Dominique A cancels performance at LOlympia due to Vincent Bolloré

Dominique A will no longer set foot on the stage of L’Olympia. The singer announced his decision not to perform in the legendary Parisian venue owned by Vincent Bolloré, stating that he is boycotting anything associated with the conservative billionaire after the crisis at the publisher Grasset.

“As an artist, I have decided not to perform in Parisian venues owned by Mr. Bolloré, such as L’Olympia or the Casino de Paris,” he wrote on Tuesday, April 28, on his social media accounts. These entertainment venues are iconic addresses in the capital. L’Olympia is now owned by the Canal+ group, and the Casino de Paris belongs to the Lagardère group, both entities under Vincent Bolloré’s umbrella.

Dominique A, 57 years old, first stepped onto the stage of L’Olympia in 1996 and performed there again in 2023, after releasing his 15th studio album, Le Monde réel.

“No more Bollorelay”

In his statement, the singer-songwriter also mentioned that he personally boycotts the Relay outlets (books, magazines) found in train stations and airports, which are still managed by a subsidiary of Lagardère. He expressed that these shops “belong to Vincent Bolloré, an extreme right-wing billionaire who is making every effort to bring the National Rally to power in an increasingly assertive manner.”

He also referenced the unprecedented crisis at Grasset, where around 200 authors signed a joint letter denouncing Hachette’s group decision, controlled by Vincent Bolloré, to dismiss Olivier Nora, who had been leading the publishing house for 26 years. This dismissal has stirred the traditionally discreet world of publishing, sparking anger among many authors and prompting a plea from President Emmanuel Macron in favor of “pluralism.”

A prominent figure in the music scene since the 1990s, bridging French chanson and rock, Dominique A has always remained on an alternative path, offering unique, poetic, and often minimalist music. An author and poet, he has also written for other major figures in the music industry, including Étienne Daho, Jane Birkin, and Alain Bashung.