ONE WEEK ON from the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people, Parisians are gathering at the Place de la Republique to remember the victims.
This evening, as well as well as lighting candles and quietly remembering those who died, others are dancing and singing at one of the city’s spiritual centres.
It comes as the city attempts to bring some semblance of normality after the events of last week.
It’s been reported that ticket sales for concerts in Paris have fallen by around 80% since last week’s attacks.
“It’s a wave of shock,” a spokesman for Prodiss, the music industry producers groupsaying the figure was based on data from 20 of the city’s biggest promoters.
Most of the 130 people killed in the jihadi attacks last Friday died at a concert by the Eagles of Death Metal at the Bataclan venue..
The promoters’ group said it was carrying out a full audit to see how many concerts had been cancelled in the wake of the massacre, with worries mounting that the cost of extra security measures might lead to more shows being pulled.
French culture minister Fleur Pellerin has already promised a special emergency €4 million fund to help get live entertainment up and running again and to aid with the cost of new security measures.
She said earlier this week that musicians would “never stop putting on concerts” and claimed that in the face of “barbarism… culture is our biggest shield and our artists our best weapon”.
“We have to rebuild the public’s confidence, make them feel happy and relaxed about going out to concerts again,” the Prodiss spokesperson said today.
Most of the city’s major theatres and concert halls either have reopened or were reopening their doors this weekend, but theatres reported Friday that ticket sales were down by more than one third.
With reporting from © – AFP 2015
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