Record-breaking Attendance and Success at the 41st Edition of ‘Hier un village’ Live Performance

In the office of the association “Hier un village” in Flagnac, the pressure is down. After seven performances of their live sound and light show, it’s time to turn the page on this 41st edition, which has exceeded all expectations. “This year, we received nearly 19,000 visitors, our fourth best attendance for more than 25 years”, rejoices Stéphanie Roques, director since 2022 of the association created in 1999. “The best editions are often for the dates birthdays (the record attendance was recorded for the 30th anniversary of the show, editor’s note), like the 40th anniversary celebrated last year. After this kind of event, the crowd drops significantly.

This was not the case this year, despite the difficult economic context and the increase of two euros in admission due to the increase in operating costs. “We reach a popular and family audience. Given the inflation, we feared a drop in attendance,” admits Christian Roques, president of “Hier un village”. It has not happened. Even the weather, more capricious than in 2022, did not slow down the spectators. “The weather hasn’t completely served us, but it has dampened the crowds a bit in August.” The performance even sold out on two nights, July 29 and August 4.

“It’s a big family, and we never get tired of being a family”

In the streets of Flagnac, calm, only the puppets positioned here and there in the alleys recall what was going on in the village for three weeks. “Setting up takes a long time, putting it away is very quick, barely a day and a half,” explains Stéphanie Roques. For the organizers, it is now time for vacation. But keeping in a little corner of their head the event and the next edition. “When we are in control, up there, we have our heads in the handlebars. During the last show, I isolated myself to take notes on the details to be improved, slips Christian. I wrote four pages. At the head of the show since 1982, he does not seem tired of the exceptional organization required to welcome thousands of spectators, nor to have lost the passion that 41 years of performance could have altered.

“Yesterday a village is a big family, and we never tire of being with the family. 41 years, it’s the iron wedding. Iron is harshness, abnegation. We just make sure that it doesn’t rust so that it continues, ”figures the one who still seems surprised that the adventure is going so well. “We have very good feedback from people who are surprised to see the quality of the show in a place as remote as ours. And then the volunteers are happy to meet each year.” The association will meet at the end of September to establish new dates, prices and site works.