More than ten shows, the majority of which are sold out, are on the menu for the season, something rarely seen.
Thursday February 29, 2024, the colorful Laura Laune made a room of the Amphitheater laugh, which had been sold out for a long time for her visit. Not long ago, it was the group The World of Queen who set fire to an overheated Ruthenian venue. A few days before, it was Jérémy Ferrari who left a great memory for the Ruthenians. There had already been The Rabeats, the Bodin’s before. In a few days, it’s Renaud who will arrive, then Naïm, Artus, Inès Reg… Superb posters in this town of Rodez which finally seems to be back on the show touring circuit. But what happened?
Because not so long ago, Ruthenians could lament seeing only rare appearances by artists. In 2022, Daniel Guichard and Alban Ivanov had canceled their visit, the room had welcomed “only” Maxime Le Forestier, Michelèle Torr, Noëlle Pernia, Soy de Cuba and the Goldmen… It was an understatement to say that the Ruthenian room had known much, much better.
Good word of mouth
Between a post-Covid period where not everyone has recovered at the same speed and the choice of Rodez Agglomération to no longer be a show manager but simply a room rental company, the Amphitheater’s programming has in any case experienced a moment of hesitation.
However, behind the scenes at the Amphi, there is no real explanation for this turnaround. “This year, the program is exceptional. It has rarely happened to have so many posters,” we whisper. Does the internal reorganization of the Agglo, including the bringing together of the tourism and culture sectors, have anything to do with it?
If we are not really affirmative on the subject, the experience of Régine Maura, who manages the management of shows at the Amphitheater, and the work of the teams at this same venue, on the other hand, seems to have something to do with the improvement. machine running. “There is good word of mouth, the artists and productions are happy with the reception, whether from the teams or the public,” we slip.
Rodez, a boiling hot audience
The reputation of a “cold” public which has long stuck to Rodez’s coattails is also changing. “Thank you Rodez, you set the fire” exclaimed World of Queen who has already planned to return on February 7, 2025.
“Thank you Rodez, thank you Aveyron, what an audience! One of the best in France for sure!”, exclaimed The Rabeats after his visit. But already, in September 2020, the last standing concert (!) of the Amphitheater, that of the 80s with in particular Lio and Julie Pietri, the artists could not get over the madness that had taken over the room, despite the masks which were then required…
Bodin’s sold out two nights in a row
It was after the summer of 2023 that everything accelerated. The Bodin’s sold out all the tickets for their two evenings last December in record time. Were announced almost immediately, I Muvrini, The Rabeats, Ferarri, Artus, the latter sold out in record time. Ditto for Paul Mirabel who will not come until May 2025! “I didn’t even have time to post it on the site because everything was already gone” Régine Maura is still surprised.
It being understood that the Agglo remains only a “room rental” so to speak. “We still have an eye on the programming since we have to deal with the availability of the room, its size, the specifications,” explains the elected official in charge of culture Régine Taussat.
“I also think that the geographical location of Rodez, far from large cities, combined with the average size of the Amphitheater”, appeals to passing artists. Just like the maximum capacity of 1,445 seats (2,100 in a standing concert) and a room rental for just under 5,000 euros seem attractive.
In any case, the artists, on social networks, share their pleasure at having passed through Rodez. On the side of elected officials also, we show a certain smile, observing that the choice to no longer be a programmer does not seem detrimental for the moment. This success therefore makes the launch of major works at the Amphitheater less urgent. “It is in any case not on the agenda,” we say. For the moment, the establishment’s schedule for its programming is open until the end of 2025. Enough to accommodate a few artists, like the comedian Ines Reg, the latest arrival… and whose tickets are already no longer available.