A formidable international music festival, the Main Square takes place every year on the first weekend in July at the Citadelle d’Arras. Although the 16th and 17th festivals were cancelled due to Covid 19, the 2022 festival is well on the way for all music concert fans. For 4 days, from June 30 to July 3, the town is immersed in the atmosphere of a festival that today has an incredible reputation. And with good reason, many famous bands have performed in the Main Square. Here’s a closer look at a must-see for fans of pop rock and other music genres.
The origins of the Main Square music festival in Arras
At the start of the 21st century, Arras was keen to revitalize the town’s activities. A number of events were held in the early part of the century, bringing a certain renown to the area. These include the Arras Film Festival, which began in 2000 and takes place every year in November, the Andouillette Festival in August (one of the tastiest andouillettes in France is undoubtedly from Arras), Arras Plage, and so on. But if these events are national in scope (and even a little more so with what used to be called the Arras International Film Festival), the Main Square has unquestionably become one of the biggest international music festivals and a major annual event for the town. With a budget in the region of 6 million euros, the Main Square first took place on the Grand’Place, where bands such as Coldplay, Lenny Kravitz, Depeche Mode, Radiohead, Muse, Placebo, Iron Maiden and Metallica performed for six years, along with other preview acts such as Gomm, Goldfrapp, the BB Brunes, The Wombats and Sigur Ros.
The Citadelle venue for the Main Square
Then, moved to the Citadelle (six hectares in the Turenne district), where it still takes place, adds up to star bands and singers every year. These include The Black Eyed Peas, Rammstein, Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, David Guetta, Shaka Ponk, Iggy Pop, Christine and The Queens, Ben Harper & The Innocent, the Pixies, Sting and many more. We usually exceed 100,000 spectators.
Getting to Main Square and booking tickets
To get to Main Square and reserve tickets for the 4-day festival, you’ll have to get up early. However, given the quality of the concerts, the pass is not very expensive, with a price of 54 euros for the day, as specified on the official website.
However, tickets are generally sold out as soon as the festival opens for the best acts. When it comes to Metallica, Radiohead or Depeche Mode, you’ll have to be on the lookout for remaining seats, or opt for the more expensive VIP tickets. You can expect to pay up to 500 euros per day for a VIP Backstage seat, and 320 euros for an all-inclusive VIP box.
Location:
Boulevard du Général De Gaulle :
X.D.
