DJ Snake's wild night, from the Stade de France to Bercy, marks the history of electro

"We come from down there, we end up at the Stade de France." From his room in Val-d'Oise, where he was mixing fifteen years ago, DJ Snake could not have imagined such an evening. The most listened to French artist in the world filled the Saint-Denis stadium on Saturday evening with a performance that was "historic for electronic music," he rejoiced on stage. Because 80,000 people vibrated to the tunes of Loco Contigo , Lean On , and Magenta Riddim , among the hits that make up DJ Snake's discography.

In the crowd, electro lovers and fans of the DJ came from all over France. Parisians and Ile-de-France residents, of course, William Grigahcine's homeland, but also Bretons - with clearly visible flags at the front of the stage -, Alsatians, Northerners, Southerners... DJ Snake was a huge hit. The foreign audience was also mobilized. In the stands of the stadium, the chick yellow of the Brazilian football jerseys already gave the high and extreme temperature of the concert. "I feel like it's going to be physical, but I'm ready ," assures Hugo, originally from Bourges. "I was at the Parc des Princes. It was the best show of my life. Today I'm going to the pit!" In 2022, DJ Snake had mixed in front of 63,000 people at Porte d'Auteuil. Valentine and Marine, who accompany Hugo, are just as cheerful: "We listen to him at every party. He's our favorite artist. " We come here and then we go to Bercy right after.”

Because in addition to displaying "sold out" at the Stade de France, DJ Snake booked the Accor Arena in Paris for the same evening. He needed to find a backup solution for the unfortunate members of the "Snake Army", the nickname given to his fans, who had been unable to get tickets for the Stade de France in 2023, all evaporating in less than three minutes . So, what to do? A second date? Speaking to HugoDécrypte this week, the DJ confided that he had thought about it. In the end, he saw his ambitions reduced: 20,000 new tickets were put on sale for a concert at Bercy organized following the one at the Stade de France. 100,000 people, in total, came to see the French electro star perform from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day.

The French DJ invited Madeon and Tiesto to open his concert. The former, a musician from Nantes and a loyal companion of William Grigahcine for the past ten years, made the stands of the Stade de France resonate around 6:50 p.m. for about forty minutes. "It's crazy to be here, thank you William," he said to the crowd. He got on the set, ran around the stage with great strides, and had fun with the cameraman. He was enjoying this "honor" that had been bestowed upon him. "This is such a crazy moment for electronic music in France," the Nantes native rejoiced. His performance of "hard" electro and his remix of One More Time by Daft Punk then gave way, 15 minutes later, to Tiesto. The Dutch composer, a global figure in the genre, created the first tremors of the evening. He immediately won over the French audience with his entrance to a remix of Edith Piaf 's Non, je ne regrette rien . He followed with an alternative version of American rapper Kendrick Lamar 's very popular track, Not Like Us . And played some of the most iconic pieces of electronic music. It didn't take much more to encourage the crowd to start their first pogos.

It was best to save some energy for later. 9 p.m. The long-awaited DJ Snake finally makes his entrance. Dressed in a black leather jacket, rectangular sunglasses, and sporting a blond—almost white—dye, the master of the turntables appears on a stage well thought out and arranged for the show he is about to give to the French public. To the roars of the crowd, he launches into a rather calm first song for nearly five minutes. Until the "drop," when the music suddenly changes pace. Flames emanate from behind the stage, from the edges of the pit, and from the stadium roof. The immense vertical device placed behind him forms a rock. A fireworks display accompanies everything. The word "grandiose" would hardly be a good way to describe this opening. The tone is set. "Tonight we're going to burn Paris," says DJ Snake. He's a man of his word.

The DJ played his iconic tracks Loco Contigo and Taki Taki. Only Selena Gomez and Cardi B were missing on stage. This was quickly made up for by the arrival of Bipolar Sunshine, with whom Snake performed Middle , a major track in his discography. He would announce later in the evening the release of a new collaboration with this artist next week. At 10 p.m., Seine-Saint-Denis felt unusual tremors when Turn Down For What , the track that propelled the DJ's career, and Disco Maghreb were released. Then rapper Rim'k appeared on stage. About fifteen minutes later, in a purple setting, and in the middle of a delirious crowd, DJ Snake delivered Lean On , a track released in 2015 and which, at that time, was the most streamed song of all time.

