Once again, the Lorient Interceltic Festival has met expectations… for almost everyone.
No one can complain this year about the musical programme, the “insultingly young” emerging artists who play for free on the Quai Bretagne. The weather is not disappointing either, there was sun, there was little rain…
But people notice that the change in the festival’s format compared to other years means that the gastronomic and cultural offering is somewhat reduced.
It was precisely the festival’s own magazine, Festicelte, which today complained in black and white about the things that were missing. They report a “general disappointment” because “a certain number of cuisines from Celtic countries, including the already very famous Cornish Pasty, will not be present at the 2024 Interceltic Festival.” In addition to the Cornish pasty, the absence of Galician octopus, Welsh cheese, Manx confectionery and obviously Asturian cider is noticeable, an absence that weighs on us all and gives us the impression that this is not our usual festival.
Paraphrasing the festival magazine, “local cuisines are an integral part of the identity and cultures of the nations hosted in Lorient. When the news of the absence of all these delicacies was announced, naturally there was a lack of understanding among the festival-goers and volunteers, who were eagerly awaiting to be able to enjoy them again. Even a festival as beautiful as ours has room for improvement.”
To round off the scathing article, they offer the silhouette of a Cornish pasty to play paint and colour, while waiting for the authentic one to return.
As Asturians, we fervently hope that the absence of cider and Asturian gastronomy for the public is a one-off exception and that we return to our cidery normality the next edition in 2025.
