Le Puy du Fou announced Sunday, July 26 that it was going to limit the number of spectators to its famous Cinéscénie to 5,000 in the face of the start of the controversy raised by the presence of 12,000 people in the gallery in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic.
“In permanent consultation with the State, the Puy du Fou opened the Cinéscénie in three stands in compliance with the health protocol aimed at guaranteeing the safety of its spectators”, can we read on the Twitter account of the second French theme park. “This device seems to raise concerns that could harm the serenity of our future spectators, adds the park located in Les Epesses, in Vendée. As a result, the Cinéscénie will not welcome more than 5,000 spectators from its next performance. “
The images of 12,000 spectators – all wearing a mask – distributed in three separate stands and separated by Plexiglas plates had sparked a controversy on social networks.
Illegal assembly?
Some Internet users had wondered in particular about the legality of this outdoor spectacle while gatherings of more than 5,000 people remain prohibited in France and at a time when the circulation of the virus is in “Clear increase”, in the words of the health ministry.
Renowned for its historical frescoes, the Puy du Fou, which welcomed more than 2.3 million people in 2019, saw, like many amusement parks, its start of the season truncated by the coronavirus epidemic before being authorized to reopen on June 11.
The date of its reopening had itself been the subject of a controversy, the founder of the park, Philippe de Villiers, having made public an SMS from the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron giving him the green light for the reopening – a gesture seen by some as a mark of favoritism.
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