More success for the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq (Nord)! On Monday 29 May, the venue hosted worldwide electro-pop band legends Depeche Mode as part of their “Global Spirit Tour” launched at the start of 2017.

The British trio performed to a packed and buzzing arena. Around 27,000 fans poured into the Pierre-Mauroy stadium for the lively performance.
 
This was an opportunity for the stadium to switch to arena mode: a wonder of modern engineering, the northern half of the pitch laid out on a huge metal platform is raised – all 400 tons of it! – and then slides inch by inch across the southern half to reveal the “pit”. This creates what is in fact the largest arena in Europe, complete with soundproof curtain to separate off the unused part of the stadium.
 
A concert lasting over two hours and 23 songs
To the delight of their fans, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher and the charismatic lead singer Dave Gahan played no less than 23 songs for the audience at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium.
40 and 50 year olds danced and screamed, just like on the dance floors of new wave clubs in the 1980s! After playing songs from their new album “Spirit”, including the hypnotic “Going Backwards”, the three original members of Depeche Mode played some of their best known hits, including “Everything Counts” and “Enjoy the Silence”. They closed the show with a triumphant rendition of “Personal Jesus”.
 
A quick change
Just a few hours later, on Tuesday 30 May, the amazing venue had already gone back to its usual layout to prepare for a production by Les Prodiges, complete with two separate stages measuring 300 and 600 sq.m.
 
This was followed by the Vieilles Canailles concert, which took place on 10 June. The next musical events planned are the North Summer Festival scheduled for 24 and 25 June, and then two Céline Dion concerts on 1 and 2 July and a performance by the Lille National Orchestra on 12 July.  Not forgetting the semi-final of the Davis Cup scheduled for mid-September, the venue being perfectly suited to hosting both live music and sports events.
 
A review of events at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium is available on the website in the Live and Replay section:
http://www.stade-pierre-mauroy.com/stade-pierre-mauroy/live-replay/32-live-replay-concert/170-depeche-mode-global-spirit-tour-mai-2017
and an aftermovie of the concert is also available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4_s40DYjEI