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FETE DE LA MUSIQUE

Mini concerts in bars and no curfew: France’s 2021 Fête de la Musique

France's annual Fête de la Musique takes place on Monday but given the health situation in the country - albeit an improving one, this year's festival will once again be slightly different. Here is what you need to know.

Published: 18 June 2021 13:35 CEST
Updated: 21 June 2021 13:33 CEST
Mini concerts in bars and no curfew: France's 2021 Fête de la Musique
An artist performing at last year's 'Fete de la musique', which took place amid Covid-19 restrictions. Photo: Abdulmonam Eassa | AFP

Health rules for France’s annual Fête de la Musique have been eased, with small indoor concerts permitted in bars and restaurants, the Culture Minister has said.

Roselyne Bachelot announced the changes to Monday’s national celebration of music, hours after Prime Minister Jean Castex had revealed that France’s nightly 11pm curfew ends 10 days earlier than expected.

ALSO READ: Face masks to cafés: What Covid-19 rules are still in place in France?

Last month, Bachelot confirmed the event would go ahead under strict conditions. But she was able to announce a relaxation of the rules following Castex’s announcement.

So what has changed?

No curfew

As the curfew is no more, Bachelot confirmed that events will be allowed to continue past 11pm.

‘Mini concerts’

Perhaps the biggest announcement she made during her interview on France Info came when she said that “mini concerts in bars and restaurants” would be permitted.

Previously, only seated outdoor concerts were permitted.

Those venues that do host musical events will still have to respect health rules, including the 50 percent indoor limit, with no more than six to a table. Wearing a mask remains compulsory.

Outdoor concerts

As was already the case, seated outdoor concerts are permitted – as they were previously – with venues permitted to operate at up to 65 percent capacity to an overall limit of 5,000 people. A Covid health pass (pass sanitaire) is required for everyone attending an event of more than 1,000 people.

In line with Castex’s earlier press conference, face masks will have to be worn in crowded venues.

ALSO READ: Where do you still need to wear a face mask in France?

No busking

This hasn’t changed, either, despite the easing of health rules. The Prime Minister had earlier warned that “gatherings on the public highway” were still – as a rule – prohibited. Furthermore, the Service Public website confirmed that ‘amateur concerts’ are still prohibited, as were groups of more than 10 people on public roads or public spaces.

Elysée party

A concert will  be held at the Élysée Palace with “electro music, DJs” and notably Jean-Michel Jarre and Cerrone.

Police

The Paris police chief on Monday announced that 2,300 officers will be mobilised in the city to ensure that the rules – particularly those on wearing masks in crowded spaces – are respected.

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HEALTH

France’s Covid-19 app to be ‘put to sleep’

France's Covid-tracker app, used for months for the all-important 'health pass' will be switched off today, health officials have confirmed.

Published: 30 June 2023 13:29 CEST
France’s Covid-19 app to be 'put to sleep'

Covid-19 screening in France reaches an important milestone on Friday, June 30th, 2023 – when the TousAntiCovid app is officially ‘put to sleep’.

The app, which was launched in June 2020 as France came out of its first lockdown of the pandemic and has undergone a number of iterations, including as a delivery device for the health pass, will be switched off. 

For most people, this anniversary will pass without mention. Few people have consulted the app in recent months, and it has sat dormant on many smartphones since France’s Covid-19 health pass requirement was suspended in March 2022.

Meanwhile, the Système d’Informations de DEPistage (SI-DEP) interface – which has been informing people about their test results since the Spring of 2020 – is also being shut down on June 30th, as per legal requirements.

The SI-DEP shutdown means that it will also be impossible to retrieve Covid test certificates issued before June 30th, should the need arise. All data held by the database will be “destroyed”, officials have said.

It has handled more than 320 million antigen and PCR tests since it was introduced.

This does not mean that testing for Covid-19 has stopped, or is now unnecessary. As reported recently, more than 1,000 deaths a week in Europe are still caused by the virus.

The shutdown of the national information system does not mean that people in France cannot still book an appointment for an antigen test at a pharmacy, or a PCR test at a laboratory. But the number of people going for testing is declining rapidly. In recent days, according to Le Parisien, just 15,000 people in France took a Covid test – the lowest number, it said, since the pandemic started.

Reimbursement rules for testing changed on March 1st, with only certain categories of people – minors, those aged 65 and over, or immunosuppressed patients – covered for the entire cost of testing.

From Friday, only PCR test results will be transmitted to authorities for data purposes, meaning pharmacists that only offer antigen testing will be locked out of the online interface to record test results.

The reason for the shift in priorities is to maintain “minimal epidemiological surveillance”, the Ministry of Health has reportedly told scientists.

As a result test certificates, showing a positive or negative result, will no longer be issued from July 1st. Since February 1st, anyone taking a test has had to give consent to share their data in order to obtain a certificate. 

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