Nuits sonores 2018 : big crowds and bigger energy!
Exuberance, intensity and diversity were the order of the day at the 16th edition of Nuits Sonores, which drew to a close last Sunday in Lyon.
A total of over 143,000 festival-goers flocked to the festival (compared with 140,000 in 2017 and 138,000 in 2016), including 62,000 at the ticket-only venues (La Sucrière, the Fagor-Brandt Factory, the Auditorium and Le Sucre), 14,000 for the Night 2 / Le Circuit (spread across 17 separate city venues) and 67,000 at the free events (including Extra!, the Sunday Park, Carte Blanche Amsterdam and Mini Sonore).
Nearly 200 artists shuttled between 47 of Lyon’s finest venues to perform at a total of 80 daytime and nocturnal events held in every district in the city.
This latest edition spanned an unprecedented 8 days, with unprecedented numbers flocking to the free events (in particular Extra!) and daytime programmes (NS Days, Closing day).
This year’s edition climaxed with a triumphant Closing Day that will live long in the memory of all those present: Vitalic vs. Laurent Garnier ushered the festival to a fitting finale with the epic track Poney, much to the delight of the 6,000 or so spectators who had braved the cold and rain to wave off Nuits Sonores for another year. Those final-day crowds demonstrated an indestructible collective spirit at all the stages at La Sucrière, as they delighted in the energy of sets performed by the likes of MCDE, Kink and Seth Troxler.
This year, the festival took advantage of two public holidays – Tuesday 8 May and Thursday 10 May (Ascension Day) – to organise an unprecedented 8 days of free and ticket-only events.
The real revelation of the 2018 edition were the daytime events, with capacity crowds present at all four NS Days (curated by Jennifer Cardini, Daniel Avery, Four Tet and Paula Temple), as well as at the Closing Day.
Offering an audacious, open, cutting-edge and collaborative line-up, these events served as concrete proof of the artistic engagement of Nuits Sonores and of the passion of its festival-goers for original events held away from the dancefloor.
Le Transbordeur was one of the festival’s main venues this year, hosting the Sunday Park and the Carte Blanche Amsterdam programme (which featured breath-taking live sets from, among others, Altin Gün and Dollkraut), as well as a stage of Le Circuit.
Mini Sonore, the festival for 4-12 year-olds, boasted one of the year’s most picturesque settings at the Tony Bertrand nautical centre. Fully subscribed, it provided activities and entertainment for a total of nearly 500 delighted children.
Last but not least, the daytime schedule was punctuated by the 40 or so initiatives that made up the Extra! programme. Spread around the city, these included a loveboat on the River Saône, a Jacuzzi Car in a public square, an open-air canteen, an Ableton workshop and a table football tournament.
A cultural, artistic and urban laboratory
Forever receptive to the latest innovations and developments, the Nuits Sonores festival once again defied classification by spanning genres and feeding the insatiable curiosity and knowledge of its audiences.
More than ever, Nuits Sonores confirmed its status as a unique fixture on the contemporary and independent music map.
Having kicked off at the Auditorium with a mesmerising performance by the peerless Kamasi Washington, a jazz legend of today and years to come, the three NS Nuits line-ups served as a musical playground of discovery, diversity and creativity, with the festival proudly going against the grain of the mainstream stars and headline acts who dominate the over-crowded festival landscape in France and Europe.
Setting up shop at the former Fagor-Brandt factory, its main nighttime venue for the second year in a row, the Nuits Sonores team completely reinvented these breath-taking industrial surroundings with the unveiling of a new concert room and a space dedicated to refreshments and the comfort of audiences. This exceptional, collaborative project of stage design, interior architecture and light engineering was led by Looking For Architecture (Laurent Graber + Antoine Trollat) and Yves Caizergues Lighting Design.
As always, we can look back on countless highlights and unique artistic experiences from this year’s festival: J.A.K.A.M’s live creation featuring Ko Shin Moon, a genuine surprise in the very best sense of the term; the efficient sensitivity of Avalon Emerson, the frenetic James Holden & The Animal Spirits; the weightlessness of Chloé’s live set; the contagious euphoria of Camion Bazar; the exclusive appearance by I:Cube; D.A.F’s triumphant comeback; the overpowering Ammar 808 & The Maghreb United; the eye-opening sax/drums interplay of Binker & Moses; the elegance of Kink; and the twitching rhythms of Not Waving. Last but not least, Nuits Sonores 2018 showcased the contemporary hip-hop scene, represented by American rapper Action Bronson and Europeans Caballero, JeanJass and their crew from Belgium.
A big thank you to everyone!
The Arty Farty team would like to say a massive thank you to its partners, to the 170 cultural entities and associations that participated in the festival’s organisation, to the 1,000 people who made the delivery of this edition possible, and to the 600 volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the 8 days.
We wish to pay tribute to the trust, loyalty, goodwill and curiosity of the public, as well as to the faithful participation and commitment of all the on-site teams and to the unwavering support of our partners, suppliers and staff members, without which the success of this edition would never have been possible.
We look forward to seeing you all again in Lyon next year, between 29 May and 2 June 2019, for the 17th edition of Nuits Sonores.
And if you can’t wait that long, why not join us for:
— the second edition of Nuits Sonores & European Lab Brussels, from 27 to 30 September 2018 in Brussels, Belgium, in collaboration with BOZAR.
— the second edition of Nuits Sonores Bogotá from 30 May to 2 June 2018 in Bogotá, Colombia
Arte Concert replay
Pictures
Photos © Brice Robert - Gaetan Clément - Kévin Buy - Laurie Diaz - Marion Bornaz - Tony Noel
6 mai - Sunday Park
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8 mai - Day 1
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8 mai - Concert spécial - Kamasi Washington
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9 mai - Nuit 1
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9 mai - Absolut Company - Le Sucre
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10 mai - Nuit 2 / Le circuit
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10 mai - Life of Marvin - Le Sucre
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10 mai Day 2
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11 mai - XLR8R
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11 mai - Day 3
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11 mai - Nuit 3
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12 mai - Day 4
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12 mai - Nuit 4
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12 mai - Ransom Note - Le Sucre
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13 mai - Closing Day
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Extra!
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Carte Blanche à Amsterdam
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Mini sonore
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