In just a few years, the Musilac festival has become the biggest pop-rock event in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. How to attend the open-air concerts?
A festival created by enthusiasts
The story began in 2000 with the meeting of two enthusiasts, Thierry Martinet and Daniel Ginet. The first edition, which took place on a car park near the Lac du Bourget in Aix-les-Bains, was named “Musikolac”. It was a popular success, with the then mayor Dominique Dord supporting the project. In 2015, the festival was extended to four days with the Bonus Day. On the last day, the band Muse performed, gathering 30,000 spectators. This was the record attendance with over 110,000 festival-goers. In 2018, a “Musilac Mont Blanc” edition was created, which took place in April in Chamonix. But this second edition will not last.
Big stars of the music scene have performed at Musilac: David Guetta, Stromae, Mika, Peter Gabriel, Indochine, The Cure and Placebo.
The popular success of Musilac has been built on the programming of big names, but also by the selection of rising pop culture values.
How to attend Musilac?
The pop-rockevent takes place in Aix-les-Bains, in Savoie, on the esplanade of the Lac du Bourget, between the lake and the mountains. It lasts between four and five days from Wednesday to Sunday in mid-July each year. The Before is the opening event before the festival. It is an opportunity to see free concerts in the floral park of the Thermes, in Aix-les-Bains.
Boat trips are offered by the Compagnie des bateaux du Lac du Bourget to discover the festival from the lake.
Reservations can be made online on the official Musilac website. Different formulas are proposed according to the number of days on the site. A pass for people with disabilities is sold at a reduced price. 4,000 camping places can also be purchased on the organiser’s website. The concerts take place on four large stages.
The 2023 edition
After the announcement made by the organisers at the end of Musilac 2023, everyone wondered whether the festival would return in 2023. Finally, the answer has been given and festival-goers will be able to meet on the esplanade from 5 to 8 July.
Among the first artists to return to the esplanade: Indochine, Shaka Ponk, Franz Ferdinand and Lomepal. Great promises while waiting for the rest of the announcements.
Past editions
The 2022 edition
The Musilac festival took place from 6 to 10 July 2022 in Aix-les-Bains.
The following artists performed: Angèle, Vianney, Orelsan, Calogero, The Chemical Brothers, Mika, Lous and the Yakuza, Terrenoire, Sam Ryder, Benjamin Biolay, Sum 41, Alt-J, Dutronc & Dutronc (father and son), Feu! Chatterton, Gaëtan Roussel, Juanes, Lilly Wood & The Prick, Metronomy, Kas:st, Tim Dup and Claire Laffut.
80,000 entries were recorded in 2022.
The 2021 edition
If the health conditions had allowed it, the 2021 edition of Musilac should have taken place from 8 to 11 July 2021 in Aix-les-Bains.
This 20th edition would have featured the following artists: Petit Biscuit, Oxmo Puccino, PNL, Angèle, Jean-Louis Aubert, Vianney and Benjamin Biolay.
However, due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 edition of Musilac has been cancelled.
Access and parking
Traffic and parking around the festival is very difficult and is only allowed for local residents. Two shuttle networks are available for festival-goers, at the motorway junctions of Grésy-sur-Aix and Drumettaz-Clarafond. The parking of the vehicles is thus done outside the city.
