In June, no one will leave the former air base 217 of Plessis-Paste (Essonne), ears whistling and body covered in bruises after having a little too much advantage of pogos and other walls of death (two groups of festival-goers rushing one on the other, ED ). And for good reason, the next French edition of the Download festival, which was held in the paris region for the past three years, including the last two years at the air force base Plessis, will only take place in 2020 and not in 2019 as a lot of fans of metal music and punk rock had hoped.

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Some had already been alerted by the lack of activity on the account Facebook of the festival, where the last message had been posted on the 28th of June last, without which no date has yet been announced for 2019.

in A joint statement on Facebook on Monday night

But it was Monday night that the ax fell, in the form of a joint statement, published on Facebook, signed by the urban community in the Heart of Essonne, Le Plessis-Paté, and by the organizer of concerts Live Nation France. The signatories explain have “agreed to postpone to the summer of 2020 the next edition of the Download Festival”.

According to them, this year, without Download will be used to enhance the festival. “The year 2019 will be useful to think of a formula more in line with the new aspirations of the public, and better adapted to the new inspirations of the site: more green, more local, more responsible…”, the statement said. It is also “continue the development” of the former military base.

But according to those who criticize this announcement, the choice to not renew the Download in 2019 could have another reason, of a financial nature. In fact, after an edition in 2017 promising, with 120.000 participants on only three days, the Download 2018 was not able to attract more of the “metalheads” on four days. In the columns of the Paris , Angelo Gopee, the director-general of Live Nation France, has admitted that it was “disappointed” in June last, at the end of the festival.

“programming more responsive to local talent” by 2020

It is certain that this event, now in England since 2003, but still young in France, unable for the moment to compete with the of 180,000 festival-goers accounted for in 2018, over three days, Hellfest festival, the first metal band from France, Clisson (Loire-Atlantic).

For the grand return in two years, the organisers promise a “programming more responsive to local talent”. The dates of the harvest 2020 are to be announced “march 2019″, and that”part of the programming.” Judging by many comments in the publication, the publication must show the height of the expectation of the fans of metal.