With the handing over of the keys to the city to the musicians of the Band’à Part, the city of Condom was transformed into a giant stage for all the groups coming from all over France, but also from Spain, Belgium and Mexico, who will punctuate the party until Sunday evening.
One year. The city has been waiting for this for a year. This somewhat magical moment when Condom exchanges its costume of a small provincial town for the larger and more colorful one of the capital of banda music.
This Friday evening, it was on the square in front of the town hall that the magic once again happened, in the presence of a very large audience, also impatient to reconnect with this beautiful festive and musical communion that the Bandas Festival has been offering for 53 years now.
The festival season is launched
Taking advantage of one of these long weekends of which May has the secret, the festayres did not wait for the arrival of the bandas or the official opening of the event to invest the city, already enjoying a beautiful sunny day between setting up tents at the campsite, breaks at the refreshments and scouting out the best spots.
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Increasingly numerous on the promenades, the public gathered in front of the town hall at the end of the afternoon so as not to miss anything of the launch of the festivities in the company of the numerous authorities present for the occasion.
Each in turn, from the president of the organizing association, Gilles Boyer, to the prefect of Gers, Alain Castanier, via the mayor Jean-François Sabathier, the president of the department, Philippe Dupouy, Muriel Abadie for the Occitanie region, and David Taupiac, deputy for the constituency, all highlighted before the work of volunteers and security services to guarantee the quality of a party which opens the festival season in the department.
Once the speeches were over, it was time for the crowd in red and white to embark on the first Paquito of the weekend on these vast Condom walks which happily lent themselves to the exercise.
The return of this Grand Paquito was greeted by a very nice participation of festayres of all ages who happily plunged into this tide of outstretched arms.
En quete de la Palme d’Or
Everyone will be able to keep the rhythm until Sunday evening around the hundreds of musicians who have taken possession of the heart of the city to commune with the public but also, starting Saturday afternoon, to try to win the titles put into play in the general competition.
With teams coming from all over France, but also from Belgium, Spain and, again this year, Mexico, the battles should be tough in the race for the Palme d’Or, the supreme title of the competition.
