Doubs. Valentigney: with 5,400 entries, a great edition for BockSons

Bad weather at the BockSons site this Sunday. Too bad for the twenty or so volunteers still out in the rain cleaning up the Longines site. But so much the better for the festival , which recorded a second very good edition in a row with brilliant sunshine on Friday and Saturday. "We were really lucky with the weather," commented festival president Stéphane Laurent.

A man "happy when we have a festival that takes place like this, whereas a few days before, pre-sales were still very quiet, with around sixty tickets sold per day." A trend observed almost everywhere since Covid, which continues to be true for event organizers. Last-minute bookings represent a real risk for organizers.

In the end, the edition was a success, "with a full Friday and then a busy Saturday," bringing in nearly 5,400 festival-goers over two days. "We've also had great feedback from the public and exhibitors." The relief is also financial. This edition could be close to breaking even. Surprising, given the attendance? Not so much. Organizational costs are up, for technical matters and for programming (+15%). There were also more large groups, which also increases the cost of catering (Editor's note: food, drinks, and services provided by the festival for groups and technical teams), hotels, etc. Fortunately, after an exceptional 2024 edition with 6,500 admissions over two days, the festival still has the cash to cope with unforeseen circumstances.

Stéphane Laurent is delighted with these two consecutive successful years, after a sluggish start for the festival. "The first two years were really a learning curve. Financially, it was a disaster, we found ourselves in great difficulty and I didn't think we were going to recover. In the end, we tightened the screws, the bolts, we shrank the site, the stages, and after a "not bad" 2023 edition, 2024 put the boat back on track." In the organization, too, everything has progressed. "We have a network of walkie-talkies between all the pole managers, and this year they were used less than usual."

The president of the association surprised himself by noting, on Friday at 7:30 p.m. during the festival's inauguration, that he was able to be there when he had to run everywhere at the same time for previous editions. "There are things that are a little more under control, in addition to a small core of people who remain and who have gained experience," says the president, who is also looking ahead to the 2026 edition: "I've already signed a group for next year, a headliner I've been chasing for a long time, so I'm happy!"