Rock en Seine 2024: Day 1 with Lana Del Rey, Apple.... we were there, we tell you all about it

Extended edition for Rock en Seine! This year, the famous Parisian festival is offering 5 days of festivities rather than four! Set, as ever, in the lush greenery of the Domaine national de Saint-Cloud, Rock en Seine once again puts the spotlight on rock, with this summer's line-up including PJ Harvey, Pixies, LCD Soundsystem, Måneskin, Ghinzu and The Offspring, as well as Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes.

On Wednesday August 21, 2024, Rock en Seine opened with a 100% all-female line-up, headlined by the iconic Lana Del Rey, who in recent years has become one of the undisputed stars of our time. As was the case with Billie Eilish last year, the Ile-de-France festival chose to reduce its capacity on this first day, limiting concerts to the Firestone stage and the Grande Scène.

While some people hurry down the aisles to discover the various stands in the late afternoon, others are already well in place in front of the Grande Scène to get as close as possible to their idol, Lana Del Rey. And it's a busy Wednesday at the Domaine national de Saint-Cloud. In fact, the first day of the festival is sold out. It has to be said that this eagerly-awaited Lana Del Rey concert is the only one of its kind in France. The American star's fans - mainly young and female - come from all over Europe and even the world. There are a few Americans, but also Britons, Spaniards, Italians and Germans.

Many also brought out their finest attire to attend this musical highlight. Santiags on their feet for some, cowgirl hats for others, but above all, the indispensable flower crown. All were waiting for one thing: their idol's appearance on stage at 9.45pm.

But before that, Rock en Seine festival-goers had the chance to discover the energy of young Belgian singer Rori. After her debut with the group Beffroi, the artist has launched a promising solo career. Revealing that this was her very first festival in France, Rori (aka Camille) delivered a light-hearted set, carried along by a rather convincing contemporary pop.

Another female artist taking to the Grand Scène this Wednesday at Rock en Seine? Musician and singer Towa Bird. Formerly Olivia Rodrigo's guitarist, the artist decided to set sail on her own. In 2023, she unveiled her first single,"Wild Heart". This summer, Towa Bird took to the Rock en Seine stage for the very first time, on the same night as Lana Del Rey. A fine rise for this artist of undeniable stage talent. Her style - effective, catchy rock - seduced our ears, and those of the audience at the same time.

Next up was Pomme, the last artist to take to the stage before Lana Del Rey. As part of her " Consolation Tour " , the French artist unveils a country décor made up of small and large mushrooms arranged on stage. " Lana was kind enough to lend me her decor, which goes perfectly with mine ", the singer and musician said during her set, as she succeeded in drawing festival-goers into her dreamlike, tender world. Her songs, far removed from the rock tunes offered by some of the bands programmed at Rock en Seine, captivated a large part of the audience with their bittersweet pop-folk ritornellos, carried by an emotional and melodic force.

Quite a talker, the singer-songwriter and musician didn't hesitate to take the floor throughout her set, dedicating one of her songs to the queer people in the crowd, or asking the audience to take photos of themselves with a disposable camera.

Quite at ease in front of 40,000 festival-goers, Pomme also dares. For example, she decided to cover in Japanese a song from " Le Voyage de Chihiro ", her favorite film. She briefly sings Céline Dion, while waiting for the paramedics to come and help a spectator who had fainted. The artist, who lives between France and Quebec, also dedicates a song to Barbara, who inspired her so much.

Sometimes standing at the guitar, sometimes sitting with the autoharp under her arm, sometimes wearing a huge mushroom hat... Pomme clearly put on a show!

• To be read
• Rock en Seine 2024: the complete program and concert times
• Rock en Seine 2024: schedule, times, access... all you need to know
• Rock en Seine 2024: 5 bands not to be missed this Thursday, August 22

By now, Lana Del Rey fans - hundreds of whom are wearing T-shirts bearing the star's image - know: their idol is next on stage. The more the minutes tick by, the more the excitement is palpable at Rock en Seine. However, spectators will have to be patient. Announced for 9.45pm, the singer did not take the stage at the scheduled time, and was kept waiting for quite some time. And so the comments begin to be heard in the audience. " Lana Del Rey is notorious for arriving late. One time, she came on more than an hour late," confided a fan to her mother, visibly worried. In the end, the lights didn't go out until 10.10pm, 25 minutes after the official kick-off. But the wait was worth it.

In contrast to her first appearance at Rock en Seine in 2014, when she proposed a pared-down scenography, Lana Del Rey went all out this time with an ultra-polished set. High pillars stand on the Grande Scène, with reconstructed balconies and climbing ivy. In the center, a drum kit and grand piano face each other.

The set begins with a film featuring Elvis, Marilyn and John Wayne. Then Lana Del Rey arrives to thunderous applause and, above all, screams. The number of phones raised in the direction of the stage is impressive. We can't even see the screens. But no matter, the fans are ecstatic and exultant. A spectator nearby can't stop the tears from flowing. " She's too beautiful ", she said.

And it's with the track " Body Electric ", a first since 2018, that Lana Del Rey kicks off her set, before thanking her audience for the first time, and confiding how happy she is to be here. Just a few words to raise the temperature a notch.

On stage, the New York-born artist wore a black dress and high boots. She also wore a black veil down her back. Lana Del Rey was surrounded by five musicians, three backing singers and a little over 10 dancers. Perched on the balconies, brandishing feathers, performing suspended acrobatics or showing off their Pole Dance skills... the dancers put on a beautiful and sensual ballet, much to the delight of the audience.

But the fans only have eyes for Lana Del Rey, who occupies the stage well and seems to be enjoying herself this Wednesday evening, between strength and fragility. We loved the scene filmed from above, when she starts singing lying down surrounded by her dancers, or the one during which Lana Del Rey sings while swinging.

As for the setlist, Lana Del Rey was keen to please her fans with a few must-haves, such as " Summertime Sadness ", " Pretty When You Cry " and the iconic " Born to Die " and " Video Games ", during which an army of telephones lit up the Rock en Seine site. Some may regret not hearing their favorite track, but Lana Dey Rey 's discography is a rich one. There have been 9 albums released since 2010. And a 10th album,"Lasso", is due for release this autumn. So it's not easy to pick and choose from all her hits.

After around 1h15, Lana Del Rey left the stage and reappeared as a hologram to perform " hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but I have it ", followed by " A&W " and " Young and Beautiful " as an encore. Many fans smile broadly and still have a lump in their throat, while Lana Del Rey seems moved and touched by so much love.

The first day bodes well for what's to come, with Måneskin, Massive Attack, Fred Again... and PJ Harvey, Pixies and LCD Soundsystem closing the show.

Rock en Seine 2024: the complete program and concert times
After a great edition in 2023, the Rock en Seine festival is back for five days of not-to-be-missed festivities on Wednesday 21, Thursday 22, Friday 23, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 August 2024 at the Domaine national du Parc de Saint-Cloud. On the program? Lana Del Rey for a concert-event, the talented PJ Harvey, the duo The Kills and the Italians from Måneskin, as well as The Offspring, Massive Attack, LCD Soundsystem, The Hives, Gossip, Kasabian, 2manydjs, Ghinzu, Thomas de Pourquery... Organizers have also announced the arrival of Pixies following the cancellation of The Smile. Click here for the full program by day and concert times! [Read more]