Midi Festival kicks off this Friday evening in Hyères: a look back at 20 years of concerts and highlights

It's already been 20 years since we've grown old with the Midi Festival. Twenty years since this fine connoisseur and music enthusiast, Fred Landini, decided to share with us, over three summer nights in magical locations, his " obsessions ," as he says, meaning his favorites for emerging, independent music with bands who have never played in France. A unique concept for us, which hasn't changed. So, if we've grown old, the Midi remains as young as ever, with musicians and an audience constantly reinventing themselves. Fred Landini shares his best memories with us, before the launch of an exceptional edition this Friday:

From L. A to Hyères

The first Hyères edition in 2006 invited international artists for the first time, including some from Los Angeles. " One day, I received a phone call at three o'clock in the morning from the LA airport. It was the musicians asking me: "Are we really coming?" I didn't understand at first, but there had just been foiled attacks in London, which paralyzed the world's skies. They arrived 24 hours late, without luggage, without anything. They played with instruments lent by musician friends. They then had a tour in England, which they had to cancel because they still hadn't found their luggage, which they received a year later! And I had to call the American embassy to have them repatriated," recalls Fred Landini.

Stories of love and friendship

In 2010, the Midi heard from some English friends about a band, Wu Lyf. Without being able to listen to a single one of their compositions for many months, the affair almost fell through. When he finally got to hear them, for Fred Landini, " it was a revelatory band, one we had been looking for for years. They became friends, with some of them getting married thanks to the festival! " After 13 years, they will reform in Hyères for the first time, this Saturday. That same edition, Lee Ranaldo, the guitarist of Sonic Youth, agreed to play his band's songs acoustically. But following a misunderstanding, he had to retune his guitars himself each time. A sound that resonated all the way to Place Clemenceau!

Mythical Almanarre

From 2010 to 2013, the big concerts took place on Almanarre beach. " In 2012, we had this band that was about to explode in front of the world: Disclosure. It was very windy, so we had planned a pointed-shaped building where the musicians could take refuge. They almost didn't play because they refused. In the end, it was an incredible concert on the beach ." Just before, Bon Iver wowed the audience at the Hippodrome.

Etienne Daho.

" I had the chance to meet Etienne Daho, and I asked him to be honorary president of the Midi Festival for one edition," says Fred Landini. " A few years later, he called me back ." This was in 2016. The singer also asked him to photograph the artists and the audience. Photos that were shared on the Inrocks website will be the subject of an exhibition at the Villa Noailles and La Villette in Paris.

Down with the masks

In 2021, a year after Covid, uncertainty reigns with health measures changing from one day to the next. " We had chosen to do a standing concert. At the last minute, we had to have masks. It was so hot. We were hosting a French artist, MYD. He gave a liberating concert, where people danced, and the masks came off. It was quite a beautiful moment at the archaeological site of Olbia ."

The program

This year, " each date is marked by an artist who has already played in the Midi ." See you Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., at the archaeological site of Olbia with, among others, Christopher Owens (US), GRLwood (US), Rip Magic (UK), Wu lyf (UK), Goat Girl (UK), Chloe Slater (UK), Malik Djoudi (FR)... Like other festivals recently, the Midi has just canceled the concert of the American group HiTech, initially scheduled for Friday, following an accusation of alleged sexual assault against one of its members. The programmer is looking for another group to replace it.

This year, two free events: "Le Marais plage" in front of the restaurant, Saturday and Sunday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

- Tickets from 25 euros, pass available, info. midi-festival.com