2008
From July 22nd to 27th 2008
- 6 stages
- 146 concerts and shows
- 227,000 spectators
- 15.65 hectares
- 4,062 volunteers
- Poster designed by Clémentine Bischoff
Innovations and musical discoveries set the tone for this 33rd edition, which welcomed total crowds of 225,000. Amongst the big names on show were Mika, Manu Chao, Massive Attack, Alain Bashung, IAM and R.E.M. As for new talent, the likes of Thomas Dutronc, Seun Kuti, Nneka and The Kissaway Trail led the way. The 2008 edition was also marked by the presence of Swiss artists. Lining up on all of the Festival’s stages (the French speakers K and Favez graced the Grande Scène this year), the Swiss scene left its effervescent imprint on this year’s event. Swiss groups became the worthy tenants of the Détour stage, a new performing space dedicated to homegrown talent. Another new feature of this edition was “La Ruche”, which replaced “La Crique” as the hive of activity for circus arts and street theatre. On the site itself, the Festival’s partners in innovation, the HES-SO Geneva, offered a magnificent panorama of the Festival to 30,000 visitors from the heady heights of the "R-310 machine à paysage". Frequent visitors to the Festival, the Cie Carabosse enchanted the quartier des Alpes with their river of fire, “A feu et à braise”, a fabulous, poetic demonstration of pyrotechnic prowess. Over at the Village du Monde, the Dôme vibrated to Brazilian rhythms, with a variety of both traditional and contemporary musical styles. Special mention to the spellbinding sensitivity of Mayra Andrade, the amazing body percussion of Barbatuques and the Brazilian hit by the duo Vanessa da Mata-Ben Harper. Amongst the highlights of the Village du Monde, the presence of the Suruí people, guardians of the Amazon rain forest, did not go unnoticed. Their sponsor NGO, the Geneva based association, Aquaverde, was the Festival’s special guest this year. Finally, on the environmental front, the “dry toilets” soon became a much-appreciated natural feature on the Festival campsite.
Artists
2 Rien Merci, Alain Bashung, Alenko, Alexandre Kinn, Annibal & Ses Eléphants, As Trompas de Falópio, Asa, Asher Selector, Barbatuques, BB Brunes, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Blood Red Shoes, Bonde Do Role, boTECOeletro, Brisa Roché, Cali, Caribou, Chapter, Chromatron, Cocoon, Coming Soon, Constance Verluca, Daniel Darc, David Stricker, dEUS, Dionysos, Discotecário Doca, DJ Caboclo, DJ Dolores, DJ Sandrinho, Dorian Gray, Dub Inc., Etienne Daho, Favez, Firewater, Freddy Coudboul, Girls In Hawaii, Goose, Grand Corps Malade, Greis, Gypsy Sound System, Halu Gamashi, IAM, I'm From Barcelona, Impérial Kikiristan, Improcadabra, Inko’Nito, José Barrense-Dias, Junior Tshaka, Justice, K, K.O.L.O, Kassette, Keny Arkana, L’École-Atelier Shanju, L’Orchestre de Chambre de Genève & Gilles Apap, Le Cirque de Poche, Les Batteurs de Pavés, Les Décatalogués, Les Goulus, Louis Champod, Love Motel, Manu Chao & Radio Bemba Sound System, Marcelo D2, Marvin, Massive Attack, Mayra Andrade, Micky Green, Mika, Minor Majority, Missill, Moleque de Rua, Moonraisers, Nicolas Fraissinet, Nneka, Olodum, Open Season, Orquestra do Fubá, Ours, Patrick Watson, Pete and the Pirates, R.E.M., Ramiro Musotto, REdbACK, Redwood, Rosqo, Round Table Knights, Seun Kuti, Sharko, Siba e a Fuloresta, Silvério Pessoa, Solange La Frange, Summer Went Too Soon, The DØ, The Dodoz, The Hives, The Kissaway Trail, The Passengers, The Raveonettes, The Wombats, Thomas Dutronc, Tiken Jah Fakoly, To The Vanishing Point, Toufo, Vanessa Da Mata, Translucido, Vanessa Paradis, Vive la Fête, Yael Naïm, Yelle, Young Knives, Zaric, Zebramix