Florida Sees 15% Attendance Increase in First Post-Covid Year Under Florent Bénéteau’s Leadership

Florent Bénéteau’s eyes are no longer fixed on the artists parading on stage, but rather on the balance sheet, and this year’s has something to make him smile. For a first full post-Covid year, the Florida saw its attendance increase by 15% compared to 2019. Between 15,000 and 20,000 people crossed…

Florent Bénéteau’s eyes are no longer fixed on the artists parading on stage, but rather on the balance sheet, and this year’s has something to make him smile. For a first full post-Covid year, the Florida saw its attendance increase by 15% compared to 2019. Between 15,000 and 20,000 people passed through the doors of the performance hall, “in addition to the 2,000 people and thirty educational establishments which took part in the courses and cultural actions”. From these encouraging figures, the director of the establishment deduces “a desire to come back to practice, to discover. There is a real commitment that gives us a responsibility, to be players in the city”.

This responsibility is that of promoting cultural diversity, which brings in the headliners (Big Flo & Oli, Arnaud Rebotini, Médine), as well as more confidential artists, such as Les Sahariennes. “Concerts that are sometimes more difficult to defend, because of the discovery they represent. But we were surprised that many people came. There was a curiosity, and each time a different audience,” explains Florent Bénéteau, who explains that he took advantage of the postponement of concerts during the health crisis to bring back the headliners: “Next season, there are none. may not have as much. »

Feast on December 1

Nothing to worry him about however, he who knows he can count on other major events. In this case, the Florida Beatbox Festival, which celebrated its sixth edition on March 31: “There is real confidence, we are in the top 2 or 3 of international events and that was confirmed in 2023, with almost half of the audience who were not from the region. Finally, Florida did not fail to fit in with the times, by organizing a queer evening on Saturday, May 13, on the occasion of the Pride March: “By joining this initiative, we had the feeling of participating in something important, which nourishes the links, the closeness between people. »

Proximity, the key word of Florent Bénéteau who, against all odds, wants to preserve the identity of the place: “We feel that things are changing. Practices are changing, festivals are in difficulty. It confirms that we shouldn’t have a cold program, only made up of headliners, but that we must maintain a strong cultural role, be in discovery, in authenticity, which makes Florida a breeding ground new artists. »

Especially since 2023 is not a year like the others. It has been welcoming musicians for thirty years, since March 5, 1993. An anniversary which will be celebrated on March 1^is December, with a gathering open to all: “Here, people have met, formed. It is a place that has been culturally anchored since the 1930s. We must remember its history, tell its lives. On October 6, a new life will begin, with singer Bertrand Belin opening the new season.