A dark side to Fête de la Musique

Text and photos by Gwen Murray

Not long after I touched down in France for my study abroad program, the family hosting me told me about France’s Fête de la Musique festival, which takes place every year on June 21, the summer solstice. She said her daughter would be attending and invited me to go along.

This huge musical event takes place all over France, filling the streets with music and dancing. As an American experiencing it for the first time, I was excited, of course. But when my host mom told me about the part of the festival that was being held on Borély Beach in Marseille, she said, “wear pants,” and kept making a syringe motion on her arm. I was confused. 

I went to the festival with my host sister, Chiara, and two of her friends. While I was talking with them, they explained that last year, many girls had been drugged at this event by being injected with syringes. Some were stabbed in their thighs, hence my host mom’s advice to wear pants. I was shocked because back home in the United States, I had only heard about drinks being spiked, never about people using syringes.

Despite the heat and humidity, I chose to wear pants that night. I felt myself the whole night crossing my arms and being very cautious about who I was standing next to, moving away from anyone who seemed suspicious.

Throughout the night, I felt my mood shift as I saw more people in danger. I started the night excited, but ended up feeling anxious and paranoid. During breaks to leave the crowd, I noticed many small groups of people surrounding confused and concerned young girls who were sitting on the floor. The people I was with told me these girls had been drugged.

I saw several girls being dragged out of the crowd. Even more concerning, some were some getting carried on stretchers to ambulances. I was also concerned with the lack of security at the festival. Even after many young girls had apparently been drugged, the festival continued.

I felt lucky to leave unharmed, but it was clear that danger was real and close.

I woke up the next morning to my mom texting me an article from Mamamia with the headline, “They came for music. Instead, 145 people were stabbed with syringes. Most of them were women.” It reported that these druggings were happening all over France. Twelve suspects were taken into custody and more than a dozen women were hospitalized.

This experience opened my eyes to a different reality here in France – how different drugging is in France than it is in the United States. It made me realize how important it is to listen to warnings from those who know the risks firsthand and to be constantly aware of my surroundings.

As an American experiencing this for the first time, I would advise attending events with people you know. If you are able, go with a local. Without my host mom and her daughter, I would never have known about the syringes and could have been put in a dangerous situation if I had attended with someone who was not as familiar with the area.

This experience reminded me that excitement and danger can exist side by side, and that listening, staying aware, and trusting local knowledge can make all the difference.