Just hours before the major "SOS Solidarity Fires" concert , broadcast live this Thursday, August 27th at 21:10 pm on M6, M6+, and RTL from the Arkéa Arena in Floirac, Julien Courbet shared the behind-the-scenes story of this fundraising effort, organized in just a few weeks with Pascal Obispo and Éric Jean-Jean. The television host aims to raise funds for the victims of the fires, while also ensuring that the money collected is properly tracked. Deeply affected by the devastation he witnessed in the Gironde region, he is also calling for a national discussion on fire prevention and supports investigations into fire management practices.
A concert put together in three weeks
The idea for "SOS Solidarité Incendies" (SOS Fire Solidarity) was born after the devastating wildfires that struck several French regions this summer, particularly the Gironde. Julien Courbet, deeply attached to the Arcachon Basin and Cap Ferret, quickly mobilized with Pascal Obispo and Éric Jean-Jean. The project then progressed at an unusual pace for an event of this scale. "We created a WhatsApp group, and things moved quickly because putting together a concert like this in three weeks? I didn't believe it for a second. No one interfered with what anyone else was doing, and then it all happened very fast ," explains Julien Courbet. This mobilization resulted in a large lineup of artists. Gims, Pascal Obispo, Zazie, Renaud, -M-, Julien Clerc, Bénabar, Gaëtan Roussel, Superbus, Axel Bauer, Jeanne Mas, Natasha St-Pier, Gauvain Sers, Helena, Cali, Ycare, Noé Preszow, and David & Jonathan are among the announced artists. The evening will be hosted by Julien Courbet, Élodie Gossuin, and Éric Jean-Jean.
Julien Courbet wants to know precisely where the money will go.
The primary objective is financial: to raise as much money as possible to help those affected by the fires. The concert's proceeds will be donated to the Fondation de France, which will manage and distribute the funds. Julien Courbet, however, emphasizes that he intends to personally monitor how the money raised is used. "We'll remind people to register with the Fondation de France. After that, we don't really know where the money goes, so I told them: 'I'll call you every two weeks on RTL and you can tell us where the money has gone.'" This commitment to transparency is something the presenter intends to continue beyond the evening of August 27th. The donations are not just a one-off appeal for generosity: Courbet wants to be able to regularly inform the public about how they are being used.
A return to Cap Ferret that profoundly affected him
Julien Courbet's commitment is also personal. The television presenter returned to the areas affected by the fires and recounts being deeply shaken by what he discovered. "I still get choked up with emotion... All you see is black forest, ashes, and then a burned-out house, a car..." Beyond the hectares ravaged, the fires destroyed homes and belongings of families who must now rebuild their lives. Le Porge, in particular, paid a very heavy price. This town, located near the Arcachon Basin, was especially hard hit by the flames.
Is Le Porge being "sacrificed" for the benefit of Cap Ferret? Julien Courbet wants the questions asked.
A local controversy has also arisen. Residents of Le Porge feel they were "sacrificed" to protect Cap Ferret during the firefighting efforts. Julien Courbet doesn't dismiss their concerns. "I completely agree that they should ask questions; they have the right to know. (...) I'll even go further: there's a real trend for public inquiry commissions, let's do it!" The presenter is therefore clearly in favor of reviewing the decisions made during the fires so that residents can get answers about the strategy used to fight the flames and protect the various threatened areas.
"Let's launch a major firewall plan!"
Julien Courbet also hopes that the mobilization will go beyond immediate aid to those affected. For him, fire prevention must become a priority for public authorities. "It has to become something that's at the heart of the government's concerns: let's launch a major firebreak plan!" Following this summer's fires, the television presenter is calling for a national response aimed at better protecting exposed areas and limiting the consequences of future fires.
An evening entirely dedicated to the victims
This Thursday evening, however, the focus will be on solidarity. Artists will perform at the Arkéa Arena in Floirac, while viewers and listeners will be regularly invited to make donations. The Fondation de France will manage and distribute these funds. Donors will be able to direct their contributions to the victims of the wildfires in the Southwest, those in the Southeast, or more broadly to all the affected regions. The Arkéa Arena will be sold out: the 10,000 tickets put on sale at the beginning of August were snapped up in just a few hours, providing an initial indication of the scale of the mobilization. "SOS Solidarité Incendies" will be broadcast this Thursday, August 27, starting at 9:10 p.m., live on M6, M6+, and RTL.
