At a time when France was sleeping or celebrating, it was a strange race that took place on the night of this Saturday June 24 to this Sunday June 25, between Lyon (Rhône) and Saint-Denis (Seine- St Denis). That of Mylène Farmer fans wanting to be the first to pitch their tents in front of the gates of the Stade de France after having attended her concerts the previous weekend in the den of Olympique Lyonnais.
Fourteen years after her first visit to the Dyonisian venue, the singer will perform there this Friday and Saturday as part of her stadium tour which began on June 3. Some of these highly motivated fans arrived last Friday for the event. “But these are the ones who sacrificed the concerts in Lyon,” confides one of the campers. They do this to make sure they are ahead for the next ones. »
“Nice squabble” to ensure you are in the front row
This Tuesday, around fifteen people improvised a picnic on camping chairs. Some, like Loïz, steward, took vacation days to attend a few dates.
Others, like Julien, a waiter in a tea room in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin), took three months without pay to follow the entire tour. He traveled from Lyon to Saint-Denis by car. “That way, you’re sure to arrive before those who are on the train,” he exclaims. It’s a nice squabble. »
Saint-Denis, this Tuesday. Once the tent is installed, there is no obligation to spend day and night inside. Some planned to spend the night with friends or in a rental.
Even if they saw him on stage a few days ago, they want to see “Mylène” again and again. And not from just anywhere: from the front row, on every date. “It is the order of arrival in front of the stadium that is decisive,” remarked another fan.
To get there, Julien left his boss no choice: “Anyway, he knows that if I don’t have my time off for the tour, I’m out of business…” He therefore “left his barracks for three months » to put yourself in “the Mylène bubble”. “When I do that, it’s to be at my best,” says the waiter. In the thirtieth row, maybe you can see the show better, but I want to spend two hours watching it, up front. I want to see his face, his emotions…”
He is also proud to appear “on all the DVDs for twenty years”, a childhood dream for someone who asked his parents for a cassette of the singer for his 6th birthday. “For me, it’s perhaps a little selfish but I also want her to see us,” confides Maximilien, a 26-year-old job seeker who left Bastia (Upper Corsica) for a few dates.
In the group, some say they wait for a little glance throughout the tour, this famous “eye contact”, as Bénédicte, a resident of the southern suburbs of Paris, puts it; which follows the artist “everywhere since his beginnings”. She is on her 116th concert.
“We’re still all a little cracked”
For Julien, these three months of unpaid leave represent quite a budget. “Between 4,000 and 5,000 euros,” he calculates. It costs 125 euros to be in the “golden square” of the pit, for each concert at the Stade de France. “Some people take us for fools who don’t have a life, but mine doesn’t revolve around Mylène,” he insists. There, we’re all in. Afterwards, I return to a normal life. »
“We’re still all a little cracked,” admits Maximilien. But Mylène is my antidepressant. She brings me the most joy in life. When we feel different and listen to her songs, it’s as if she understands us. »
“Mylène, it’s my antidepressant. She is the one who brings me the most joy in life,” confides an enthusiast about the star (here at the Cannes festival in 2021). LP/Fred Dugit
Clarification: not all these fans necessarily camp every night, the time of setting up their tent is enough to keep their place inside the stadium. Some therefore sleep with friends or take a rental. “Here, it sucks,” slips another admirer. The first night there were thefts. Many will only make it the last night. In the provinces, on the other hand, you can camp for a week. »
The opportunity to see love stories born
During these “vacations”, they don’t squat on the asphalt from morning to evening either. This Tuesday, a small group decides to visit the Saint-Denis basilica. In Lyon, many bathed several times in a lake near the stadium. “But there are still some who want to experience it as a pilgrimage,” says Julien. They stay here and sleep there every night. I was doing that when I was 20, but I just turned 40, I’m playing it lazy. »
Some fans have been meeting at concert dates for decades.
All these groups of fans have been meeting on dates for sometimes decades. Which does not prevent some tensions. “When you live together for three months, it’s normal for there to be arguments, but there’s no point in talking about it, it would stir things up,” asks the waiter. It’s a very small rivalry. Between groups, we respect each other. »
He prefers to talk about beautiful stories: “Love stories, sex stories. There are a lot of people from the gay scene and a lot of things are happening in the tents (laughs)…” Others tell the story of “these two lesbians who met in 2013, at a concert”, and who have since married.
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