Summer isn’t over yet, but France has already endured a record fire season. Data from the European Forest Fire Information System, updated to July 29 and reported by our colleagues at Le Monde, shows more than 91,000 hectares burned across the country since the start of 2026. In Gironde, 42,000 hectares were lost, with other outbreaks hitting Landes, the Var, Corsica, and the Hautes-Alpes.
To support communities affected by these devastating fires, a large solidarity concert will be held on Thursday, August 27, 2026 starting at 9 p.m. at the Arkéa Arena in Bordeaux. Entitled "SOS Solidarité Incendies", this charitable event will be broadcast live on M6 as well as on the airwaves of RTL.
"This entirely private initiative has only one goal: to help those affected by the disasters", the organizers say in a statement. Also, throughout the evening, viewers will be able to donate and join this broad wave of solidarity. "Donations will be collected by the Fondation de France, which will manage them and distribute them to the victims. Donors will be able to direct their gift to those affected by the fires in the Southwest, the Southeast, or, more broadly, to all areas hit by these catastrophes", the statement specifies. Furthermore, note that everyone involved in the organization, in any capacity, does so on a voluntary basis. The same goes for the artists taking part in the event.
At this major charity concert, a number of eminent figures from French song are slated to perform at the Arkéa Arena in Bordeaux on August 27, including Pascal Obispo, Zazie, Superbus, Gaëtan Roussel, -M-, and Renaud. Axel Bauer, Bénabar, Cali, Helena, Gauvain Sers, Jeanne Mas, Julien Clerc, Natasha-St-Pier, Noé Preszow and Ycare are also on the lineup. For their part, Julien Courbet, Élodie Gossuin and Éric Jean-Jean will host the evening "SOS Solidarité Incendies".
