By Rosine Alleva and Jose Oliveira, Journalist/Photographers-Rock At Night France
Welcome to the 70’s!!!
It seems that 2017 is the year of the 70 celebrations.
The famous international movie festival in Cannes in South of France celebrates its 70th anniversary and our famous Wine Fair and Music Festival in Colmar, in East of France promises to be very special for its 70th edition.
First of all, COLMAR is the capital of the Alsatian wines, a city of Art and long history, with an exceptional architectural heritage. It’s also the birthplace of BARTHOLDI, who created the Statue of Liberty.
Renowned for being a festival, a trade fair and a big festive event, the Alsace Wine Fair with its Music Festival, is the 3rd in France after Paris and Marseille, in terms of attendance and for every taste. To give a few figures, 28 people are working all year to organize this exceptional event. There are 30 bands and artists for the festival and 350 exhibitors. Among them, the famous American Harley Davidson motorcycles since last year. One of the highlights will be a parade of 70 Harleys coming from all Alsace. 7 motorcycles will be then representing the seven decades of the Fair and displayed on the Harley Davidson stand.
It’s in the magic ambiance of the ARLETTE GRUSS Circus that we were invited for the announcement of the 2017 Program. This year, the great novelty is the change of the dates for the festival. It gave the organization more opportunities for the venue of famous artists, usually already booked in August. The 70th music festival edition will take place from July 27 to August 6.
The main attraction for this anniversary program will be the venue of the famous STING on July 31st.
Claude Lebourgeois, the artistic director for the festival, waited almost three decades to receive this international music star.
The «English man» will be welcome in the Alsatian wines capital at least as well as the most famous international star from Alsace, the Riesling!
The Festival line-up will also welcome Status Quo, Michael Schenker, Uriah Heep, Les Insus, Renaud, Pixies, Placebo, The Jacques, and to close the festival, the hard-rock session with a stage that should please the purists and lovers of the genre: Amon Amarth, Hammerfall, the Swiss band Gotthard, and Pretty Maids.
We’re really looking forward to this exciting 70th event!
Other Featured Artists
CHECK OUT ROCK AT NIGHT’s coverage of last year’s festival
From Belgian and Italian parents, I grew up with music, dance and big fun! I love singing since I'm a little girl, I still am, haha. When I was 14, I saw my first concert: T-Rex. Later it was FrankZappa, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Fela, Canned Heat, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Earth, Wind and Fire ....
I dreamed to have a chat with each of them 😀 Before interviewing bands, I used to sing (and still do) and met lots of great musicians. I had the chance to be the support band to Joe Cocker in 2007. I love to communicate and meet people (Italian blood).
Working for magazine, a few years ago, l met José Oliveira! We were working at the same festival in Colmar. 2 people from the South with the same passion just recognized each other...and we stayed in contact since then. Here I am! Enjoying concerts, covering interviews and articles with José for Rock at Night!!
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