A carefully crafted setlist, meticulous staging with elaborate lighting and pyrotechnic effects galore, not to mention thunderous energy and the presence of French-Swiss mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti on the track "Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)"... On Sunday, November 30, 2025, Gojira blew us away with their unique concert at the Accor Arena in Paris. The 1 hour and 45 minute show is undoubtedly one of our favorite concerts of the year!
Gojira has come a long way since its debut in 1996. Divan du Monde in 2001, Locomotive in 2003, La Cigale in 2004, Nouveau Casino in 2005, first Hellfest and first Bercy as the opening act for Slayer in 2006, North American tour a few months later, opening act for Metallica in Arras in 2008 and then in 2012 at the Stade de France, Grammy Award nominations and victory in 2025 for "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)", participation in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, awards at the Foudres... it's difficult to list all the milestones that have marked Gojira's incredible journey.
This fall, the French metal band is touring France with 12 dates on the schedule. After Reims and Lille, the band set up shop at
the Accor Arena in ParisonSunday, November 30, 2025, for a unique,
sold-out show. It was a show eagerly awaited by the band's fans. And there were many of them around the venue at 6 p.m. on
November 30, 2025, when the doors opened. They were easily recognizable by the clothes they proudly wore, bearing the image of Gojira or other metal bands, including Metallica. While waiting for the band to take the stage at 9 p.m., the audience didn't hesitate to expand their wardrobe and do some shopping, buying new T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, and even limited edition signed posters for 100 euros.
Death metal and hardcore punk in the first part
While waiting for
Gojira to arrive, the audience warms up quietly to the sound of
Neckbreaker, a young Danish band bursting with energy and offering up some angry and effective death metal. But our favorite was
Comeback Kid, a Canadian band offering a clever mix of punk and hardcore. Carried by the boundless energy of its singer, the combo sometimes reminded us of the Norwegian band Kvelertak. And what a surprise it was when
Comeback Kid started covering
Sepultura's iconic "
Refuse/Resist"! Gojira: an explosive and luminous start to the set
At 9:02 p.m., Gojira takes the stage. As befits metal, Joe Duplantier,Christian Andreu, and Jean-Michel Labadie are dressed entirely in black. Drummer Mario, on the other hand, has opted for black shorts.
For the occasion, the French band has come up with an ultra-elaborate stage design. First, there are the screens at the back of the stage and the semicircle surrounding Mario's drum kit, which Joe will climb onto several times during the concert. Then there are the
lights installed everywhere, on the floor, in the air, on the sides, which bode well for what is to come. We quickly get a glimpse of what's to come.
Gojira kicks off its set with the song "
Only Pain." After just a few seconds, the first flames begin to shoot up and light up the
Accor Arena. The audience can't hide its enthusiasm, letting out euphoric screams.
And that's just the beginning, because Gojira won't give us a moment's respite during this 1 hour and 45 minute set! The combo continues with "The Axe" and "Backbone," while flames continue to shoot up from all sides, mixing with jets of CO2 and creating beautiful visuals. Next, it's the turn of the excellent "Stranded" to resonate through the Parisian venue, accompanied by the crowd's screams of joy as they are surprised by a shower of white streamers falling into the pit like jellyfish!
On stage, the four bandmates give it their all. Mario confirms his talent as a drummer, while bassist Jean-Michel repeatedly bangs his head forward. For the first time, Joe is without his guitar. This is not easy for the singer and musician, who usually hides behind his favorite instrument. But an injury to his right thumb prevents him from playing all the guitar parts on this tour. That evening, at the Accor Arena, his frustration is palpable. Although he picks up his guitar twice during the show, he is caught miming a few guitar riffs with his prosthetic hand. Since the beginning of this tour, Joe has been experimenting with a new stage performance. And the leader of Gojira is doing very well, demonstrating his full vocal power. For the occasion, the band is exceptionally accompanied by Greg Kubacki, the American guitarist from Car Bomb.
The quartet, transformed into a quintet for a few dates, continues the set with enthusiasm and passion. Pyrotechnic effects erupting from the front and back of the stage continue to heat up the room, while the screens alternate between showing computer-generated images and live videos of the concert. In the pit, the audience is having a blast, pogoing and circle pitting in a contagious good mood.
