Paléo Festival Nyon

After a memorable evening organised in the town centre of Nyon for local inhabitants on Saturday 17th (including the poetic charm of «Perle») a very colourful 35th edition of the Festival got off to a flying start on Tuesday with N*E*R*D, Iggy and the Stooges, Motörhead and NTM all scorching the boards of the Grande Scène. In addition to the folk legends Crosby, Stills & Nash and Hugues Aufray, the class of Charlie Winston and the timeless energy of Indochine, a multitude of young talent and musical discoveries were on show to audiences packed in front of the Festival’s stages. Asaf Avidan and the Mojos, John Butler Trio, Two Door Cinema Club, Beast, Foals and Brother Ali were acclaimed by crowds won over by their grace, their eclecticism, their enthusiasm, their explosive creativity and their groove. French chanson was represented by two of its most remarkable icons - Jacques Dutronc and Alain Souchon – and held its own, centre stage, in brilliant fashion. The Swiss scene confirmed its excellent health in vibrant style, providing a quarter of all artists appearing on the Festival’s main stages. The emotion of Laure Perret, the lyricism of My Heart Belongs Cecilia Winter, the noise rock of Disco Doom and the complex electro of Filewile demonstrated that quality can sometimes rhyme with quantity. The Village du Monde, adorned with its three majestic necklaces bearing the colours of Southern Africa, was a fitting showcase for some of the finest talent of this vast region : the legendary Mahotella Queens and Hugh Maskela, the urban young guard of 340ml and Freshlyground, provided a veritable cultural panorama for visitors to the Village. La Ruche lived up to its reputation as one of the Festival’s key performing areas, with a full programme of circus arts and street theatre in a setting that oozes poetic charm. The Cabine à Trombines, one of the projects for the 35th initiated by Eddy Mottaz, produced 1,200 portraits of festivalgoers during the 6 days of the event.