Rock en Seine 2023: Day 1 with Billie Elish, Girl in Red, Tove Lo... we were there, we tell you all about it

20 years. 20 years that Rock en Seine has been flooding us with joy every late summer, thanks to its concerts held in the verdant setting of the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, just outside Paris. For this anniversary, the Ile-de-France festival has decided to honor its name by welcoming a series of essentially rock artists such as Placebo, The Strokes, Turnstile, Viagra Boys, Nova Twins, Brutus and The Murder Capital.

With the exception of the first evening. On Wednesday August 23, Rock en Seine pulled out all the stops, betting on an artist who is a must for young audiences: Billie Eilish, the undisputed new star of pop music. Just look at the large number of T-shirts bearing the singer's image on the festival site, and you'll be able to gauge the enthusiasm for this American artist.

But before attending the show that everyone was eagerly awaiting, it was necessary to get to the Domaine de Saint-Cloud, and this was no easy task for the public, who didn't hesitate to complain on social networks about the long queue at the entrance to the festival.

The result? The site was far from full when Lucie Antunes ' concert on the Rock en Seine Grande Scène began at 5:35pm. Yet the show by the French drummer and percussionist, who has both classical and contemporary training, was well worth the detour. On hand to present her latest opus,"Carnaval" (released last spring), it didn't take long for the artist to get the audience up and dancing, thanks to her bubbling, electro-oriented sounds, ideal for swaying on this late afternoon.

Surrounded by three other musicians on stage, Lucie Antunes didn't shy away from inaugurating Rock en Seine 's 20th anniversary Grand Scène, imposing her creative style on a young audience who were delighted to discover her in this hypnotic, spellbinding show.

It's just past 6:30 p.m. when the crowds finally start arriving in droves on the festival site, heading straight for the Grande Scène, where Tove Lo's show is due to start at 6:40 p.m.. However, for this first day of the festival, Rock en Seine had decided to open another stage, the Firestone, to host concerts by Mae Stephens, Hannah Grae and Nieve Ella.

As a result, the crowd swelled to discover live Tove Lo, the Swedish pop star propelled to the forefront of the music scene in 2014 thanks to her global hit " Habits (Stay High) ". Dressed in wide black pants and a simple leather bra, Tove Lo delivered a dynamic set, driven by sounds mixing dance, electropop and synth-pop, and ultra sexy. In fact, the Nordic artist didn't hesitate to drop her top for a few moments, provoking hysteria among her many fans. Fans she really cares about, to the point of interrupting a song to make sure someone didn't get sick from the heat at the festival site on Wednesday.

Another style, more rocking this time, with another Northerner, Girl in Red. Real name Marie Ulven Ringheim, the Norwegian artist returns to Rock en Seine for the second time, after a successful show in 2019. Since then, Girl in Red has come a long way, opening for the likes of Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift!

With her catchy indie-pop and personal lyrics, this simple yet endearing artist now boasts a solid, broad-based fan base. This Wednesday, the singer and musician warns that she is not in top form. Visibly ill all day following a badly digested croissant, Girl in Red didn't spare herself. Jumping, running and even being carried by her fans at the very end of the show, the Norwegian artist - dressed all in black - delivered an impeccable and exhilarating set lasting around 1 hour, honoring several of her hits: " Girls ", " I'll Call You Mine " and " i wanna be your girlfriend "... all carried by a heat-exhausted but conquered audience.

• To be read
• Rock en Seine 2023: 5 bands not to be missed this Sunday, August 27
• Rock en Seine 2023: 5 bands not to be missed this Saturday, August 26
• Rock en Seine 2023: 5 bands not to be missed this Friday, August 25

But the long-awaited show of this first evening of Rock en Seine is still to come. It was at 10pm that Billie Eilish took to the stage to thunderous applause and cell phones raised above the heads of festival-goers to immortalize this unique moment.

Considered by many to be one of the new queens of international pop, Billie Eilish treated her many fans from all over Europe to a luminous set that undeniably revolutionized the world of pop music. Unveiling an ultra-millimetre, highly visual staging (projections of images galore, pyrotechnic effects, jets of confetti, meticulous lighting...), Billie Eilish electrified the entire crowd present on Wednesday evening with a powerful show lasting around 1h30.

Relying on a rich, well-balanced set list and honoring her many hits (" Happier Than Ever ", " Bad Guy ", " Everything i wanted ", " What Was I Made For? " and " when the party's over "), the young American singer, barely 21, proved that she's already a great artist who will be a force to be reckoned with for a long time to come!

Rock en Seine 2023 continues on Friday, August 25, with Turnstile, Viagra Boys and Placebo. The Parisian festival then continues until Sunday August 27 with Cypress Hill, The Strokes and The Chemical Brothers, among others.

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