 18-34 year olds surveyed plan to go to a festival in 2023 and 17% to multiple music events. Here are the five festivals acclaimed by young French people of this age group, by category:
18-24 year olds still have different tastes: this shows that the renewed image and programming offered by certain events works. Younger adults’ favorite festivals in each category are: Lollapalooza Paris Festival, Hellfest Festival, Les Nuits Sonores Festival, Grand Est’ival Festival, and Paris Jazz Festival.
Here are the lessons we can learn from this study carried out by the YouGov Institute for Linternaute about the youngest:
