What You Need to Know About The Techno Parade
The Techno Parade is back in Paris for its 17th edition. It was initially a protest (as is nearly everything French, I guess) against the government’s repression of electronic music when it gained popularity in the early ‘90s. In 1996, the music festival “Polaris” in Lyon was shutdown before it started because authorities worried that it would be a breeding place for drugs and disorder. This sparked the conception of Technopol, the association that now organizes the parade, which was created to preserve and perpetuate electronic music nation-wide.
Today it's no longer a protest, but France's second largest music festival after la Fete de la Musique. This Saturday, a line-up of international DJs will command a horde of around 400,000 technoheads from atop fifteen different trucks, all sporting an excessive number of subwoofers. The large party vehicles will take the crowd through the heart of Paris, animating them in a ‘Mad Max’-esque manner -- minus the post-apocalyptic flame-throwing guitarists.
If that sounds like your scene, here are some infos pratiques to help you navigate the massive gathering.
Price: It’s free for everyone!
When: September 19th, 2015 at 12pm-6pm.
Where: The parade will begin at Port-Royal and end in Place de la Republique. Here’s a map of the areas the party floats will pass through:
For you overachievers, here is everything else you need to know and some links for the smoothest mobile music experience:
Don’t just stand there. Dance. But that’s not the only reason, each car plays a different sub-genres of techno music, so if you move around you might find one that vibes with you more.
Afterparties. The music doesn’t stop when the cars arrive at Place de la Republique… Technopol has partnered up with a number of institutions to keep the party going for you (links below).
Hydrate. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Drink some water and your body will thank you for it the next day. There’s usually a huge tanker providing de l'eau to the people but it never hurts to bring your own.
Paris Electronic Week. The Techno parade marks the beginning of the third annual Electronic Week, which sees a series of concerts in some of the city’s best nightclubs, musically-infused street-food markets, and techno mustic events from cultures all over the world.
For more information and the latest updates, head over to the Techno Parade Website or "like" the event on Facebook.
Afterparties:
Dream Nation Festival @Docks de Paris
