FISE MONTPELLIER 2024; THE WORLD'S BIGGEST URBAN SPORTS EVENT

Feb 02, 2024

Written by Bart de Jong

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From 8 to 12 May 2024, Montpellier will once again transform itself into the world capital of urban sports, welcoming hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts to the banks of the River Lez for 5 days of competitions and celebrations. As the last international event of this scale before the Paris Olympic Games, this 27th edition is already shaping up to be a must-see, given the stakes involved for the athletes. And for this 2024 edition, FISE is evolving and looking to the future!

Since 1997, FISE has brought together hundreds of thousands of spectators for a unique event on a global scale. This year, in order to continue raising the standards of the immersive sporting experience and to guarantee the festival's sustainability in the years to come, FISE is becoming a paid event

with a €10 entry fee, valid for all 5 days and to be reserved from today.

However, access to the Place Georges Frêche, where the iconic Spine Ramp is located, remains free and open to the public every day until 11pm to watch the competitions and night-time shows, as well as the new activities and disciplines introduced this year. The festival is also free for children under 5 and people with disabilities. The pass will cost €5 for children aged between 5 and 10, and the Occitanie Region has decided to allow secondary school students holders of the Carte Jeune Région to benefit from a €7 rate.

The revenue generated by ticket sales will be reinvested in the organization of the festival to guarantee an ever more complete experience: new activities and sports areas, accessibility, sustainable development, etc. The safety and comfort of festival-goers is also a priority for FISE Montpellier, whose attendance continues to grow year on year.

"Over the years, the energy and passion of the public and the athletes have made our festival the not-to-be-missed event it is today. This support, as well as the one of our institutional and private partners, has been the pillar of our growth and we are deeply grateful for it", says Hervé André-Benoit, creator of FISE and CEO of Hurricane Group. "However, faced with unprecedented challenges due to extraordinary economic circumstances, we have taken the decision to switch to a paying model in order to preserve and develop FISE and continue to offer the residents of Montpellier and the Occitanie region an event that is unique in the world. New features include the introduction of a new discipline in 2024 and new activities and disciplines in 2025. The evolution of our economic model is now inevitable for an event as important as FISE Montpellier. This decision, taken with care and reflection, is a new approach that we will be able to adjust in the years to come to find the perfect balance between accessibility and quality and thus continue to carry out our historic mission: to make urban sports accessible to as many people as possible".

Two new World Cup stages
Two new World Cups have been added to the FISE Montpellier programme: a World Cup in Scooter Park and a World Cup in Scooter Street. Scootering Park and Scootering Street are fast-growing disciplines that have risen to the same level as other urban sports, thanks to the large number of riders who have raised the level of their tricks to the point where they have established the credibility of their discipline. The Street Scooter will be making its debut in Montpellier, at a stage that promises to bring together the best street riders on the planet!

The introduction of 3x3 basketball
One of the leading urban sports to emerge from the independent and creative practice of street basketball, 3x3 basketball was included in the list of Olympic sports at the Tokyo 2020 Games. For the first time, the sport will be part of the FISE Montpellier en 2024 programme on the Place de la Mairie, where access will remain free and open to all.

A new sports area for everyone, the Shred Zone
Professional and amateur riders will have the opportunity to enjoy a new sports area in 2024, the Shred Zone. Open to all riders during free access times, it will allow enthusiasts to come and practice or challenge themselves alongside the competitions.

More introductory courses
An annual highlight of urban sports and a real springboard for many athletes, FISE Montpellier is also an opportunity for the more curious to try out the disciplines on offer free of charge during sessions supervised by professionals. In addition to these new introductory sessions, the Savoie Mont-Blanc Zone will once again be set up on the banks of the Lez to bring the spirit of the festival alive for families with a range of new experiences.

Two Food Court zones for a new catering offer
For the first time since the creation of FISE, festival-goers will be able to eat and drink in two Food Court zones.

Improving the accessibility
Inclusion remains a priority for FISE Montpellier, including accessibility for people with disabilities or reduced mobility. To enable them to take part in the festival in the best possible conditions, new adapted paths will be accessible this year, including access to all the exhibitors and to the Chill Zone. Signage will also be based on the Falc method, aimed at simplifying and making accessible to all the festival's written, electronic and audiovisual media.

A responsible transition for immersive and sustainable activities
For several years now, FISE, via Hurricane Group, has been committed to developing its activities in a more sustainable and inclusive way, with the aim of obtaining ISO 20121 certification (a responsible management standard for the events sector) in 2024. This commitment is fully in line with one of FISE's key missions, which is to defend the practice of sport and its values for all. FISE Montpellier's new business model makes it possible to support this mission, which is all the more important in the run-up to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

15 DISCIPLINES AND 8 WORLD CUPS ON THE PROGRAMME

True to its iconic highlights, FISE Montpellier 2024 will be hosting 15 sports disciplines for breathtaking competitions, including 4 on the Olympic programme (BMX Freestyle Park, Skateboard Street, Breaking and Basket 3x3), providing an opportunity to review medal hopes two months ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

For all the thrills, this year's FISE Montpellier is once again on the calendar for 8 world cup stages (or equivalent) where the world's elite in each discipline will meet on renowned sports infrastructures:

-UCI BMX Freestyle Park World Cup
-UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup Flatland
-WDSF Breaking
-Scooter Street World Cup
-Scooter Park World Cup
-Roller Freestyle Park World Cup
-FIG Parkour Speed Run World Cup
-FIG Parkour Freestyle World Cup

FISE's historic disciplines such as BMX Street and Skateboard Street are also still on the programme for the world's biggest urban sports festival, and promise to bring the crowds together for a variety of spectacular contests. As will the return of the emblematic Spine Ramp at FISE Montpellier, with free night-time BMX, Rollerblade and Scooter shows to round off each day with the public in an electric atmosphere.