It was in 1997 that the mayor of Bénodet, Christian Pennanech, had the Fort hill and the esplanade redeveloped. Facing the sea and overlooking the Glénan archipelago on one side and the Odet on the other, this site is superb and renowned in the artistic world. It is not given to everyone to perform on an outdoor stage with the sound of the surf in the background and the sunset over the sea.
The hill has an official capacity of 4,500 people and all concerts are completely free for the public. A choice assumed by the mayor. “We wanted events accessible to all. It is the duty of a tourist town. And then it is also for the pleasure of the inhabitants of Bénodet.” Since 2014, five dates have been planned during the summer, instead of a concert every Friday, as was the case before. A reduction justified by budgetary issues.
A cost of €150,000 for 2024
Indeed, the concerts at the Butte du Fort are certainly free for the public, a rare occurrence in Finistère, but they have a cost for the town hall and for the Barrière casino located in the commune. As part of the public service delegation granted to the Casino, the latter finances two of the five scheduled dates, the other three being the responsibility of the commune. “For 2024, the budget is €150,000. It includes the entire part of the artists’ fees, the technical part which costs as much as the artistic part and the reception expenses of all those who work during these evenings. When there were fireworks on August 15, the budget was €350,000,” specified the mayor. The stage is municipal equipment. For three years, for the programming, the municipality has called on Thierry Tacinelli, artist manager. The prices are more competitive.
The biggest names have performed on this stage of the Butte du Fort, from Kid Creole and the Coconuts to Arno, including Bertignac, Julian Peretta, la Grande Sophie, Magic System. The programming, which is the responsibility of the municipality, is eagerly awaited each year. There are even a few friendly bets to guess which star will perform this summer. The success of these concerts is such that many return from one year to the next, whether they are locals or summer visitors. Some families even choose Bénodet for these events when choosing their vacations, others, fans of stars, book a campsite or hotel for a few days in the hope of catching a glimpse of their idol.
Marie-Laure and her friends, all in their fifties, come every year from Concarneau, about twenty km from Bénodet. “We don’t necessarily go to all the concerts, we choose according to our desires, disco or sunny music. These are the only concerts that are free. Between Les Vieilles Charrues in Carhaix and Festidreuz in Fouesnant, which offer paying concerts, we don’t necessarily have the budget to go. Whereas here, we have fun for free. And the atmosphere is very friendly.”
Strict security conditions
At each concert, associations from Bénodet offer a catering section. Eating a sausage and chips or a crepe facing the sea while listening to a concert is very popular. Every evening, hundreds of kilos of sausages, chips and merguez are sold. And hundreds of liters of cider, beer and crepe batter are sold. Volunteers are not idle under the marquees.
This year, three concerts have already taken place. There are still two dates left: August 15 with the group LEJ and August 23, with Patrick Sébastien. A new feature: fairly strict security conditions, imposed by the Finistère prefecture and corresponding to the gauge. Anti-rams have been installed, and the entrances are filtered at three places. It is therefore advisable to arrive quite early, the first part of the shows starting at 8:30 p.m. Since the beginning of the concerts, no notable incidents have been reported.