Rock En Seine Festival in Paris Review

Words by Lea Swiatek

Despite the mud, the crowd turned up early and in large numbers for Lambrini Girls on the Main Stage. The Brighton punk rock trio immediately set the tone with a huge “Fuck Marine Le Pen”, greeted by cheers from the audience. This political statement was followed by several anti-fascist chants taken up by part of the crowd.

After this intense performance, it was time for LANDMVRKS. The band from southern France took to the stage with an impressive production: two enormous statues, flames, and an energy that matched their hardcore sound. Enough to make the rain and mud disappear for a while, as the crowd clearly had no hesitation about throwing themselves into pogos and crowd surfing.

We then headed to the AXS Stage to catch the English band High Vis. An emerging name in the hardcore scene, the band notably gained attention by supporting Turnstile on their European Never Enough Tour. Their sound, somewhere between hardcore and punk, was a perfect fit for such a rock-heavy day. Mosh pits and crowd surfing were, of course, unavoidable, especially during Choose to Lose, Guided Tour, Minds a Lie, and Fever Dream.

Photos by Lea Swiatek

We kept the same energy going with Turnstile, who opened their set with BIRDS, a track from their album Never Enough and the same song that closed their shows during their most recent European tour. The Turnstile phenomenon seems to have reached an entirely new level: an enormous crowd gathered in front of the stage, even blocking the queues at the nearby food stands. It was quite a sight. On stage and in the audience, the show perfectly reflected the spirit of the day: intense, full of mosh pits, crowd surfing, and nonstop energy.

Photos by Lea Swiatek

As soon as the set ended, we quickly crossed the festival site to reach the Main Stage for Deftones, one of the day’s headliners. Backed by stunning visuals and a Chino Moreno who was as powerful and energetic as ever, the band brought the first day to a perfect close.

The following day offered a completely different atmosphere: a slightly calmer day, far removed from the mosh pits and crowd surfing of the previous afternoon.

We started with Love Spells, who came to present his debut album, Love Is The Law. Sir Taegen Harris blends dreamy pop, soft guitar-led melodies and darker influences, creating a sound that feels both nostalgic and melancholic. His songs explore love and heartbreak, while still keeping a sense of warmth and movement. That contrast worked especially well live. Love Spells brought much more energy to the stage than you might expect from some of his softer tracks: he moved constantly, fully owned the space and pulled off moves we would honestly love to learn ourselves.

Photos by Lea Swiatek

We then moved on to Wolf Alice, who welcomed us with a beautiful glitter-covered set design. The band also delivered one of the warmest moments of the day by inviting three fans on stage during just two girls, turning the performance into a genuine moment of connection with the audience.

To bring the weekend to a close, it was time for the highly anticipated The Cure. It is hard to imagine a better setting for A Forest than the actual forest of Saint-Cloud Park. After a subtle opening, almost like Robert Smith himself, the band gradually drew us into their world. His voice, still as instantly recognisable as ever, has lost none of its power over the years and carried a show that was both elegant and impressive.

It was a conclusion full of contrasts with the previous day: after Saturday’s mud, pogos, and hardcore, Sunday gave way to something dreamier and more contemplative. Two very different days, but together they capture exactly what Rock en Seine has to offer.

Photo by Lea Swiatek