Life is finally calming down at Domaine de Saint-Cloud after five days of pure energy, fun, and music as the Rock en Seine festival came to a close. This year wasn’t without its challenges: A$AP Rocky cancelled in July, Doechii pulled out just days before the festival, and the region withdrew its €500,000 funding due to a controversy surrounding the Kneecap group supporting Palestine. Despite these hurdles, 150,000 festival-goers attended the 21st edition of one of France’s most iconic festivals. From Chappell Roan, Empire Of The Sun, and Kid Cudi to Fontaines D.C., more than 90 concerts took place across five stages, alongside a wide range of activities and talks to keep audiences entertained throughout the week.

For two decades, Rock en Seine has been one of Europe’s biggest festivals, with five days of absolute magic, mixing huge international acts with local artists and a strong social and environmental vision. Rock en Seine is committed to short- and long-term actions and aims to continue its search for solutions to reduce the festival’s environmental footprint. Inclusivity also shapes the festival experience, with dedicated platforms, vibrating vests, audio description services, LSF translations and accessible facilities for people with disabilities. Rock en Seine also addresses urgent social issues through prevention programs on addiction, sexist and sexual violence, and harassment, with dedicated awareness campaigns, trained staff, and support spaces, while pursuing gender equality across its lineups and cultural programming. Catering reflects these values too, with half the options vegetarian or vegan, local suppliers prioritized sustainability, and red meat removed to reduce impact. Finally, the festival continues to champion the next generation of French and Parisian artists through the Club Avant Seine, which provides training, performance opportunities and tailored promotion for emerging talent.

The festival also organized “Mini Rock,” a special space dedicated to kids with a variety of activities like discovering mixing, experimenting with cinema sound effects, trying out instruments, drawing, games, makeup, and even a mini bar adapted just for them. It added a playful, family-friendly dimension to Rock en Seine.

While this overview captures the festival’s scope, I’ll focus here on the concerts I personally attended and experienced — though, of course, much more happened across the five days.

The festival kicked off on Wednesday, August 20, with an incredible lineup highlighting female and queer artists. With only two stages open — the Main Stage and the Horizons Stage — the day was expected to be a calm warm-up… except it wasn’t. With Chappell Roan headlining, the tone was set from the start. Even in the rain, fans arrived early to secure their spots at the barricade in front of the Main Stage.

U.K. star Luvcat opened this year’s edition on the Main Stage at 5 p.m., setting the tone with her dreamy pop sound infused with electronic textures and heartfelt lyrics. Followed by Suki Waterhouse and London Grammar, festival-goers were treated to a seamless journey of atmospheric pop and emotional intensity, perfectly building the anticipation for the night ahead.

On the Horizons Stage, the phenomenal Sofia Isella completely hypnotized her audience. Her entire discography and artistic direction embody the motto “art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.” With sharp, uncompromising lyrics addressing misogyny and more, a Sofia Isella set is impossible to witness without leaving deeply moved — and changed — by the experience.

Thea, the French queer artist, followed on the same stage — and I expected nothing less. Having already seen her at La Maroquinerie last year and at La Cigale earlier this year, I know the incredible energy she brings to the stage and how deeply she engages with her audience, making them feel truly connected to her. Delivering hyper-pop rock bangers, she also addresses important topics in her performances, such as “Free Palestine,” blending music and message seamlessly.

To close out an already amazing day, it was time for Chappell to shine. Luckily, the rain stopped before her set. The French audience was more than ready after her cancellation last September, and Rock en Seine was her only French date this year. When the lights went down and the first notes of her intro echoed, the crowd went absolutely wild, and the energy was electric. Her intro sound and castle-like set reminded me of a villain-princess movie. As her band played the first notes of “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” across the park, the audience held their breath… until Chappell finally appeared. Dressed in a green fairy outfit with astonishing makeup, she had everyone ready to have the time of their lives.

Some of the main moments of the show included the “Hot To Go” dance – and even VIP did it – her saying that she didn’t want to speak French, but changed her mind when the crowd cheered her on with our famous chant “popopo,” thanking us “merci merci, je t’aime,” and the live performance of her latest release “The Subway,” which everyone was beyond excited about. She ended the night with “Pink Pony Club,” and I could see tears in the eyes of many fans who truly didn’t think this day would come.