Flying whales and double bass drumming for 5 minutes non-stop
Images of waves are projected onto the screens as the first notes of "
Wisdom Comes" resonate throughout the Parisian venue. The atmosphere then takes a different turn when the band begins to play "
Flying Whales," from "
From Mars to Sirius," which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year! The song of the whales begins to echo and two giant sperm whales burst into the air. The two whales then fly over the Parisian venue, giving the impression of swimming in the middle of the ocean thanks to the blue lights. This moment, which is beautiful, moving, and poetic, reminds us of
Gojira's deep commitment to protecting the environment and the oceans, and their unwavering support for
Sea Shepherd, who were also present in the corridors of
the Accor Arena that evening.
As the two whales return backstage, Mario leaves his drum kit and appears at the front of the stage, wearing a crown on his head, jewelry around his neck, a black mask on his face, and a painting of the Mona Lisa under his arm, causing several bursts of laughter from the Parisian audience. Mario then turns the painting over. It reads: "Ça vaParis" (How's itgoing, Paris?). "You want more double pedals???" then "5 minutes non-stop???" is written on another sign. After another sign, displaying "Make some noise!!", it's time for the powerful "From the Sky" and, as promised, 5 minutes of non-stop double pedals. An explosive moment that was met with enthusiastic applause at the end of the song. Once again, Mario's technical skill is undeniable. The talented musician shows us his unique style, carried by arock-solid groove and perfectly controlled power!
Hits from "Fortitude" and a nod to the Paris Olympics, with Marina Viotti as special guest
The temperature rises another notch when Gojira begins to perform the incredible "Another World," enhanced by several new pyrotechnic effects, followed by the brilliant "Silvera." We thought the atmosphere had reached its peak. But we were wrong. Images ofMarie Antoinette being beheaded, holding her own head in her hands, are then projected onto the screen, announcing the song that allowed Gojira to create a buzz in the summer of 2024, "Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)". The icing on the cake was the combo's invitation toFrench-Swiss mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti for the occasion. By throwing red streamers into the pit and projecting a photo of the Conciergerie, the band didn't hesitate to add other nods to the famous Olympic opening ceremony. It was a thrilling moment that plunged us back into the excitement of the Paris Olympics for a few minutes.
All thatheadbanging is starting to make my neck ache. But no matter, the show goes on, much to our delight, in a bewildering and infectious frenzy, with "Born in Winter" followed by "Born for One Thing" and then a medley from the album "Mars to Sirius" ("Where Dragons Dwell" / "To Sirius" / "Ocean Planet" / "In the Wilderness"). Next up is the shamanic "The Chant." For the occasion, Joe invites Marina Viotti back on stage and also calls on the audience to sing along with them. The communion is then complete. And it is with the unmissable "Amazonia" from "Fortitude" that Gojira decides to end the show.
Mario surfing in the Accor Arena pit
But that was without counting on the thunderous encore, led by the excellent track "L'enfant sauvage," followed by the spellbinding "Global Warming." After an hour and 45 minutes of set, Gojira was, unsurprisingly, acclaimed as it should be, by fans won over and impressed by this performance. As always with metal bands, Gojira didn't forget to throw guitar picks and drumsticks into the pit. The band even used an air rifle to shoot rolled-up T-shirts into the stands, making a few people very happy! Just when we thought the show was over,Jean-Michel Labadie and Mario Duplantier clearly didn't really want to leave the venue on this Sunday evening. While the former improvised a slam into the audience, the latter treated himself to a little surfing session in the pit, on a bodyboard carried by the fans!
In the end, Gojira pulled out all the stops for this French tour, with a clean and incredibly elaborate stage design. We were expecting something powerful, but we didn't think the French band would blow us away so much. From start to finish, the pyrotechnic effects (perhaps too much for some?) punctuated the show, leaving us no respite. What a joy to see a live performance of this quality from a French metal band that continues to surprise us!
Gojira: setlist from the concert at the Accor Arena in Paris
- Only Pain
- The Axe
- Backbone
- Stranded
- The Cell
- Wisdom Comes
- Flying Whales
- From the Sky
- Another World
- Silvera
- Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!) - with Marina Viotti
- Born in Winter
- Born for One Thing
- Where Dragons Dwell / To Sirius / Ocean Planet / In the Wilderness ( Medley from "From Mars to Sirius")
- The Chant - with Marina Viotti
- Amazonia
Encore:
- The Wild Child
- Global Warming
