The curtain falls faster than expected on Hypnotize. Just a year after making waves at the Grand Parc de Miribel-Jonage, the Lyon festival dedicated to rap and urban music announces that there won't be a second edition in 2026. This decision is surprising, given how spectacular and promising the launch was.
A first XXL edition that ticked all the boxes
It’s hard to talk about artistic or popular failure, though. For its grand debut, Hypnotize brought out the big guns: two days of concerts, a dazzling lineup featuring Booba, Dadju, Vald, and Kalash, and 25,000 festival-goers gathered on June 13 and 14, 2025. A roaring start, convincing enough to inspire a Bordeaux edition a few months later.
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So why hit pause so soon? In a message shared on social media, the organizers explain that they are not currently able to provide an experience that meets their high ambitions and the expectations of the audience. Rather than risk a subpar edition, they have chosen to suspend the project. It's not an abandonment, they emphasize, but a moment of reflection "while waiting for the right time to come back."
A pause instead of a lackluster edition
Festival-goers who purchased tickets for the 2026 Lyon edition will soon be contacted by the organization. This is a way to handle the announcement transparently, in a context where public trust has become crucial for major music events. This pause for Hypnotize comes at a challenging time for the event scene.
local highlight. After the judicial liquidation of Woodstower announced in December, the disappearance – even temporarily – of another major music event leaves a void in the summer schedule of the metropolis.Voir cette publication sur Instagram
Despite everything, Hypnotize refuses to completely give up. The team emphasizes that the passion for rap remains strong and the project is not buried. It’s simply on hold, waiting for better days. A strategic break, hoping that the return will also meet the initial ambitions.