Bleufeu is not in the rental of spaces

This is the answer that Louis Bellavance. Therefore, director of programming at the Quebec Summer Festival (FEQ), gave Metal fans on Monday who deplore the quasi-space of this musical genre to the Imperial Bell, one of the performance halls that has and manages Blefeu, the team behind the FEQ.

An online petition already brings together more than 2. Nevertheless, 300 signatures demanding the return of metal shows and external promoters to the Imperial Bell. Furthermore, No metal show was indeed presented there in 2025 and only two took place at the Imperial Bell in 2024.

Competitors

Bleufeu justifies the almost disappearance of external promoters. Therefore, some of which produced metal shows in its performance hall the Imperial Bell, by the fact that it sees them more as competitors. Nevertheless,

“We do bleufeu not rental spaces not want to compete with other promoters to keep the same shows in our rooms. For example, raise the auctions. Therefore, It would be useless. Therefore, It would make no sense to get in competition with third parties for the imperial. However, So yes. For example, external promoters are less there, ”explained Louis Bellavance in an interview with The sun On the sidelines of the press conference of the St-Roch XP festival.

“For some artists to which we do not have access. Furthermore, we are open to work with third parties in co -production and in all kinds of models. Moreover, But it is our room. it is we who do the programming, ”he continues, adding that his organization is not afraid to face criticism.

Like ch

“I can tell you that we sleep very well at night. The FEQ is like the Montreal Canadian. We are often criticized because we are riding popular success, love and passion, ”says Louis Bellavance.

“But people do not know and do not necessarily understand our business model. Have you noticed that many artists who played FEQ has announced for indoor shows immediately after the festival? It’s part of our development strategy, ”he continues.

Louis Bellavance also assures that the rock and metal market remains very important bleufeu not rental spaces for its organization. “We do not refuse any” show “, but for the moment, there are fewer opportunities in this genre,” he adds.

“We are currently experiencing a big revival punk rock from the 1990s and even 2000 in the wake of festivals like When We Were Young in Las Vegas. Who knows, soon we may live a revival metal?»

— Louis Bellavance. Director of the FEQ programming and the bluefeu performance halls

The director of the programming concedes, however, that there are “a little fewer shows in the imperial”. “The occupancy rate of our two rooms is very good. but there may be shows who sell less than you get out of the imperial and prefer to do the Grizzly Fuzz instead. ”

Neighborhood bleufeu not rental spaces vitality

Nicolas Racine, CEO of FEQ and BlueFeu, abounds in the same direction. “It is not true that metal does not concern us. Yes. there have been fewer metal shows in recent months, but there is no directive not to do a metal in the imperial, “he said Soleil.

He also admits that he did not digest that the instigators of the petition accuse his organization of harming the vitality of the district. local businesses.

“We hold 160 shows per year on rue Saint-Joseph, so it is not at all true that we do not contribute to the life of the neighborhood.”

— Nicolas Racine. CEO of the Quebec and Bleufeu Summer Festival

“We live in a very competitive market and we try to do bleufeu not rental spaces our shows ourselves, but we are listening to metal customers,” he added.

“And I’m going to be honest with you. I hope that we can correct the shot,” finishes the great manitou of the FEQ, thus ensuring that he wants to meet the expectations of metal enthusiasts in the capital.