Also read: DJ Snake, world electro star and… chauvinist

With an audience as motivated as the one in Saint-Denis, DJ Snake couldn't ignore his traditional "Wall of Death," which he borrowed from rock-metal culture. This practice consists of dividing the crowd into camps that rush towards each other at the moment of the drop. "It can be potentially dangerous ," says DJ Snake. "All fragile people, move aside. Girls too..." The crowd groans at the remark. The DJ laughs and continues. "The title is from my next album ," he proudly announces. "It's the most violent and the nastiest of my career. We're going to make the biggest wall of death in history in Paris." On the giant billboard, we can read this message: " If you decide to participate in this wall of death, it is at your own risk." A somewhat futile disclaimer: several spectators will be evacuated by emergency services in the minutes that follow.

After the chaos, DJ Snake launched, in the pitch-black Stade de France, a remix of Pour que tu m'aimes encore by Céline Dion . The stadium quickly lit up in yellow, thanks to the wristbands provided to each spectator at the entrance. The voice of the Quebec singer, partially synthesized, was enough to captivate the 80,000 fans. Snake, for his part, climbed onto his mixing desk and enjoyed the moment, speechless. Impressed by the crowd's enthusiasm, he asked the "dear Stade de France" to "give him 30 more minutes" , even if he had to "pay a fine" . He granted it. At least, the DJ didn't wait for his approval.

The concert ends with two final guests. Gashi, who accompanies DJ Snake on Paris , the last track from the album Carte Blanche released in 2019. The giant panel behind the two artists displays the Arc de Triomphe, in blue, white and red, as on the album cover. Then, it is Kool Shen , co-founder of the rap group Suprême NTM, who closes the list of guests. And to end the biggest concert of his career, DJ Snake had to play one, if not the biggest track in his discography. At the first note of Let Me Love You , a track with Justin Bieber , the audience transcends itself. It is the hit of Snake, an artist who, according to Spotify, accumulates 3.5 million plays per day. In the stands, a giant tifo is unfurled. It reads "Thank you William".

DJ Snake (feat. Justin Bieber) - Let Me Love You (2016)

The blue and red colors echo the DJ's passion for Paris-Saint-Germain . Throughout the evening, he kept reminding people that the capital club would be playing in the Champions League final on May 31. "Here, here, it's Paris," he repeated several times. He even thanked the club's president, Nasser al-Khelaïfi, for being present at the Stade de France for his concert. Adding to this tifo is also the spectacular scenography proposed by DJ Snake's team: flames, fireworks and light shows that set the stadium ablaze. Despite the absence of Justin Bieber, who did not respond to the French DJ's call, the emotion is palpable. Snake wins hearts with the Parisian public and makes a date for September 5, for the release of Nomad , his next album.

"Who's ready for the Bercy?" he finally calls out to the crowd. Hands go up. The group sets off. The "Red Army," armed with t-shirts bearing their idol's image, French flags, and beer cups, heads for the exit. It's an obstacle course ahead. Who can boast of having attended DJ Snake's Stade de France and arrived on time at his Bercy, scheduled for midnight? Few people, given that the first one ended at 11:30 p.m. Line 14 of the Paris metro brings enthusiasts to the "After Party." Andreas, Harold, and Pierre, originally from the Pyrenees, say they enjoyed Snake's "scenography, the lighting effects, and the performance" during the first part of his journey. "It was so well put together, we didn't see the time go by ," remarks Harold. "There was a lot of emotion ," continues Pierre, an undisputed fan who has already pre-ordered the new album Nomad . "He made his mark on the history of the Stade de France in his own way." For the Accor Arena, they agree that it will be "more violent."

Also read: Who will get the keys to the Stade de France? Behind the scenes of a fight where anything goes

Indeed, even if the venue seems much less impressive, the atmosphere is worthy of a nightclub. A giant 20,000-seat club, where the usual codes are found. Beers, cigarettes, champagne, cocktails... The "Snake Army" no longer resembles the one encountered in Saint-Denis. Neither does DJ Snake. He arrives at 2:40 a.m., after DJ Boys Noize and Devault have set the stage. He replaces his signature tracks with violent sounds, more suited to the club spirit. You feel that Bercy is like a decompression chamber. On stage, the atmosphere is very familial. Hugs between artists, thanks. It's a more personal show. This doesn't prevent the return of the "Wall of Death." However, we can see it as an antechamber to sleep. It's 4 a.m., Le Figaro packs its bags, the "Snake Army" will continue the party for another two hours.