An agreement was finally reached on Friday, July 31, between the producer of the Queen Forever show and the town hall of Orange, allowing the tribute concert to the British group to take place on September 4 at the ancient theatre, as originally planned.
A legal battle that lasted several weeks
Scheduled under the previous far-right administration led by Yann Bompard, the free concert, which was to bring together approximately 650 amateur singers from across France, was cancelled in early July by the new National Rally mayor, Jean-Dominique Artaud, citing an unforeseen expense related to a landslide blocking a road in the town. Producer David Hardit then took legal action, obtaining a few days' extension on July 27 to reach an amicable agreement with the town.
According to him, the agreement finally signed, prepared by the lawyers of the town hall, stipulates that he will take responsibility for approximately 37,000 euros of costs related to the technical aspects as well as the catering for the volunteer choir members.
An extraordinary city council meeting to ratify the agreement
The show will indeed take place on September 4, 2026, at the Roman Theatre in Orange, David Hardit announced in a statement, expressing his delight at having fought to the end so that the artists, musicians, choir members, and audience could experience this event. An extraordinary city council meeting is scheduled for August 3 at 8:00 a.m. to formally ratify the agreement.
This outcome puts an end to several weeks of tension surrounding this show, which has unwittingly become a symbol of the controversial budgetary decisions that several local authorities are experiencing in the cultural sector this summer.
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