The Teknival, an illegal electronic music macro-party, occupied a military shooting range in central France, in the Cher department, for three days. More than 40,000 people gathered between Bourges and Cornusse, on a property belonging to the Directorate General of Armaments. The event concluded with 33 people intoxicated by drugs, five of them in serious condition, and more than 600 fines imposed by the authorities. A tally that reflects the magnitude of the event and its health and legal consequences.
Sound and logistics: how to set up a massive rave without permission 🎧
Organizing a Teknival of this scale requires complex technical logistics. Attendees deploy high-power sound systems, with diesel generators and modular audio equipment that can reach powers of tens of kilowatts. Sound distribution is managed through stacked speaker lines, known as stacks, which cover extensive areas. Electrical power is obtained from interconnected generator sets, while lighting and visual effects are synchronized via MIDI controllers. All of this is set up on unprepared terrain, adding considerable technical risk.
The shooting range that sounded louder than during maneuvers 🔊
Who would have thought that a military shooting range, designed to silence targets, would end up vibrating with bass for 72 consecutive hours. The 40,000 attendees achieved what even the army's tanks could not: turning a polygon of the Directorate General of Armaments into the largest dance floor in the region. Of course, the authorities did not hold back: 600 fines that, added together, will probably finance the next batch of practice cartridges. At least the residents of Bourges will no longer complain about the noise of the gunshots.