BREST 2016: YET ANOTHER SUCCESS

The 2012 edition was a grand event indeed, being the Festival’s 20th anniversary, but the 2016 edition will go down in history as a resounding success. Owing to the economic context, organisers and stakeholders employed ingenuity and creativity to offer visitors an exceptional show. The result: on average, the figures for this year’s edition match those of 2012, with some reaching new highs. This year’s Festival was also marked by the scorching summer sun and, sadly, the terror attack in Nice. As the breathtaking Grand Parade waves goodbye, it’s time for a first assessment.

As many visitors as in 2012

712,000 visitors were recorded this year. Attendance was spread evenly over the 6 days of the event, with a daily average of around 120,000. The exception was Bastille Day (14 July), with 159,772 visitors on the waterfront.
This week’s exceptional weather and the sweltering heat may have deprived the festival of a few visitors on the 17th and 18th of July, particularly families with very young children.

A few other key figures

Boats at the festival: 1,050
Crew members: 9,000 sailors
Volunteers: nearly 3,000
Musicians: 1,500

An all-round success

It had been announced from the start; the Brest 2016 budget fell under a difficult economic context for public finances. Therefore, stakeholders in all areas (maritime, cultural, commercial and communication) had to think creatively and adopt new standards in order to optimise the budget. Mission accomplished!
The maritime teams successfully brought together an array of exceptional ships and boats (including the unforgettable Hermione) between the Penfeld River and the “Région Bretagne” harbour basin. As usual, the daytime and nighttime parades provided visitors with an unparalleled show they were able to enjoy both from the land and at sea.
The cultural and musical entertainment teams organised an eclectic programme for a unique blend of tradition and innovation.

The success of this year’s Festival shows that, in all aspects, the organisers brought together all the ingredients necessary to make it a most outstanding event for the public, businesses and the media.
This wouldn’t have been possible without the mobilisation of a number of stakeholders creating an exceptional regional dynamic that united local and regional authorities, State services, associations, and businesses in addition to the organisation team itself.

Record approval rating: 98.76%

89% of visitors reported being “satisfied” or “very satisfied” in 2012. This time, the survey carried out at the exits by the Confidences company resulted in a record average approval rating of 98.76%, with four days boasting a rating of over 99%. These numbers may be hard to believe, but are indeed accurate; it is apparent that the public found exactly what they were looking for.

A more diverse public and new visitorS

In the same survey, 38% of visitors reported attending the Festival for the first time, testifying to the interest generated by the event. Among all visitors, nearly half came to Brest from elsewhere specifically for the occasion.
The objective of this year’s Festival was to attract a younger audience than usual for this type of event. Once again, it’s mission accomplished!
As shown by the reported approval rating, the Festival evidently drew in a younger public – a plus for future events of this kind.

Ongoing media success

Each edition of the Festival puts Brest in the spotlight, a major reason for putting together this event every four years – a public outreach initiative that no advertising campaign could hope to equal. Thousands of photos, news articles, and radio and television broadcasts present Brest in all its splendour, contrary to many clichés which unfairly taint the image of this special city.
Overall, media impact is expected to be greater than in 2012 in spite of a break in national coverage from 14 July, when the tragedy in Nice sadly took up national headlines.
550 journalists were accredited at the event, releasing more than 2,000 news articles, nearly 20 hours of television broadcasts and 50 hours of radio programming – not counting post-Festival coverage, including the Grand Parade from Brest to Douarnenez, always a major media event. This year’s edition received particularly positive media coverage.

On the digital side

Brest 2016 made major waves on the Web. The official website and Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages exceeded all expectations compared to previous years.
With more than 30,000 Facebook fans, having an expected reach of 8 million viewers, nearly 700,000 hits on the official website and videos boasting over 1.5 million views, the pre-Grand Parade numbers are stunning. There is no doubt that the Brest 2016 fleet’s breathtaking spectacle at the Tas de Pois will take these figures to a level never achieved by this kind of event.

A complete, detailed report will be published in autumn.