- Nationwide music festival experienced violence, disorder, over 240 arrests.
- Incidents included stabbings, alleged rapes, and syringe attacks.
- Authorities arrested 243 individuals; festival faces renewed safety scrutiny.
France’s annual Fête de la Musique festival, one of the country’s largest public celebrations, was marred by violence, alleged sexual assaults and public disorder, leading to more than 240 arrests across the country, authorities said.
The nationwide street music festival, which attracts millions of participants every year, saw incidents ranging from stabbings and muggings to alleged rapes and syringe attacks, prompting a major police response, Daily Mail reported.
Two Stabbed During Festival
According to the report, a 40-year-old man and a woman were stabbed in separate incidents in the Toulouse area during the early hours of Monday.
The male victim was attacked near midnight in Toulouse, while the woman was stabbed shortly afterwards in nearby Colomiers. Both were hospitalised and were reported to be in stable condition.
Investigators have begun examining surveillance footage from festival venues in an effort to identify those responsible.
“Camera footage of the Fête de la Musique is being studied to try and find those using knives to stab people,” the report said, citing an investigating source said.
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Hundreds Arrested Nationwide
According to the Interior Ministry, police made 243 arrests across France, including 148 in Paris alone, Daily Mail reported.
Authorities reported numerous incidents of public disorder in the capital, where fights broke out in crowded areas, vehicles were vandalised and thefts were reported throughout the evening.
The first major disturbances were reported shortly after 11 pm in the Châtelet district near Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the busiest gathering points during the celebrations.
A witness described scenes of panic as clashes erupted among groups of young men in the densely packed crowds, the report said.
Sexual Assault And Syringe Attack Allegations
Police are also investigating two alleged rapes and multiple sexual assault complaints linked to the festival.
One case involved a young woman in Paris’s 9th arrondissement who reported being pricked with a syringe before allegedly being raped later that evening.
In Gagny, a suburb northeast of Paris, a 48-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl. In another case, a 15-year-old girl in Nogent-sur-Marne reported being raped after attending a concert, Daily Mail report noted.
Authorities additionally recorded more than ten reports of women being attacked with syringes containing unidentified substances. Investigators are working to determine the nature of the substances involved.
A man was briefly detained in Paris after allegedly being found carrying syringes attached to his belt, although he later fled.
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Heavy Security Presence
More than two million people attended events in Paris alone, while thousands of police officers and gendarmes were deployed across the capital and other cities.
Security forces also responded to disturbances in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, where officers used tear gas to disperse crowds.
The festival took place amid heightened security concerns following violent celebrations by supporters of football club Paris Saint-Germain after the team’s UEFA Champions League triumph last month.
Ahead of the event, French President Emmanuel Macron urged the public to remain vigilant and follow safety guidance while taking part in festivities.
Authorities had also established designated safe spaces for women and disabled attendees at several key festival locations following concerns raised after similar incidents during previous editions of the event.
Long-Running Festival Faces Renewed Scrutiny
The free annual music festival has been held for more than four decades and is known for transforming streets, squares and public spaces into open-air performance venues.
However, concerns over crowd management, public safety and sexual violence have increasingly drawn attention in recent years.
Paris Deputy Mayor Lamia El Aaraje had previously acknowledged problems during the 2025 edition, citing incidents of disorder and reports of sexual violence.
This year’s events are now likely to face renewed scrutiny as authorities continue investigating the violence and security failures reported during the celebrations.
