Organisers had anticipated a large turnout, telling media they expected up to 30,000 participants to converge on the Cornusse firing range over the weekend. By Sunday, estimates of the crowd size varied dramatically, with multiple reports placing the number between 17,000 and 40,000. Around 2,000 vehicles were reportedly parked across the site, turning the military zone into a sprawling campground.
Authorities were initially caught off guard by the scale and audacity of the gathering, multiple sources reported, but they quickly mobilised a substantial security operation. Up to 600 gendarmes were deployed to the area to monitor the event, though no dispersal order had been given by Sunday, and it remained unclear when or if one would be issued. The prefecture of Cher stated that security forces were monitoring the site day and night and conducting systematic checks. 'Throughout the weekend, day and night, the security forces are monitoring the area of the illegal demonstration and securing access,' a prefecture spokesperson said, adding that inspections were being carried out to 'record infringements and issue fines.'
Provisional figures from the gendarmerie indicated that 32 tickets had been issued for narcotics offences, and four people were in police custody, according to local media. Emergency services had treated 33 people at the scene, with 12 requiring hospitalisation, in part for drug use, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez later confirmed. Authorities also reported damage to military barracks and tagging on military property, compounding the security breaches.
there are many pedestrians in the area.
The prefecture of Cher had anticipated the teknival, issuing a ban on rave parties and the use of sound equipment across the department in the days leading up to the event. The order also authorised the use of surveillance drones to monitor the gathering, a measure that allowed authorities to track the crowd from above. On Saturday, Prefect of Cher met with local farmers and representatives of the Directorate General of Armaments to coordinate the response, multiple reports said.
The Cornusse firing range is regularly used to test Caesar cannons and other weapons systems, leaving behind unexploded munitions that pose a constant pyrotechnic risk. Despite warning signs indicating military property, the site has no physical barriers to prevent trespassers from entering, and a nearby departmental road has been closed to limit access. Local officials warned that 'there are many pedestrians in the area,' heightening the risk of accidental detonations. A first unexploded shell was discovered near a road, and a second piece of ordnance was being dealt with by military specialists, multiple sources confirmed, though there were no immediate reports of injuries.
In a defiant response to the prefecture's ban, organisers published a parody decree stating that 'all festive gatherings such as rave parties, free parties and teknivals are authorised and necessary in the Cher department.' They described the chosen location as a 'deadly laboratory' used for weapons experimentation, framing their occupation of the site as a direct protest against militarisation and state repression. The organisers also made a provocative appeal to Frédéric Hocquard, the director of Bourges 2028 European Capital of Culture, urging him to 'include the free party in the cultural programme.' This theatrical rejection of authority highlighted the deep cultural and political rift between the free party movement and the French state. The government views the gathering as illegal and dangerous, while participants insist it is a legitimate celebration of joy and mutual aid.
political attack on dancing bodies
Adding to the chorus of dissent, an anonymous text circulated among participants denouncing what it called a 'political attack on dancing bodies.' The text was shared widely on social media, intensifying the debate over the legitimacy of the teknival. The identity of the author and the full extent of the organisers' network remain unknown.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, a native of Bourges, arrived at the site on Sunday to assess the situation firsthand, flying over the rave and visiting a medical post. Nuñez minced no words in condemning the participants' 'carelessness' for having 'invaded' a dangerous military area 'with no regard for the life that goes on there, or for the nuisance it causes.' His visit signalled the government's determination to take a hard line against the illegal occupation.
Speaking to reporters, Nuñez vowed to 'strengthen the government’s determination to crack down more harshly on this kind of wild event, which our fellow citizens do not understand.' He announced that organising a rave party would become a criminal offence punishable by two years in prison and a €30,000 fine, a significant escalation of legal consequences. Additionally, partygoers leaving the teknival would be fined on two counts: trespassing on military land and failing to comply with the prefect’s order. The new measures reflect a broader crackdown on illegal raves under the so-called 'Ripost' bill, though its exact status in parliament remains uncertain.