Photo Credit : Louis Comar

Days two and three were definitely calmer, even with all five stages open, partly because they fell on weekdays and were marked by the cancellations of A$AP Rocky and Doechii. But in my opinion, the quieter atmosphere and smaller crowds made the experience even more enjoyable. 

Montell Fish opened the Revolut Stage — the perfect way to start the day. Blending soulful R&B with gospel-inspired vocals and lo-fi production, his music is both intimate and powerful, pulling you into your feelings while still making you jump. The audience was ecstatic.

I ran to the Main Stage to catch a new talent I hadn’t heard of before: Enchantée Julia. Originally scheduled earlier in the day on a smaller stage, she was moved to replace Doechii — a big responsibility, but one she handled flawlessly. With tracks blending R&B, rap, and a mix of French and English, she gave the crowd every opportunity to dance and vibe along.

Greentea Peng and Alameda were next, on the Bosquet and Horizons stages — two powerful female voices that fit perfectly into the day’s lineup. Greentea Peng brought her signature psychedelic soul, mixing reggae, hip-hop and jazz influences into a hypnotic performance that had the crowd swaying. Meanwhile, Alameda captivated with her raw, emotive vocals and poetic songwriting, delivering a set that felt both vulnerable and fiercely empowering.

I took a little break to explore some of the other activities at the festival and ended up at the Talk Stage, where to my surprise Enchantée Julia was speaking alongside Angélina Paolini (Wagram Music) and Camille Ferrand (Deezer). Their conversation touched on a crucial topic in today’s music world: the new generation of female pop heroes. They discussed women’s place in the industry, the persistence of sexism, and the reality of often being surrounded by cis-white men — while also sharing a hopeful message to never give up, as progress is happening. They highlighted some of their favorite pop innovators, from Théa reinventing hyper-pop to Rosalía blending flamenco with urban music to Yoa, Karol G, and more.

To close out the day, I stopped by the New Talent Stage to see Noor, who completely hypnotized me with her soulful, ethereal voice and minimalist yet powerful presence — the kind of performance that makes you stop in your tracks. Then came the monument of the night: Kid Cudi on the main stage, stepping in to cover A$AP Rocky’s absence. Far from feeling like a replacement, his set turned into a celebration, with the crowd rapping along to every hit, the bass shaking the ground, and Cudi radiating gratitude and joy on stage. It was the perfect ending to a day that proved calmer, but didn’t mean less powerful.

Friday leaned heavily into electronic sounds, with notes of pop and techno running throughout the day. I started with Good Neighbours and Kids Return, two acts that immediately set an energetic tone — Good Neighbours bringing bright indie-pop anthems with electronic flair, and Kids Return delivering their dreamy, cinematic pop that had the crowd swaying and singing along.

I had time to return to the Talk Stage to attend a discussion about masculinity with Emilie Trench (director and screenwriter) and Guillaume Maurice (humorist and producer). They shared their experiences of how masculinity was represented while they were growing up and reflected on how they hope it will evolve.

Then came two artists I was especially excited to see and photograph on the Main Stage: Empire of the Sun, whose spectacular visuals and electrifying performance brought an unmatched spiritual energy to the stage, blending soaring synths and a sense of cosmic euphoria that had the crowd completely immersed. And Aurora, who I had already seen a few months ago and who once again exceeded every expectation. With her unreal, dreamlike voice and powerful songs, Aurora has the rare ability to completely transform a space into her own world. She painted her vision of reality through music, speaking about deep topics like politics, Palestine and ecology, while balancing it all with humor — at one point laughing, “as you may know I have quite the boner for Earth.” She truly stands out as one of the greatest artists of our generation. This was my way of ending the day; I didn’t stay for the last two DJ sets, Anyma and I Hate Models, but I heard they were amazing.

The weekend was much busier, with crowds everywhere and dust swirling through the air. I arrived in time for Noname on the Main Stage, who became one of my favorite discoveries of the entire festival. Her powerful vocals, spoken-word acapella moments, and playful interaction with the audience were mesmerizing. She even taught the crowd some lyrics, joking, “oh right, I forgot you don’t have any rhythm over here, let’s start again” and shouted a heartfelt “Free Palestine,” setting an energetic tone for the rest of the day.

