"A scene of exchanges and no opinions" : how the We Love Green festival wants to mix music and social debates

The 15^e edition of the We Love Green festival begins Friday June 5, with Gorillaz, Theodora, Fire! Chatterton, The XX, Sébastien Tellier or Soulwax. The Parisian festival carries its ambition in its name: to be as ecologically virtuous as possible. More broadly, its organizers also want to make it a place where major contemporary social issues are discussed, in a fragmented society.

At We Love Green, between the artists and their highly anticipated concerts, reality seeps in. Renewable energies, waste management, vegetarian food… The festival is constantly adapting, especially because it has grown a lot. “When we welcome 15,000 people over two days or 100,000 over three days, as will be the case this weekend, it’s not the same path, not the same cost“, says Marie Sabot, founder and director of the festival.

She continues: “The standards that we have this year are the same as in many festivals, this year, in France, where it has become, potentially, a standard“.

The festival, among other things, highlights its ISO 20121 certification, its carbon footprint published each year and its awareness-raising efforts. But like any event of this size, the trajectory is difficult to follow. Bought last year by Matthieu Pigasse’s Combat group, notably owner of Rock en Seine, We Love Green is evolving.

Its owner admits to wanting to establish an editorial line, which is asserted in the debates and conferences throughout the weekend. We will talk about ecology, capitalism, “technofascisme“. “The society around us has changedpoints out Marie Sabot. Between the moment when we held the festival 15 years ago, with a form of optimism 15 years later, the count is not there. Society has become polarized, we have very serious destructuring which is fragmenting society, so we are the reflection of all that. But we tried to do it with a scene of exchanges and no opinions.“

“We tried to do face-to-face meetings so that people talk to each other rather than confront each other.”

Marie Sabot, director of We Love Green

à franceinfo

For example, a debate between a representative of Carrefour and the director of the L214 association is on the program. But also the whole range of Matthieu Pigasse’s media galaxy, with broadcasts from Radio Nova or meetings with Les Inrocks.

An atelier, nommé”Crazy“, is also intended to know what to answer in lively family discussions around the most burning themes. At We Love Green, it is a “cultural battle“, an expression of Matthieu Pigasse himself, who gets involved in the rhythm of the concerts.