The festival

It all started in the Val de Garonne and Marmandais region, with funk and ska, Sakaro in the aesthetic, the 90s in the background. Ravers and dreamers, their heads in the stars of a free music, communing around groups with an alternative universe. The atmosphere is both fun and serious. Engaged lyrics, punk, dub and the iconic bands of the day like the Sheriff, U-Roy and the Wampas. Then, on the eve of his 10th birthday, his musical tastes mutated, and hip hop made its way into Garorock's lines. Svinkels - a cross between punk and hip hop - then Puppetmastaz and their crazy puppet project. Then came legends like Public Enemy, Method Man and Redman, and The Streets. At the same time, electronic music, starting with the French Touch, took on a lion's share of the spotlight, and musical desires changed, as witnessed by Vitalic, or the now legendary sets by Pedro Winter and Mehdi, or Sebastian.

In 10 years, one generation has rubbed shoulders with another, and the essence of Garorock on tarmac is still very much alive. Added to the mix is an era of pop, rock and indie, from Babyshambles to BB Brune. It's a short era, but one that's filled with nostalgia for a whole generation. A wind of musical multiplicity, which each year encapsulates the desires of the moment while retaining the rebellious spirit of its beginnings. Marmande is always in tune. And then, after a fifteenth edition in the colours of the South-West, with a poster of a cockerel in homage to the XV de France, Garorock moved and grew. The dates have changed too, and represent a summer ethos with a warm spirit that has been present from the start. The party needs to be shared even more, and if Garo is evolving, it's still firmly rooted in its roots. This year's eclectic line-up doesn't forget the nostalgic bands that have been the Garo's strength since the very beginning. 2012 will see the likes of The Offspring, Cypress Hill, David Guetta and Selah Sue, with a stand-out set from C2C. As we head into our second decade, the sets get bigger and better, and the campsite earns a happy reputation for meeting new people, making delirious memories, smiling and getting sunburnt. The Garo is more multifaceted than ever, shining with the fire of its musical choices, the audience is there, and new regulars keep coming back year after year.

Garorock is a festival at its heart, the conviviality of the South West, a benevolent spirit with constant values, with an ounce of the pride of a rooster and the constancy of a dragon. Le Garo is the playfulness of the characters who populate its world. From lively, warm days to fiery nights. Le Garo is an experience that promises to offer much more than just a line-up, but the musical essence of a year.
Garo is also about the present weaving together the past, but above all it's about a spirit that's looking to the future. The Garo is a unique festival, and it's all thanks to you.

Louison Larbodie