The music festival Main Square Festival takes place the first weekend of July in the Citadel of Arras. The festival will take place for the sixteenth time on July 3, 4 and 5, 2020. One of the hallmarks of this festival is its international program and the location of the citadel of Arras, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A fairly magical place for a concert photographer with a sumptuous program. Metallica went through Main Square but also Prince…
Main Square Festival: the beginnings in 2004

Main Square Festival 2020
Main Square Festival: The 2005 edition
Main Square Festival: The turn of the 2008 edition
The 2008 edition marks a new stage in the history of the festival: it now spans three days and is now supported by a global production giant: Live Nation.
The festival is now able to attract several great international caliber such as The Chemical Brothers and Radiohead, which will offer a grandiose and enchanting show on the Grand'Place thanks to connections with the Belgian Rock Werchter Festival, which takes place the same weekend
The main square becomes a great war machine which creates tensions with the merchants of the Grand-Place, forced for example to sell only the partner beer of the festival. Mika, BB Brunes and a dozen other groups and artists are also in the program of the festival that year. With more than 60,000 spectators present, this edition is a great success.
That year, Live Nation also offered two “extras” on the Grand Place outside the festival's programming: a concert on July 7 by Céline Dion, then another by Metallica, on August 8, under the label “Rock en France ".

Main Square Festival 2020 program
Historical
The Main Square Festival can accommodate around 30,000 festival-goers per day
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Main Square Festival official website
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Buy Tickets for the Main Square Festival
mainsquarefestival.fr/fr/tickets
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Access
The 16th edition of the Main Square Festival will take place in the Citadel of Arras, on July 3, 4 and 5, 2020. Public entrance to the festival is through the Porte Royale de la Citadelle, from Boulevard du Général De Gaulle.
Main Square Festival program: the last 5 years
Main Square Festival - Edition 2020
Twenty One Pilots • Sting • -M- • Black Eyed Peas • Pixies • LP - Nekfeu • Sum 41 • Cage The Elephant • Alan Walker • Vald • Therapie Taxi • Koba LaD • Supertramp's Roger Hodgson • Larkin Poe • Jehnny Beth • Brass Against • RÜFÜS DU SOL • Alec Benjamin • Last Train • Caballero & JeanJass • Tones And I • Izia • Marcel and his orchestra • Henri PFR • Yuzmv • Madeon
Main Square Festival - Edition 2019
DJ Snake • Christine and The Queens • Damso • Martin Garrix • Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals 6Charlotte de Witte • Skip the Use • Cypress Hill • Angèle • Lomepal • Arnaud Rebotini • Editors • Eddy de Pretto • Jain • Bring Me The Horizon • Macklemore • Christine and the Queens • Bekar • Edgär • Editors • Rival Sons • Tamino • Bigflo and Oli • Bring Me the Horizon • The John Butler Trio • Idles • Jonathan Wilson • Old Tree'z • Bisou Bisou • Caravan Palace • Gavin James • Miles Kane • Lizzo • The Cardboard Rappers • Agar Agar • Shame • Warhola • Todiefor • Masego • Maggie Rogers • Matt Corby
Main Square Festival - Edition 2018
Depeche Mode • Queens of The Stone Age • Orelsan • Nekfeu - Jamiroquai • Liam Gallagher • IAM • Justice • Girls in Hawaii • The Breeders • The Courteeners • Youngr • Wolf Alice • The Blaze • Jungle • Pleymo • Tom Walker • Portugal. The Man • Romeo Elvis • Kid Francescoli • The Hunna • Double T • PVRIS • Black Foxxes • Baasta! • Okay Monday • Loïc Nottet • Damian Marley • BB Brunes • Nothing But Thieves • Gojira • Boris Brejcha • Paul Kalkbrenner • Feder
Main Square Festival - Edition 2017
Radiohead • System of a Down • Major Lazer - Biffy Clyro • Vitalic • Machine Gun Kelly • Die Antwoord • Jain • Kaleo • Kungs • Dirtyphonics • Xavier Rudd • June Bug • Savages • The Woman • Seasick Steve • Mark Lanegan Band • Highly Suspect • Above and Beyond • Frank Carter And The Rattle Snakes • Don Broco • The Inspector Cluzo
Main Square Festival - Edition 2016
Les Insus (Phone) • Macklemore & Ryan Lewis • The Offspring • Iggy Pop - Disclosure • Louise Attack • Jake Bugg • Ellie Goulding • Birdy Nam Nam • Lonely The Brave • Mass Hysteria • Yelawolf • Jeanne Added • Flume • Boys Noize • Cardri • Bear's Den • Nathaniel Rateliff • Marina Kaye • X Ambassadors • Nekfeu • Salut c'est cool • EVRST • Tiggs Da Author • A-Vox • LEJ • Years & Years • Odesza • Walk off the Earth • The Struts • Last Train • Band of Horses • Ghinzu • Editors • Cayman Kings • The London Souls
Main Square Festival - Edition 2015
Lenny Kravitz • Muse • Shaka Ponk- Pharrell Williams • Lilly Wood • Mumford & Sons • Skip The Use • Patrice • Rudimental • Hozier • Twin Atlantic • Tiken Jah Fakoly • The Script • Rival Sons • IAM • Lindsey Stirling • BRNS • ILoveMakonnen • Isaac Delusion • James Bay • Oscar and the Wolf • Kodaline • Royal Blood • Sam Smith • Rone • Charli XCX • The Avener • Fakear • Circa Waves • The Arrogants • A-Vox • Tim Fromont Placenti • Sheppard • Coasts • Josef Salvat
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The uncertainty of the 2020 edition
The Main square festival 2020 canceled?
Will there be a Main Square 2020 festival? As the country is closed for two weeks to deal with the Covid-19 epidemic, the number of calls for cultural events is increasing. Will there be a festival in the main square that will take place in Arras from July 3 to 5? The first warning shot at summer festivals was released on March 18.
On that day, the bands at the legendary English festival Glastonbury announced that the 2020 edition, which was scheduled to take place June 24-28, would not take place. Since then, the question of canceling these events has inevitably been justified. And what will happen to the festival in the main square scheduled for a week after the festival in England?
Those who follow the festival's news on Facebook will have noticed that the festival's communication is now focused on how to deal with times of confinement while highlighting the artists scheduled for this 2020 edition.
Nothing about a possible cancellation. Apart from this message reminding the sanitary rules: “Only together can we guarantee a summer full of music, entertainment, travel, sports, and friendships. "
The first shock regarding summer festivals was given on March 18th. That day, the teams of the legendary English festival Glastonbury announced that the 2020 edition, which was to take place from June 24 to 28, would not take place.
Obviously, since then, the question of canceling these events has become legitimate. And what will happen to the Main square festival scheduled a week after the English festival?
Glastonbury Festival “We are so sorry to announce this, but we are going to have to cancel Glastonbury 2020. Tickets for this year will roll over to next year. Full statement below and on our website. "
Mayor Arras Frédéric Leturque really doesn't know any more: “We are meeting in mid-May to assess the situation. There is no going back today. We are paying close attention to the situation. We were lucky that the market place took place in early July. He contacted the festival director, Armel Campagna, who said "it is still a bit early" to answer the question. Like everyone else, he remains suspended on the decisions of the government.
To be continued ...