France bans alcohol consumption at Fête de la Musique in 35 departments under red heatwave alert

Alcohol ban triggered by red alert

France will ban the consumption of alcohol in public spaces during the Fête de la Musique on Sunday 21 June in all departments under a red heatwave vigilance, the Prime Minister's office announced on Saturday. Prefects in the 35 affected departments will issue decrees prohibiting drinking on the streets, while events organised by the state and its operators have been told not to serve alcohol. The ban covers the entire period of the red alert, which comes into force at noon on Sunday.

You dehydrate three to four times faster without realising it.

Health Minister Stéphanie Rist warned that alcohol accelerates dehydration during extreme heat and urged festival-goers to avoid drinking. The government framed the measure as essential to allow emergency rooms to focus on the most vulnerable. The red alert, the highest level of Météo-France's warning system, has only been activated twice before, in June and July 2022.

Emergency services under strain

Rist told franceinfo that a surge in calls to ambulance dispatchers, GP surgeries and SOS Médecins had already been recorded since the heatwave began. She cautioned that the health impact of extreme temperatures accumulates in the body over several days and that the real surge in hospital admissions would start on Monday. Fragile patients can experience symptoms up to ten days after peak heat.

The impact of the heatwave arrives with a delay. It will come from Monday, when it will be hottest.

The minister urged the public to stay hydrated, avoid exertion during the hottest hours and check on elderly relatives. Interior Minister Sébastien Lecornu chaired an inter-ministerial crisis meeting on Saturday morning, after which the alcohol ban was communicated to prefects.

Local adaptations and cancellations

While the government left it to local organisers to adapt festivities, several municipalities cancelled the Fête de la Musique outright. Gujan-Mestras mayor Xavier Paris announced the cancellation of all planned concerts, citing the red alert, and said a postponement was being considered. Le Teich and other towns took similar decisions.

In Gironde, prefect Sophie Brocas authorised the festival to proceed between 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. only if reinforced public safety measures were in place, including extra medical cover, cooling areas and free drinking water. From midday to 6 a.m., takeaway alcohol sales and drinking in public spaces are forbidden, although bars and restaurants are exempt. Bressuire, in Deux-Sèvres, shortened its event programme to start at 7:30 p.m. and confirmed the prefect's ban on public alcohol consumption.

Broader restrictions and school exams

Beyond the alcohol ban, Gironde closed all outdoor cultural, sporting and festive events held in unairconditioned venues until the red alert ends. Construction sites were allowed to start an hour earlier, at 6 a.m., with employers required to protect workers under existing regulations. Schools will remain open but parents have been warned that schedules may be adjusted in the most exposed buildings. The baccalaureate exams will go ahead as planned, although two schools in Blaye and Libourne will sit afternoon papers on Monday and Tuesday instead of morning sessions.

Mercury set to climb further

In Maine-et-Loire, where Angers will host the Fête de la Musique, temperatures on Sunday are forecast to reach 40°C in several towns. Monday will see 42°C in western parts of the department, while Tuesday is projected to peak at 44°C in Saumur and Chemillé, with felt temperatures of 48°C. The 40°C threshold is expected to persist through Wednesday and possibly Thursday before dropping to around 30°C on Friday. Météo-France has also placed 45 departments under the second-highest orange alert.