2024-01-15 11:46:00
the essentials Open since December 15 in Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne), the Lantern Festival is enjoying great success in terms of attendance, unlike a disappointing 2023 edition. The choice of the site, the Jardin des Plantes and especially the new concept of the festival, which turned its back on Chinese tradition to evoke the graphic world of fantastic cinema, are very popular.
“It’s a big box,” announces Jérôme Bringuier. The director of major events at Montauban town hall does not hide his satisfaction one month to the day after the opening of the Lantern Festival. “In a week, ten days maximum, we will have already exceeded last year’s figure. We are very close to 200,000 paid entries and we must add the 68,000 undated tickets that were purchased.”
The school holidays were of course the hoped-for springboard for this 6th Lantern Festival with record days, notably that of Saturday January 6 when the 12,000 entries were close (11,853). “But what delights us is that we are continuing this dynamic this week. Saturday evening, we recorded nearly 10,000 entries. Above all, we do not have the low attendance of last year or on certain evenings , we were barely at 600-700 entries.”
Nothing to do with the 2023 edition, the first organized in the capital city of Tarn-et-Garonne which was considered disappointing in terms of attendance with 320,000 spectators, a figure which included children under 11 who benefit free. The choice to leave the Cours Foucault to install the Lanterns in the Jardin des Plantes proved to be judicious… as did the decision to renew the concept by turning our back somewhat on Chinese traditions – even if, let us emphasize, these are always the Sichuan artists who create the 2,500 sets – to create in the city’s most famous public garden this “Fantastic Garden” which is reminiscent of the universe of films like “Avatar” or “Alice in Wonderland “.
Read also :
With increasing attendance, the Lantern Festival succeeds in its bet in Montauban
“Many things amaze people and we have very little negative feedback,” says Jérémy Bringuier, who highlights the mobilization of agents from the town hall’s festivals department. Flying dragons, mystical creatures, fantastic plants make up the 38 paintings of light. Visitors are amazed, starting at the entrance to the “Fantastic Garden”, with the enchanting goddess whose beauty and dimensions (25 meters high and 25 long) leave more than one spectator speechless.
Completely renewed in its decorations, the festival is also more interactive and more fun, combining tradition and new technologies: mapping, giant holograms, musical tiles, projections, light panels offer sound and visual experiences which accompany visitors throughout the walk . In the heart of the “Fantastic Garden”, you can also attend a performance by Sichuan opera artists or stroll through the aisles of a Chinese craft market.
Exceptional opening this Monday and Tuesday January 16
To avoid last year’s low attendance, the organizers decided to take two days a week off (Monday and Tuesday), with the exception of the Christmas school holidays when the festival remained open 7 days a week. Initially, Monday January 15 and Tuesday January 16 were reserved for seniors invited to share the Galette des Rois and visit the festival. “As we had nearly a thousand registrations over the two days, we decided to exceptionally open to the general public,” announces Jérémy Bringuier. “Le Jardinfantastique” therefore welcomes you every day this week, starting with this Monday and Tuesday, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Online ticketing on Prices from 15 euros. Free for children under 11.
1705319635
#VIDEO #Lantern #Festival #Montauban #full