Fête de l'Humanité

Fête de l'Humanité
Aerial view of the Fete de l'humanité 2023
Inaugurated	September 1930 (1930-09)
Most recent	September 2024 (2024-09)
Attendance	800,000
Organised by	L'Humanité
Website	fete.humanite.fr

The Fête de l'Humanité (French pronunciation: [fɛt də lymaniˈte]; English: Festival of Humanity) is an event organised annually by French daily newspaper L'Humanité in order to fund itself. It is the largest popular gathering in France.

L'Humanité was created in 1904 by French socialist Jean Jaurès, but the first fête de l'Humanité took place in September 1930 to raise funds for the newspaper L'Humanité and 1000 people attended it. In 2010, the festival attracted 600,000 visitors. A new record was set in 2018, when 800,000 visitors participated in the festival.

The festival is organized and held almost exclusively by volunteers, since it exists to fund the newspaper.

Hundreds of stalls are scattered around the venue offering food and drinks with the stall holders coming from all over the world to be part of the event. The fête is a unique mix of politics and entertainment, with concerts happening alongside many debates, art exhibits, movies, etc. Because of the close relationship between l'Humanité and the French Communist Party, most of the volunteers are communists, even though most of the attendees are not.

The festival comprises many stages (Grande Scène (main stage), scène Zebrock (rock stage), scène reggae, P'tite Scène (smaller stage), and tens of smaller stages inside stalls). The Main Stage can accommodate about 100,000 spectators.

Due to its size, this festival is considered the kickoff of the left-wing's "political year" each year in September. Tens of thousands of left-wing activists gather there to celebrate and debate (from many political currents: communists, but also social-democrats, anarchists, Trotskyists, sympathizers of the left wing, etc.). They forget their disagreements for a festive weekend and get energized to start the year.

The festival is usually attended by the main figures of the French left wing (leaders of the French socialist party, Jean-Pierre Chevènement, Arlette Laguiller, Olivier Besancenot, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, etc.) as well as famous journalists (Edwy Plenel, Guillaume Meurice, etc.)

September 14, 2019. La Courneuve. L’Humarche des Fiertés with Les Grandes Personnes theater company.

Artists involved

Many artists such as Roger Hodgson, Léo Ferré, Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, The Who, Deep Purple, Jacques Brel, Johnny Hallyday, Renaud, Chuck Berry, Jacques Dutronc, Leonard Cohen, and Joan Baez have performed at this event.

1960 Paul Robeson Jacques Brel

1961 Léo Ferré Robert Lamoureux Catherine Sauvage

1962 Jean Ferrat Léo Ferré Georges Brassens

1964 Eddy Mitchell Charles Trenet Annie Cordy Nana Mouskouri

1966 Nino Ferrer Juliette Gréco Guy Béart Hugues Auffray

1968 Mireille Mathieu

1969 Jacques Dutronc

1970 Pink Floyd

1971 Claude Nougaro Joan Baez

1972 The Who Mireille Mathieu Country Joe and the Fish Golden Earring Ewa Demarczyk

1973 Chuck Berry Jerry Lee Lewis Alan Stivell Catherine Ribeiro

1974 Leonard Cohen The Kinks Mikis Theodorakis

1975 Jacques Higelin

1976 Area[1] Guy Bedos Maurice Béjart Julien Clerc Louise Forestier Bernard Lavilliers Maxime Le Forestier Bernard Lubat Claude Nougaro Quilapayún Archie Shepp Mikis Theodorakis Brenda Wootton

1977 Alan Stivell Brand X Joan Pau Verdier Mustafa Al-Kurd

1978 Genesis

1979 Charles Trenet Catherine Ribeiro Gilles Vigneault

1981 Ray Charles

1982 Magma

1983 Julien Clerc Robert Charlebois

1984 The Communards Nina Hagen Renaud

1985 Johnny Hallyday

1986 Jacques Higelin Eddy Mitchell Sapho (singer)

1987 Demis Roussos

1988 Kassav

1990 Johnny Clegg Manu Dibango Dee Dee Bridgewater Paul Personne Colin James

1991 Johnny Logan

1992 MC Solaar The Kinks Calvin Russell Bernard Lavilliers Léo Ferré

1993 Princess Erika Michel Fugain

1994 Midnight Oil No One Is Innocent Johnny Clegg and Savuka

1995 Jacques Higelin

1996 Maxime Le Forestier Jimmy Cliff

1997 Robert Charlebois Cesária Évora

1998 Sinsemilla Cheb Mami Raggasonic

2000 Eddy Mitchell

2001 Manu Chao Ska-P

2004 Youssou N'Dour The Rasmus Dub Incorporation

2005 Asian Dub Foundation Bernard Lavilliers The Offspring

2007 The Stooges Razorlight Ayọ

Bernard Lavilliers in Concert at Main Stage, 2005

Ayo at the Fete de l'Humanité 2007

2008 Roger Hodgson Babyshambles NERD

2009 Deep Purple The Kooks

2010 Raggasonic The Prodigy Madness Simple Minds

2011 Joan Baez Avril Lavigne

2014 Richard Stallman

2015 Texas Manu Chao Shaka Ponk

2016 The Chemical Brothers Michel Polnareff Lauryn Hill Alain Souchon Laurent Voulzy Joey Starr Caribbean Dandee Ludwig Von 88

2017 Iggy Pop Renaud Feder Trust Dub Inc

2018 Franz Ferdinand Julien Clerc Bernard Lavilliers Bigflo & Oli

References

1. "PARIGI - LISBONA". Cramps.

Further reading

• Porter, Catherine (September 22, 2024). "A French Fair as Workers' Paradise, Feting Cuisine, Music and Communism". The New York Times.

External links

• Official site in French
• lls se sont produits à la Fête de l’Humanité... (incomplete list of the participants)