Saint-Étienne. Concerts, tournaments and balls: the Before de Couriot puts Saint-Étienne culture in the spotlight

"For the past six years, the Before de Couriot has been an alternative way for Saint-Étienne residents who aren't going on vacation to have a good time during the summer," explains Marc Chassaubéné, deputy for culture. And this event seems to be working, since the city and the Cinq Cempotes collective admit to being "overwhelmed by its success" every year.

This year, this success will be made available to Saint-Étienne artists. Because in Saint-Étienne, "we know how to showcase small, local artists," assures the deputy mayor. And it's free for the public, too.

"We're seeing it nationally, but also locally. We're having a difficult year musically. We can already see the effects on the upcoming summer festivals: the French have a real purchasing power problem and prefer to go see a big stage rather than several smaller ones..."

Anthony Navarra of Cinq Cempotes agrees: "We give a lot of space to highly popular artists, which automatically pushes lesser-known artists to the sidelines. We know that can be demotivating for groups. That's the goal of Couriot's Before: to give everyone a means of expression, with a more than eclectic offering. And with the events being free, we hope that the people of Saint-Étienne will come first to discover the artists, and then perhaps become fans."

With around fifty events, including the unmissable highlights of Sons de la Mine and the Fête de la Musique, dozens of artists will be in the spotlight. And varied styles: reggae, alternative rock, rap, electro… Everyone will be able to find at least one evening that suits their musical tastes, in a guinguette spirit with beer and snacks served until midnight.

But for those who aren't concert fans, Couriot's Before has something for everyone. A giant karaoke, an open-air cinema showing the second installment of Back to the Future , a pétanque competition, children's games... And even the Saint-Étienne firefighters' ball, who were keen to take part in the celebrations.

"The goal is to alternate family-friendly activities with fun programming. We're really trying to find a balance so as not to end up with wedding parties or overly specific programming, which might not interest most people," says Anthony Navarra.

Another challenge this year: getting everyone to smile and dance amidst the construction. With the Mining Museum gallery currently under construction, a new location for the stages and the open-air café had to be found to make things as safe as possible.

Everything should therefore be organized on the paved part of the park, on either side of the headframe. But since the events begin at 4 p.m., the focus is on the shade. In another safety concern, additional lighting will be added to the site, as well as security guards present every day, whose presence will be doubled during major events.

Find the program at www.saint-etienne.fr