2023-08-07 15:14:00
“It must have been the most beautiful edition, it was ultimately the most difficult”, these words from the mayor of Braine-le-Comte, Maxime Daye, sum up this 2023 edition of the Ronquières Festival well, which will have caused many dissatisfied festival-goers to react. but also thrills those who have bothered to listen and participate in the incredible atmosphere created by the artists on stage. The day following the closing of the Ronquières Festival, the mayor looks back on these three exceptional days at all levels.
A Ronquières Festival which, on paper, should be historic. It finally did, but not only in terms of attendance and programming. “The programming really put the Ronquières Festival in the big leagues. We therefore had numerous meetings to ensure that security, mobility and many other aspects of the festival were under control before the start of the festivities. We had planned more access paths, different entrances and exits to the parking lot so that everything goes for the best. The rain nevertheless came to spoil the fun”, says Maxime Daye, mayor of Braine-le-Comte.
The rain which forced the organizers, the police forces and… the mayor to react quickly but never in haste. It is therefore without regret or almost that the mayor wakes up this Monday morning. “The only regret I can possibly have is the pre-festival optimism. We convinced ourselves that the weather was going to be mild as announced until the end of July. Finally, the good weather did not return for the first but for the second weekend of August. We still wanted to not react in haste. Some festival-goers criticize a lack of anticipation or decisions taken too late. But they don’t realize how much work goes into the decisions we make. I think we did well to keep the last day of the festival with a reduced program depending on the artists who were able to take the stage, just as I think it was a good thing to ban access to La Colline on Sunday to ensure the safety of visitors”, continues Maxime Daye.
Incredible solidarity
In addition to responsiveness, solidarity also characterizes this edition of the Ronquières Festival. “I really realized the beauty of Man when I saw the solidarity of the technical teams who changed things according to the situation. I have immense respect for them. I also have something for the members of the observation post teams, whose drones and cameras have solved many problems. The farmers and mayors of Seneffe, Ecaussinnes and Ittre were also amazing as were the organizers. You have to realize the risks they take and the money they inject into the region for this festival,” recalls Maxime Daye.
A festival marked by the weather but not by incidents. An additional reason for satisfaction for the mayor who has not really been able to enjoy the concerts of the many headliners of the festival. “I didn’t see much. I was impatiently waiting for Louise Attaque, which I finally had to listen to from the cellar of Plan Incliné de Ronquières. I took refuge there to have a stable connection to hold a video meeting with the governor of Hainaut, the federal police and the local police,” says Maxime Daye.
Zaho de Sagazan, favorite of the mayor
Despite everything, three favorites still stand out from this 2023 edition of the Ronquières Festival. “My first crush is Zaho De Sagazan whose lyrics and energy were incredible. She gave it her all despite the fact that it was scheduled for 2 p.m. Juliette Armanet is my second crush. She truly brought herself up to par with the festival-goers by spending most of her concert in the rain. She literally and figuratively got wet during her concert. My third crush is Franz Ferdinand. His concert was a rebirth for us. He really knew how to warm up the crowd at the Ronquières Festival. That’s when we realized that we had done really well to maintain a few concerts and not cancel the last day of the festival”, concludes Maxime Daye.
It should be noted that the mayor as well as the organizers have noted the constructive remarks of the festival-goers to take them into account in the future. It is now time for a well-deserved rest for the mayor following three intense days.
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