Aura battles draw crowds in Besançon and Montpellier

A new social media phenomenon known as ‘aura battles’ has been drawing large crowds of young people in French cities such as Besançon and Montpellier. These gatherings involve participants improvising movements and attitudes to showcase their charisma, or ‘aura,’ in an attempt to win favor from the crowd.

In Besançon, hundreds gathered at Place de la Révolution for an organized event where competitors used social media references and specific gestures to gain or lose ‘aura points.’ The winner is typically decided by the volume of audience applause. Similarly, in Montpellier, a large crowd assembled at Place de la Comédie for a similar event that had been promoted via TikTok. The resulting videos of these gatherings have since gained significant traction on the social media platform.