The 2019 edition of Solidays. – SADAKA EDMOND / SIPA
The festival Holidays, scheduled by Solidarité Sida from June 19 to 21, is canceled due of the epidemic of coronavirus, founder Luc Barruet, who is now looking for solutions for the event’s aid programs, told AFP.
“We thought we would postpone to September, but there would still be too much uncertainty,” detailed the founding director of the association Solidarité Sida and Solidays. We have to cancel. More than 65% of the tickets were already sold and we were on track to beat last year’s attendance record of 228,000 spectators at the Longchamp racecourse (west of Paris) “.
The patron of the festival estimates that “just over 3 million euros” will be needed by Solidarité Sida, support in 2019 for 108 patient aid projects carried out by nearly 80 partner associations in 22 countries. Aid programs that made perfect sense as the Covid-19 epidemic hit African countries “with already very weak health systems”, as Luc Barruet points out.
“Find solutions to raise this sum”
“We will have to fight and find solutions to raise this sum,” continues Luc Barruet. We will ask our public and private partners to maintain their subsidies and supports despite the cancellation. ” “We ask those who can not ask for reimbursement of tickets already purchased. They will not be valid for a future edition. It would be an act of solidarity for the projects funded by Solidays. But a reimbursement procedure will be put in place, for those who wish. ”
“There is no question of making anyone feel guilty,” adds Antoine de Caunes, honorary president of the association and the festival. But solidarity is at the heart of this festival like no other, which redistributes its recipes to the programs and associations with which it has worked from the start. ”
“Facing the emergency and going back to the front, with enthusiasm”
“The future is dotted, including for the Solidarité Sida association,” adds Luc Barruet. We need to find the resources for this year’s projects by June 20. This is the priority. When you’re an activist, there is no question to ask. We must face the emergency and go back to the front, with enthusiasm. Only then can we think of organizing a 22nd edition next year. ”
“We are saddened by the cancellation of the festival, but not resigned. It is in our DNA to fight, we will do it to finance the various projects which depend on the event and not to jeopardize the association itself “, concludes Antoine de Caunes. This year’s poster was particularly rich, with Black Eyed Peas, Anderson. Paak, Metronomy, Aya Nakamura, Niska, M, PNL, Justice, Suzane or Sean Paul.
