More people are going to festivals in France

Nearly seven million people attended one of the many festivals in France in 2017, an increase of 14% on the previous year, according to new figures.

Even more impressive is the fact that hundreds of festivals were not included in the count. The figures collated only counted attendances at the 102 paying festivals in France in 2017 that attracted more than 15,000 visitors.

According to the results, the Interceltique de Lorient was the most popular festival in France in the past 12 months, attracting about 750,000 visitors. It topped the list of the 17 festivals in 2017 that attracted more than 100,000 visitors, while the Fête de l'Humanité, in the Paris suburbs, welcomed crowds of 550,000, and 280,000 attended the Festival des Vielles Charrues, in Carhaix-Plouguer.

A total 85 festivals attracted crowds of between 15,000 and 100,000. But while events such as the Interceltique, Hellfest and Rock-en-Seine may attract the headlines, and the crowds, many festivals in France are lower-key family-oriented affairs.