Alexandre and David… David and Alexandre: two thirty-somethings with long and ambitious ideas. They speak with the same passion: that of electronic music. For five years, they have been organizing a festival. Very small, almost confidential the first year. It has grown: 4,000 spectators in 2007 with headliners such as Modeselektor, Amon Tobin, or Kid Koala.
The 2008 edition of NuZiq will take place from June 25 to 28, with two days at the Théâtre de Verdure. It had difficulties in getting off the ground due to the municipal election and the change of mayor. “We almost gave up,” David confides. Until a few weeks ago, and the approval of a subsidy, David Elalouf and Alexandre Dufrenne did not know if they could mount this festival. “We had a little baby that has become a teenager, and we hope to see it become an adult,” summarizes David. Produced by the Elektron association, this festival, which has become the essential rendezvous for lovers of new music and urban cultures, needs financial aid to reach the necessary budget of 130,000€ for the event. This year again, prominent names unprecedented on the French Riviera will come: Roni Size, PuppetMastaz, DJ Vadim, The Bellrays. Local artists will join them. The ambition is to reach 5,000 spectators. In 2009, the Nu-ziQ Festival will join the national network of electronic culture festivals alongside Nuits Sonores, Astropolis, Nord Impakt, Marsatak, and Calvi on the Rocks. A recognition. David and Alexandre see further. They want to continue to progress the festival for themselves but especially for the city of Nice: “We want to give the city a younger and more dynamic image. We also want to show that young people can unite around an event.” The bet is bold. But it succeeded last year in the middle of August. This year, the date fits even better right after exams, a week after the summer. “We don’t necessarily do the festival for the tourists,” David specifies.
They hope for a large crowd, including tourists, so that no one can contest the big project they have for 2009. “We have reached the end of this formula. We can’t bring in bigger artists while having to end at midnight.” So, they aim to move the festival to the MIN. Advantages: much more space, longer time, more possibilities. They just need to get the mayor’s approval. David has established a plan: “I invite the mayor to come to discuss work with us. Christian Estrosi wants to create a large rock festival. We just want to show him that a festival of contemporary music works very well, that it is well organized, that it’s not a rave party, and that if he trusts us and the MIN, we’ll make a great music festival in addition to the rock festival.”
In the meantime, the Nu-ziQ 2008 festival will be held from June 25 to 28 at three locations: Théâtre de Verdure, Fac de Lettres, Villa Arson. On June 14, there will be an evening at the Nova Bar, Quai Lunel to celebrate the festival’s fifth year.
The Elektron association is calling for volunteers.
Contact: nuziqfestival@gmail.com
[Program](https://www.nicepremium.fr/article/festival-nuziq-a-nice-le-programme-2008.3171.html)
