It is a new event that will bring a smile to all pirate fans. In Aubagne, the first festival exclusively dedicated to pirate culture will take place on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June at Parc Jean-Moulin.
For this first edition, the organizers wanted to pay tribute to the pirate Olivier Levasseur, known as “La Buse”, whose treasure is still being sought. Throughout the weekend, participants will follow his travels across continents.
The festival will feature numerous activities highlighting cultures from around the world through dances and songs from different continents. There will be a concert on Saturday evening with the famous Celtic rock band, Barbar’ O Rhum, and on Sunday afternoon Des Frères d’Irlande. Grand parades and shows are also on the program. The president of the Tortuga association, Philippe Baumela, hopes to see this event become a festive, popular, and intergenerational gathering: “I’ve been involved in pirate culture for 20 years, and I hope this festival will continue over time, especially for its recurring aspect which will allow us, gradually, to attract larger troops and groups more easily, even though we already have a well-known musical group (Barbar O Rhum) for this first edition, especially in the north.”
The festival is divided into several large zones with a tour of the world: Asia, America, Europe, and Africa.
A festival that embraces different cultures
Troupes from these four continents will parade during this weekend, providing an opportunity to discover some dances and practices that even the biggest pirate fans may not know. “We have always loved the different folklores around the world, and Olivier Levasseur’s journey is also a pretext to connect this world tour and these different continents,” declares the president of Tortuga. The event will bring together over 100 artisans who will be present in a large artisanal market. In addition to this international panorama, the creation of this festival also aims to valorize the history of piracy and to showcase the culture, including the opportunity to meet specialized actors in pirate history. “Our goal is very clear, to make this event the pirate meeting for several years,” emphasizes Philippe Baumela. An ambitious project for some but highly symbolic for all pirate culture fans and the curious.
