The 9th performance of the urban opera “Décrocher la lune” captivated an audience of 15,000 in La Louvière on Saturday night, with nearly 600 citizens participating.
In a sleeping, grey city, young people embarked on a mission to “catch the moon” and restore colour to the world. 25 years after Franco Dragone first launched this dreamlike project, Sancho Gilles once again climbed the Saint-Joseph Church tower on Saturday to symbolically reach for the moon, enthralling spectators gathered at Place Maugrétout. The event featured over 400 participants, including acrobats, a choir, and circus artists, blending professionals and amateurs in a poetic performance in the “City of Wolves.”
This year marked the second edition directed by Fabrice Murgia, following the passing of Franco Dragone, who died in Cairo of a heart attack shortly after overseeing a previous performance in La Louvière. The organisers highlighted how this event continues to keep Dragone’s legacy alive, inspiring and uniting the community.
Fabrice Murgia described the opera not as “just another performance” but a “remarkable collaborative effort between professionals and citizens.” He added that it is a “free event that instils pride in both the city and its residents while having a meaningful economic and social impact.”
This year, the event coincided with the Fêtes de Wallonie to manage costs. In March, Mayor Jacques Gobert announced that this would be the final edition of the triennial show, a decision made during the presentation of the city’s 2025 budget.
However, hope remains for the show’s continuation. The organisers have three years to prepare a possible future edition, with plans likely to scale back the project and combine it again with the Fêtes de Wallonie and RTBF concerts to share resources efficiently.
“We aim to keep inspiring the people of La Louvière with this cherished spectacle while acknowledging the difficult financial context,” said Laurence Zanchetta, municipal councillor for Citizen Participation and president of ASBL “Décrocher la lune.”
