Festivals: Unbehaved audiences

People talking and being disruptive, cellphones blocking the view throughout the concert, audience members who don’t care about the featured artist, people under the influence of alcohol; During the festival season, cruelty to visitors is unfortunately rampant.

“Without blaming everything on the epidemic, the public has become very disrespectful and disorganized since Covid. People who are absent from the artist, who talk loudly, who drink too much; it has gotten worse. We talk a lot about this with our members, and we give tips to moderate this indecency from some audiences even at festivals and theaters,” he said. David Laferriere, president of the professional association of event presenters RIDEAU, explains.

After the pandemic, in 2021 and 2022, with the “Freedom” speech, “I paid for my place, I do what I want!”

In Quebec, artists like Patrice Michaud and Pierre Lapointe had to intervene with festival-goers about the light on cell phones used during their concerts.

The same thing that Louis-José Haut often interfered with on the phone and people talking during his shows. The comedian has already printed cards inviting people to order.

Many international artists will not be deterred from haunting their concerts again; Adele warned the audience not to throw anything at her on stage, and country singer Miranda Lambert stopped singing to tell fans taking selfies with her at the front of the stage that their behavior bothered her.

Educate the public

According to David Laferriere, educating people can be one of the best solutions. A good option is to use humor instead of choosing a paternalistic tone.

Organizers and promoters obviously have their part to play, especially by making the rules of safety and good manners clear to festival-goers. The role of bringing people back to order also falls to staff and security agents on the ground.

Audio or video messages on “How to live together” aired during festivals can have positive effects. Why not put up posters reminding people to keep their voices down during the show? In Europe, for example, we ask viewers not to hesitate to condemn inappropriate behavior at such events.

“In general, people want unity with their artist. We must strive towards unity and respect. When the experience is less interesting for the masses and the artist, the festival loses the most in all of this,” believes David Laferriere.

Photo d’archives, Didier Debusser

The perfect festival goer’s guide

When attending a music festival, you should:

• Arrive early to socialize before the concert begins.
• Let go of the idea of ​​filming the entire event and instead enjoy the magic of the present moment.
• Take a photo or two of your idol so as not to disturb others.
• If you don’t like the artist on stage and want to chat with your friends, remove yourself from the crowd.
• Please turn off your phone, avoid answering calls, mute your notifications and never talk on speakerphone.
• Moderate your alcohol consumption.
• Carrying your friend or teenager on your shoulders during the entire concert is simply not the case!