We're thrilled about the arrival of the beautiful days that match with outdoor evenings and festivals that let us dance for days to the rhythm of live concerts. Unfortunately, after the cancellation of the 2026 edition of Lollapalooza, a second must-see festival in the capital will not take place this year: the Fnac Live, a free festival that used to happen every summer in the center of Paris, on the steps of the Hôtel de Ville, our colleagues from Parisien report.
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A festival that's been around for over 20 years
It all started in 2004, along the banks of the Seine, with the Fnac Live festival — then known as Fnac Indétendances — brought to life by the Fnac Darty group and the City of Paris. In 2009, it moved to the Hôtel de Ville.
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What's special about it? Unlike other major Parisian festivals like Solidays, We Love Green, or Rock en Seine, it's completely free, while featuring a lineup that mixes popular and emerging artists — Eddy de Pretto, St. Vincent, Olivia Ruiz, and even Adèle Castillon were among those & featured in the 2025 edition. Cancelling the 2026 one, “ it's their decision, not the city's », a municipal source clarified to Parisien.
A festival in a different form?
At each edition, around twenty concerts were held.location, spread over three festival days. Up to 80,000 festival-goers could be welcomed. The only times the Fnac Live didn’t take place were during the year of Covid in 2020, an evening canceled in 2023 due to the riots following Nahel's death, and the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.
Can we hope for the festival's return in 2027? The doubt lingers. « There are certainly financial arguments behind this decision, another source indicates. When you want to maintain quality programming for a free festival... I think the brand is reevaluating how it offers cultural events. »
In response, Fnac explained that it wants to « support artists and nurture the emerging scene, as well as established talents, and offer the best .many accessible and high-quality musical experiences », explains the organization in a press release. Emmanuel Grégoire would particularly like to develop more of the « great cultural moments », with a big festival that combines music, celebration, and live performance currently being considered.