2023-09-03 16:17:51
There are unmistakable signs. The great Braderie de Lille, version 2023, which takes place this weekend, seems to be a good vintage. It’s hard to be categorical because walking through the 80 kilometers of stalls at the speed of a turtle is a difficult challenge to take up in such a short time. And asking their opinion of some 2 million visitors claimed by the city is just as important. So there are a few criteria 20 Minutes tried to analyze.
Strong media interest
First there was the parody clip “Let me sell off”, broadcast two weeks ago by the city of Lille and which has largely exceeded one million views on social networks. “We want a festive sale,” insisted Baptiste Monnot, the town hall’s communications manager. And the caterpillar came and overturned everything in its path. The ushers approved the participation of 4,623 people, hands on shoulders and two duck feet, attesting to a particularly friendly atmosphere.
The Batucada Gang’Ouf had come from Beaujolais to set the mood. – G. Durand
A feeling confirmed by Julie, leader of a batucada, baptized Gang’Ouf and coming straight from Beaujolais. “We already came eleven years ago and last year, it’s the most fun, this year,” she says. The troupe and its 25 musicians have decided to come and set the mood, everywhere in the streets, to the sound of percussion. “Lille is our furthest destination,” emphasizes Guylain, vice-president of Gang’Ouf. Really, there are values of benevolence and relaxation here. »
Sales and visibly happy visitors
Away from a very busy street, in Old Lille, Mélina mainly sells clothes for babies and young children. “I would not have thought to sell so much on Saturday”, admits the young woman to 20 Minutes. Far from the crowd, its stand interests young mothers who can negotiate in peace. “There is a lot of tourism and I think people really want to go out like before,” she notes.
Ludo and Paulo, two friends from the Lille metropolis, also admit that there is a good atmosphere and a lot of people. Although Sundays are generally quieter. “This morning, around 10 a.m., it was packed in public transport, notes Paulo. Three or more stations before arriving in the city center, we could no longer enter the tram. There was a granny with her cane, she made me sad. “And around the station, the ticket machines were empty,” continues Ludo. One more clue.
Crowds and mussels: a good deal for traders
A happy trader is a sign that does not deceive. The Oh Gourmand’in café-brasserie, near the Grand-Place, has dared to use the “all-you-can-eat” formula. And Christophe, the co-manager, is more than satisfied. “In 36 years of selling off, I’ve never had so many people,” he says. On Saturday, between 11:30 a.m. and 2 a.m., we experienced no outages, which is unusual for us. “A good clearance sale is between 5% and 10% of a year’s turnover, generally recognizes the world of commerce in Lille.
The pile of mussel shells that keeps growing during the Lille sale in 2023. – G.Durand
The pile of mussel shells in Place Rihour, a true barometer of the clearance sale, thus displayed a respectable height at the start of the afternoon, this Sunday. A sign that consumption seems to be there. To know the exact weight of the shells harvested for recycling, you have to wait until the restaurants close around 1 a.m.
The sun made its show
After the considerable rains on Friday and the gloomy weather on Saturday morning, the sun appeared on Lille, offering an ideal temperature (25°C, felt 28°C) for walking. The only downside is that when you get out of the metro, the smell of mussels scratches your mucous membranes directly, even early in the morning. At least you knew you were at the heart of the event.
A Lille 2023 sale under the sun. – G. Durand
Because a clearance sale in the rain does not have the same charm at all. Everyone remembers the 2011 edition when a violent storm hit Lille on Saturday afternoon, against all expectations except Météo-France. Blue sky that turns black in a few minutes, all the junk dealers had to fold up their stalls. And Sunday had been gloomy.
Nothing to report, according to the prefecture
Sunday afternoon, no significant event was to be reported at the level of the prefecture, except for around 400 people, including five in serious condition, taken care of by the emergency services, in particular during the night from Saturday to Sunday. and due to alcoholism.
The only major accident to be deplored: the fall of a 19-year-old student from a ventilation tower of about ten meters, around 1:30 a.m., on the night of Saturday to Sunday, according to The voice of the North. The victim is seriously injured in the legs. In 2019, a similar accident involving a young man and a young woman took place at the same place.
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