Since announcing that they would be reforming in September 2024, and with a high-octane show at the Paris La Défense Arena, Linkin Park seems to be living at a thousand miles an hour. On the concert front, the alternative rock band has been criss-crossing the world, with performances in Bogota, São Paulo, Mexico City, Tokyo and Austin, not to mention the Champions League final in Munich. On the record front, Linkin Park have been busy too, with the release of a surprising instrumental version of"From Zero", as well as a deluxe edition of the album, including the track " Up From the Bottom ".
Before heading off to North America for a series of 25 dates and a return to the Old Continent in the spring of 2026, Linkin Park has made stops in 14 European cities over the past few weeks, mixing stadiums and festivals. On June 23, the band closed the Hellfest festival in Clisson with a somewhat disappointing set. But perhaps this had something to do with the band's last-minute cancellation two days earlier in Bern, Switzerland, due to a " medical problem within the band ".
Fueled by a furious desire to recapture the mad energy and euphoria of the concert at the Paris La Défense Arena in November 2024, Linkin Park's new concert at the Stade de France on July 11, 2025 was impossible to pass up. All the more so as it was their first performance at the Paris venue and their last summer show in Europe. So here we are, this Friday evening, in the stands of the Stade de France, eager to vibrate once again to the rhythm of their many hits.
But before Linkin Park's return to Paris, the public had to wait for not one, but two opening acts. After a set by American rapper JPEGMafia, One Ok Rock took over at 7.50pm, to thunderous applause. The group is far from unknown in the capital, especially among the younger generation. This Japanese rock outfit has already played the Parisian venues of Le Trianon, L'Olympia and Le Zénith de La Villette. The combo will be at theAccor Arena in October 2025 as part of its " Detox European Tour " . Prior to that, One Ok Rock opened for Linkin Park at the Stade de France, no less! And the Japanese band turned up the heat with their infectious energy and ultra-dynamic tracks, clearly inspired by Linkin Park. Of particular note was the presence of Colin Brittain, invited to play guitar on the track " We Are ".
Shortly before 9pm, the Stade de France is packed to the rafters. In the pit and bleachers, t-shirts bearing the band's effigy abound. Young teenagers or forty-somethings, Linkin Park succeeds in uniting several generations around its music. In the audience, excitement gradually builds. A general wave is launched. A 10-minute countdown, triggered at 9.05pm, appears on the giant screens. That's all it takes to get the fans in a frenzy. As the minutes ticked by, the atmosphere became more and more electric, as an extract from the credits of the"Emily in Paris" series echoed through the Parisian venue. Then, at 9.15pm, Alex Feder, Colin Brittain, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Joe Hahn took to the stage one after the other, before being joined by Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong, wearing sunglasses and black Bermuda shorts for the occasion. A horde of cell phones are then raised in the pit, to immortalize this stage entrance.
And it's with " Somewhere I Belong ", a band classic made famous at the time by Chester Bennington, that the combo kicks off their set. The band quickly followed up with the heady " Crawling " and " Up From the Bottom ", taken from the Deluxe Edition of"From Zero". The fans then start cheering Emily Armstrong and shouting her name relentlessly. Clearly touched by so much love, the singer wasted no time in handing them a heart in return. For his part, Mike Shinoda tried to speak, but was quickly cut off by the jubilant audience. "Vive la France", says Emily Armstrong in French.
" Lying From You " then resonates at the Stade de France, followed by the powerful " The Emptiness Machine ". It's magical to see this track, only released in November 2024, generate so much fervor live. This is followed by " The Catalyst ", " Burn It Down ", " Stained ", not forgetting the excellent " Two Faced ", with Emily Armstrong and Mike Shinoda in fine form at the front of the stage... It's easy to see that Linkin Park are going to take us on a journey through time, featuring both the most recent songs and the old hits that marked an entire generation in the 2000s. On this Friday night, the hits just keep coming, with Linkin Park's insane energy and the overexcited atmosphere in the audience. A few circle pits took shape in the pit. The band, like the audience, are ecstatic, enjoying every second.
After the mashup " When They Come For Me/Remember The Name ", brilliantly performed by Mike Shinoda, the mood changes. " Let me out, set me free... " screams Emily in her husky voice. " Casualty ", the angriest track on"From Zero", rings out at the Stade de France to a rapturous crowd. Fans were even more euphoric when the first notes of " One Step Closer " rang out, a hit which the singer of One Ok Rock also joined in on. " Casualty " and " One Step Closer " are two tracks that demonstrateEmily Armstrong's vocal power. Her raspy, explosive voice captivates and fascinates us. If many still had doubts about her vocal prowess, the singer erases all uncertainty and puts everyone in agreement.
On stage, the complicity between Mike and Emily is obvious. While the former sings, still with that broad smile on his lips, the latter dances and hops. While the former indulges in a little crowd-pleasing and draws a fan's future tattoo on a sheet of paper at his request, the latter improvises and sings Led Zeppelin's"Immigrant Song".
And this enthusiasm is far from waning. It was a moment of pure enjoyment when the band performed " Numb " and then " In the End " with force and energy, taken up in chorus by the 80,000-strong crowd at the Stade. For the occasion, Emily didn't hesitate to don a Parisian beret and wrap herself in a tricolour flag, both of which had been discarded by the crowd shortly beforehand. Fans in the stadium rejoice. Of course, one can't help thinking of Chester Bennington. But Emily Armstrong makes no attempt to copy her predecessor, and manages to carry off these timeless hits with style and energy, thanks to her singular voice. We can only applaud her performance, which isn't over yet. The singer's performance of " Papercut ", like an enraged lioness, followed by the overpowering hit " Heavy Is the Crown ", sublimated by a raucous, jubilant howl lasting several seconds, is also an absolute smackdown. Makes you wonder what her secret is for not breaking her voice.
Night has now fallen in Seine-Saint-Denis, and the show has taken on a whole new dimension, with lights illuminating the stadium, lasers flying over the pit, CO2 jets and two cubes suspended above the stage, broadcasting live images of the concert and visuals.
It was with the dynamic " Bleed It Out ", and under a shower of confetti, that Linkin Park decided to end this powerful, overexcited and successful set. After around two hours, we came away with the feeling that we'd witnessed the best of their three concerts in France since last autumn, ahead of Paris La Défense Arena and Hellfest.
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