Final Concerts at the Accor Arena

In the eyes of Bono, the lead singer in U2, it was “the most beautiful venue in the world". But however beautiful it may be, it’s the talent that graces the stage at the Accor Arena that really sticks in the memory. And in the 36 years since it first opened, it has to be said that the venue has hosted some truly grandiose concerts. Here, we shine the spotlight on the last concerts that drew the curtain on some sparkling careers.  

 

NTM’s last concert, “La DER” in 2019

All good things must come to an end, so it seems. After dropping the hard-hitting tracks that provided the soundtrack for an entire generation, the biggest group in French rap took its final bow on 23 November 2019, almost 30 years after it was founded. Over the course of those intervening years, Surpême NTM had become a cult icon, helping to bring rap into pop culture. 

A few months before performing their final concerts, NTM made their intentions crystal clear, with Kool Shen informing Agence France-Presse before the final tour that, “These will be our last concerts”, describing them as their “final salvo”. It was an ending, rather than a “break-up”, a term that Kool Shen found too negative: “When people talk about a break-up, it infers that there’s a problem, when in this case there isn’t”. According to the group, it was the logical next step: they didn’t plan on making any more music together, so the moment had come to call time on the band.  

It was also a way to go out while they were on top, in a supreme final concert. Or rather, two supreme concerts, performed over two consecutive nights on 22 and 23 November 2019. Two iconic gigs that sold out in just a few minutes. For this gig to end all gigs, the group’s loyal fans packed into the Accor Arena one last time, drinking in all of the band’s lyrics.And because it was a swan song, the concert closed with an epitaph stating simply “93, Suprême NTM, 1988-2019” A strange idea, because some talents never die... everyone knows that. 

A note for the fans: The live album of the concert was released on 29 January 2021 on CD, DVD, audio cassette, and double vinyl! Now you can be there even if you weren’t there the first time! 

Ennio Morricone’s Farewell Concert

He passed away in 2020, leaving behind an immense discography. And that’s no surprise, as Ennio Morricone also left his mark on decades of cinema, with his legendary theme songs. A Fistful of Dollars (1964), The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), all by Sergio Leone; Days of Heaven (1978) by Terrence Malick; The Thing (1982) by John Carpenter; The Untouchables (1987) by Brian de Palma; The Hateful Eight (2015) by Quentin Tarantino... the list goes on. All of these iconic films have one thing in common: their genius composer. 

Over a career spanning 60 years, the man who earned the nickname Il Maestro amassed more than 500 cinema and TV credits, and released more than 100 original pieces. Looking back over his career, what stands out most is the winning partnership he formed with the director Sergio Leone, whose works he sublimated into music so very well. 

On 23 November 2018, aged 90, Ennio Morricone appeared on stage one last time, at the Accor Arena. For the occasion, the virtuoso led the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and a choir made up of 75 singers. It was a concert given in tribute, and one that covered all of Il Maestro’s movie themes. It was one last chance to relive the Italian composer and conductor’s masterpieces live on stage. 

Elton John at the Accor Arena

In early 2018, Elton John announced his farewell tour, entitled the “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour”. The tour was a major endeavour, featuring almost 300 dates and scheduled to run for three years... But the universe had other ideas, and Elton John’s poor health and the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to these ambitious plans. 

But the universe needs to understand that nobody keeps Elton John down for long. Rocketman’s final appearance on stage is only a matter of time. As he announced in a press release in the summer of 2020, Elton John has no intention of ending his career without showing his fans the gratitude they deserve for their loyalty.

Initially scheduled for October 2020, Elton John’s last concerts at the Accor Arena - and in France more generally - will go ahead on 10, 12, and 13 October 2021. It’s one last chance to catch a live performance of the hit songs that have become modern-day hymns.