I went to see the group Cathy on the New Talent Stage, and you could feel how excited they were to be up there, maybe anxious to play in front of so many people, but it didn’t feel that way. It felt joyful and genuine, the kind of set that makes you forget you’re at a massive festival. After that, I headed to the Horizons Stage for Jacoténe, who completely owned the stage. Her voice was powerful, her performance magnetic, and the way she connected with the audience showed exactly why she’s starting to get so much attention. Rock en Seine felt like the perfect place to see her shine at such an important moment in her career.

I had a bit of time to check out the “Têtu Games,” organized by the French queer magazine Têtu. The activities, which featured blind tests and other entertaining tasks, focused on queer artists, gave the festival a lighthearted and welcoming vibe that I couldn’t help but enjoy.

My day came to an end with two artist I hold very close to my heart, Luidji, a French rapper on the Revolut Stage and Jorja Smith on the Main Stage. I was expecting a calmer show for Luidji because, while he’s primarily a rapper, his music has a wide ranges of influences and most of his songs have melancholic themes. Yet his show was anything but calm with fire and smoke filling the stage and so many people in the crowd jumping everywhere. Jorja Smith was absolutely astonishing, as expected, with her soulful voice, impeccable control, and emotional depth. I left with a heart full of emotions that night.

The last day carried a bittersweet feeling, knowing the festival was coming to a close, but also offering a well-deserved rest for everyone involved. I started with an interview of Vera Daisies, a rising artist very close to my heart, where we discussed her single “Chess Game.” The interview will be published soon.

With a very rock-centered day ahead, I headed to see Last Train on the Revolut Stage. The French band, who first played Rock en Seine 10 years ago, has since gained a massive following with fans all over the globe. They spoke about a cause close to their hearts: the “Avant-Scène” club, which gives high schoolers and young artists the chance to perform at Rock en Seine, just as they did a decade ago. Despite the emotions, they delivered an insanely dynamic set, jumping around the stage with the lead singer even diving into the crowd in the middle of the show.

I followed with Wallows, who gave the same insane energy on the main stage to fans who had been waiting at the barricade for hours just to see them and have a chance to sing the bridge of “OK,” which has become an iconic moment of their shows. They opened with “Your Apartment,” instantly setting the tone with contagious energy that spread across the entire crowd. It was my first time seeing them live and I was not disappointed, and them being in the lineup for Sunday made a lot of sense.

It was then time for Kneecap, whose presence at the festival sparked heavy controversy. The Irish rap trio is known for their unapologetically political stance on the Middle East, openly supporting Palestine, which didn’t sit well with the French administration. After repeated calls for their removal, Rock en Seine refused to back down — a decision that cost them dearly, as the Île-de-France region pulled its €500,000 funding just two days before their set. Personally, I felt proud that the festival stood its ground and supported Kneecap. As expected, some audience members weren’t thrilled, and whistles rang out during the first song. But the group quickly addressed it, saying they would not be silenced, that today was about coming together and having fun. Security soon escorted the hecklers out. From then on, it was nothing but energy — Kneecap delivered a wild set full of their vibrant, hard-hitting tracks, with mosh pits erupting everywhere. 

I shot my last show at the Horizons Stage with TVOD, and it was the perfect way to end the festival. Their mix of post-punk chaos and playful energy had the crowd completely captivated, turning the stage into a whirlwind of movement and sound. 

I wrapped up my time at Rock en Seine with fellow photographers by my side — one last stop at the Têtu games, a well-earned vegan burger, and even a ride on Crazy Tiger’s mechanical beast. As the sun dipped down, I caught the dreamy set from Fontaines D.C. before packing up my gear and saying goodbye to five days of music that felt like a world of its own. This year’s edition wasn’t without its struggles — cancellations, controversy, even the loss of major funding — but in the end the festival stood strong.

The moments both on and off stage stuck with me: musicians from all over the world sharing their passion, vulnerability, and politics; strangers joining together to sing; discussions on feminism, masculinity, and the modern meaning of music. While somewhat disorganized, Rock en Seine 2025 was also poignant, cohesive, and unforgettable.

More than anything, it made me realize why I adore live music: it gives you a sense of belonging for a few days. And I’m already anticipating what will happen next.