Printemps de Bourges

The Printemps de Bourges is a music festival, started in 1977 by Jean Christophe Dechico (director of the Maison de la Culture at the time), Alain Meilland (actor and singer) and Daniel Colling (music booking agent). Despite a recurrent lack of profitability, the city of Bourges continues to host the music festival to this day (as of December 2004), even though a recurrent financial deficit spelled its doom many times. Daniel Colling is the current director.

The music festival

Only a few well known musicians and comedians come the festival. The most interesting characteristic of the PdB are the new talents : many famous bands made their first major concerts in Bourges. The appeal of the event is focused on inexpensive tickets and up-and-coming performances. The artists are classified by genre on the program. The event is held in the city centre (most events are at walking distance from each other) for 4 to 7 days.

Free events :Apart from the numerous food & clothes stalls, there are 3 or 4 open air stages where bands perform for free. Potential performers are permitted to perform on one of the stages with a request only a few days (or hours, depending on availability) in advance. The music played on these stages is often quite varied, and sometimes eclectic.

Local bars :Local bars host bands during the event as well, even though most bars in Bourges are quite modest in size. It's called: The Off It becomes now very popular, and when the sun goes down every night, thousands of peoples walk from bar to bar until the next morning. For more info on the current event, please check the official website.

Programme for 2006

Wednesday April 26 20h - Phoenix - 35 € RAPHAEL - MAUSS Thursday April 27 19h - Phoenix - 33 € INDOCHINE - THE SUBWAYS - and more... Friday April 28 18h - Phoenix - 30 € CALI - MICKEY 3D - THIEFAINE - DA SILVA Saturday April 29 18h - Phoenix - 28 € LOUISE ATTAQUE - SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS - KEN BOOTHE - MAHMOUD AHMED

See also

* Live Printemps de Bourges 2002, by Jean-Michel Jarre

External links

* [http://www.printemps-bourges.com/en Official site] (in English)
* [http://encyclopedie.bourges.net/printempsdeb.htm "How it all started"] (in French)