Rock En Seine: An Explosion of Music in Paris

Whether you live in Paris or you are simply visiting the city of love in August, don’t miss out on Rock En Seine – one of the most iconic music fests in the summer, set to rock the house for a three days of frenzy, from August 22 to 24 (Friday to Sunday).

The place:

The fun-filled festival will be taking place in the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, a 10-minute tube ride away from the city centre. The tube stop is a short walk away from the concert ground and all acts will end before the tube service closes. You can also opt to take the bus or tram; stops are also conveniently close to where the action will be taking place.

The line-up:

Rock En Seine was founded in 2003, but organisers are already touting this year’s line-up as one of the most exciting in the past decade. These are just a few top acts you can look forward to rocking along with, live:

* Friday, August 22:

20: 45 The Hives: Swedish rock group, The Hives, virtually resurrected the garage rock sound and they are famed for their dynamic live shows, entertaining antics and of course, their black-and-white suits. Their latest album, Lex Hives, was given an 8/10 rating by NME, who called them “easily the best live band on the planet.â€

11:30pm: Arctic Monkeys: English rock band, Arctic Monkeys, can lay claim to releasing the fastest selling debut album in British Music History. The lads from Sheffield have taken several Brit awards home, and have been nominated for two Grammies. Arctic Monkeys headlined at the Glastonbury Festival in 2007 and 2013 and on August 1, they played a storm at Lollapalooza in Chicago, giving one of the most highly rated performances at this famed festival. At Rock En Seine, fans can look forward to hearing several songs from their album, AM, as well as many of their greatest hits.

* Saturday August 23:

20:45: Portishead: This Bristol band’s comeback is easily one of the most awaited of the past year; at Rock En Seine, Portishead will show that it has lost none of its magic. Dazzling audiences with a mysterious sound that blends jazz and electronic influences, the band manages to provoke deep emotions in the way that few others can.

23:00: The Prodigy: Keen ravers who consider songs like Breathe and Voodoo People to be anthems of their generation, will be flocking to see this band, which has just released a new album – How To Steal a Jet Fighter. The Prodigy, leaders of the techno genre in the 1990s, are back with a rawer, darker sound that pays homage to their roots. Wear your Air Jordans and get ready to jump!

* Sunday August 24:

19:45 Lana Del Rey: The Queen of Cool will be filling the Paris sky with her soulful, emotion-packed songs, which speak of death, love and isolation. Lana Del Rey is arguably one of the most iconic female musicians of her generation, influencing the world of fashion and music in her own inimitable style. Rock En Seine will see the Byronic singer perform tunes from her latest album, Ultraviolence, which features the soulful single, Shades of Cool.

22:00 Queens of the Stone Age: Queens of the Stone age have always had a reputation for two things: putting on an unbeatable live show and surrounding themselves in a magnificent aura of mystery. To quote the band itself, “ Are Queens of the Stone Age a band? An association? A concept… Or a secret society? Whatever kind of strange and terrible mutation slouched out of the irradiated California Wasteland in 1996, it’s evidently still around. It lives. It breathes. It can’t be stopped.â€

Money Matters: If you are travelling to Paris precisely for the festival and you’d like to make the most of your euro, there are many ways that you can save money. The first is by purchasing a three-day pass, which costs €119. You can also obtain a one-day ticket, which costs €49, making the three-day pass a more ideal option from a budgeting standpoint. Another way to save is on accommodation; if you don’t mind sleeping under the stars, there is a campsite, which is accessible to three-day pass holders. If you prefer to pay by card rather than cash, you may have to make an exception at this event, since stalls, bars and restaurants accept cash payments exclusively and there are no ATM machines on-site or in the near vicinity. If you are travelling with children, you’ll be please to learn that those aged less than 11 can enter free with a paying adult. If you wish to save on food, you can do so by bringing in a sandwich and a drink, but bear in mind that food and cigarettes in large quantities will not be permitted, to prevent illegal sale of these items within the festival grounds. Finally, keep up to date with the Festival organisers by downloading the free Rock En Seine mobile app.