The price of 5 euros hasn’t changed, nor has the concept: to please people by creating an atmosphere worthy of the biggest nightclubs, on a public beach. The Palais des Festivals beach has been transformed this year as well, into a vast dance floor where fans of electronic music could enjoy an outdoor spectacle, with sand between their toes, by the seaside.
It’s 8 PM, and a hundred people are heading towards the beach entrance to attend an event, unique of its kind on the French Riviera. The bodyguards present, not only at the entrance but also around the beach, are letting people through in groups of ten. Just before the ticket sales booths, two women and two men dressed in black, wearing latex gloves, stop each person to make sure they aren’t carrying any illicit or dangerous items in their pockets, bags, or otherwise. The security checks are similar to those at airports. Several ticket booths are in place, including one for invitations and accreditations.
The “breakbeat bailfunk” evening will be animated by five DJs, one of whom came from London. As the DJs’ remixes play one after another, a harmony created by the light effects and sounds emerges. Some attendees are in costume; a young man wears a “rastaman” wig, and a bit further towards the sea, a couple embraces the Hawaiian style, with floral necklaces around their necks, and shorts and t-shirts with floral prints. In the middle of the sea, a pyrotechnic show has been set up on a floating stage. Some spectators, sitting on the sand, feet in the water, admire the juggling of fireballs, similar to shooting stars. It’s half-past midnight, and the event is coming to an end. The five DJs thank the audience for their support and invite them to celebrate the end of the 2009 season of the Cannes Electronic Beaches on Saturday, August 15, 2009.
