“The Spring Festival!”
More than 25 years ago, who would have bet that a group of friends, fresh out of high school, would turn Morlaix into a must-visit destination in the French electronic music scene? Probably no one, and even less so the team who, by launching a festival called “Panoramas,” was diving joyfully into the unknown.
Since its beginnings in 1998, countless memories have surfaced, both good and less so. Among them, there was the fourth edition and its deficit that nearly dealt a fatal blow to the adventure. There were real struggles, like the snowstorm that forced the cancellation of an entire evening in 2005 or the total cancellation in 2020 due to Covid. But there were also so many unforgettable moments of grace, like the two concerts by Alain Bashung at the Théâtre, or the arrival in 2006 of a young electro duo named Justice, which literally set Coatelan (400 seats) ablaze. The warmth of Stromae, the magical performances of Jeanne Added or Mansfield Tya in improbable and secret locations, or the immense pride when, for the first time, a night at Langolvas sold out in 2009… Throughout these first 25 years, the festival has hosted established artists such as Public Enemy, Paul Kalkbrenner, DJ Shadow, Dominic A, Laurent Garnier, Brigitte Fontaine, and artists who were not yet known to the general public when they passed through Panoramas, like Stromae, Orelsan, Amelie Lens, Charlotte de Witte, Boris Brejcha, Izia, Vitalic, NTO, Rone, Vald, Lorenzo, and even Jeanne Added and Zaho de Sagazan.
Since 2021, Panoramas has moved to a new venue: Le SEW, a new cultural facility (an 800-seat performance hall, 3 cinemas, 2 rehearsal studios, a bookstore, a restaurant, and a bar) located on the port of Morlaix, which will host the closing night on Sunday. After 25 years at the Parc Expo de Lango, which welcomed over 25,000 people, the organizing team is embarking on a new challenge and fully investing in the former Tobacco Factory site. This marks a new scale (10,000 attendees), a new festival format (highlighted with a fresh scenography of the Manu site), a new artistic direction (100% electro-techno), new priorities (fighting sexism and sexual harassment [VHSS], reducing its ecological impact), and a new philosophy: doing less but better!
Panoramas also includes PANORAMIQUES, which are satellite events to the festival (exhibitions, screenings, conferences, secret concerts…) organized in various locations (the La Salamandre cinema, Morlaix bars, the Manu village…).
The festival is experienced as an artistic and playful exploration, an adventure we hope will be full of surprises. In the WART association, some of the hair is starting to turn grey, but the excitement of the beginnings remains intact. Needless to say, the entire organizing team, along with its 300 volunteers, is eagerly looking forward to spring to celebrate with you the PANORAMA(S) of current music trends!
The WART Team.
