Concert News

We Love Green Festival announces first names for 2023

• 20th Feb 2023

Can a festival really be sustainable? Can a sound system be green? Can a high-flying music scene take root in the heart of a forest? In 2011, the WE LOVE GREEN festival dared to combine beats and beets, decibels and falafels, artists and activists, talk shows and light shows, think tanks and renewable energies. Twelve years later, we are strongly emerging from the hallucinating deluge of 2022, and we are back in the Bois de Vincennes and in the big festivals (more than 105,000 festival-goers in 2022). All the while remaining independent, free and a forerunner. WE LOVE GREEN is more than a pop festival, it is an open-air research laboratory and a place for global and immersive experiences. An opportunity for festival-goers to preview new ways of living together and being in the world. Festive and civic-minded. Creative and responsible. Artistic and sustainable.

At WE LOVE GREEN everything is being tested again in 2023: from new channels of expression to unexpected solutions backstage, on stage and on the ground. Solar farm, consigned dishes, zero plastic site, chefs sharing their pantry, lunchboxes and water bottles brought by the festival-goers, responsible gastronomy, selective sorting with twelve flows, switch to total vegetarianism in the backstage area and in the festival, green hydrogen batteries, edible dishes, biofuel with rapeseed oil and green waste, entirely recycled scenography. This requires a lot of energy and doubts, but the result is solutions that are validated and shared in France and internationally in our “Green Europe experience” and “Green circular deal” working networks, and even a prize! In 2023, the festival received the highest distinction “Outstanding/Hors du commun” from the British NGO A Greener Festival. Today, we are proud of the path we have taken, which has irrigated many streams and rivers. But we are also aware that we need to go faster, further, and imagine, because change will come from all of us.

So in 2023, WE LOVE GREEN is pushing the boundaries even further and plowing the field of possibilities. Here’s a first look at what’s in store for the next edition.

Music

Because it is our trademark, we will continue to mix tomorrow’s trends and present the most exciting artists of contemporary music who bring together audiences that, after all, do not cross paths so often. We’ll tell you more right after…

Sport

New at the festival!

A brand new space: the PLAYGROUND will be the before of the 2024 Olympic Games and as part of the Cultural Olympiad, with one of its new disciplines: Skateboarding!

And to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Pedro Winter & the Ed Banger label will be hosting the Playground’s “Block Party” with old friends and the hottest collectives of the moment!

Art

This year, the Festival will be an open-air creative workshop: a new call for circular creative projects has been launched, aimed at architectural collectives, to rethink the festival’s major structures with one instruction: “What are my resources, what can I produce? At the same time, the scenography of WE LOVE GREEN has just been integrated into the training courses of the “Ecole des Beaux Arts” and the “Ecole des Arts Décoratifs”. The students will create installations for the festival in a large creative workshop.

Talks

Stories, rants and big names on the Think Tank stage. Between adventurers, activists, passionate intellectuals and experienced speakers, there will be plenty to think about. Our media partners are working with the festival team to prepare a packed and daring programme that will be unveiled in early spring.

Comedy

Comedian Fary had his premiere at the festival and his band had carte blanche last year to import an American-style Comedy Club in the heart of the Bois de Vincennes. A crowded stage that pushes WE LOVE GREEN to come back with a new Stand-Up program mixing headliners and young spirits! Watch out, your ears will clash!

THE 2023 MUSIC PROGRAMME IS HERE!

Futuristic rap, lyrical pop, sensual house, psychedelic rock, electro-folk, atomic fusion, DJ sets, concerts, performances: since 2010, true to its love of music, it has always tried to uncover the trends of tomorrow. Who remembers that PNL and Aya Nakamura gave their festival debut here, that Tyler The Creator played here before receiving a Grammy or that Migos or Rosalia were already treading the lawn of the Bois de Vincennes before becoming interstellar stars? This year, WE LOVE GREEN is no exception to the rule, welcoming confirmed stars, promising hopefuls and future talent. With an exciting and sexy, dancing and groovy, electric and eclectic line-up that confirms that WE LOVE GREEN, with its ears wide open, follows the pulse of its time. And that even the raging elements won’t stop us from dreaming and dancing.

And many more artists are coming soon!

MOSHPIT GANG

NXWORRIES
Superduo composed of the mythical Anderson .Paak and producer Knxwledge, Nxworries mixes rap, soul, jazz and r’n’b with an ultra classy video show in a bubble of loving and dreamy sweetness that you can’t get enough of once you’ve tasted it. Anderson Paak may have grown up with the sound of local gangsta rap, but he surfs on Californian coolness and is a true rapper with a tender heart, a sensitive crooner. A vibe that contains at least as much madness, ingenuity and freedom as that of his heroes: Quincy Jones, Prince and D’Angelo.

ORELSAN
Do we really need to introduce Orelsan, the superhero of French rap? Among his superpowers is his latest album, Civilisation, which is not only critically acclaimed but is also the best-selling album of 2022.

LOMEPAL
With a third album, symphonic and melancholic, concerts galore, videos that have been viewed more than 15 million times, Lomepal has transposed the world of rap to pop, electro or variety, aided by his voice that burns like a caress, which explains why he has become the idol of young people from 7 to 77!

PUSHA T
It’s not just Pharrell Williams, Missy Eliott or Timbaland who have put Virginia Beach on the American rap map. Pusha T is a veteran who has weathered the storm and commanded respect and admiration. The rapper’s favourite, with a sharp flow and an identifiable voice, has reached the grail this year, with his latest album reaching the number one spot on the Billboard 200 for the first time in his career with his sublime It’s almost Dry.

GAZO
At the top of the Spotify top 50 for half of 2022 with the track “Die”, it is on the WE LOVE GREEN stage that Gazo, standard-bearer of French drill music, decided to express himself. His melancholy and melodic drill always hits the spot.

LITTLE SIMZ
Considered by the master Kendrick Lamar as one of the best contemporary female rappers, impregnated with the influence of Lauryn Hill, the ultra-prolific English artist, supported by Inflo of the Sault collective, continues her exploration of Afro-American music, from gospel to soul, from funk to hip-hop, with an insolent talent.

070 SHAKE
Just 25 years old, the American 070 Shake, leader of the 070 collective which intends to put New Jersey on the map like Jay-Z put Brooklyn on the map, has established herself as the rapper of the future with her post-RNB music steeped in rap and electro. And it’s not “Escapism”, her global hit (140 million streams!) in collab with RAYE that will prove the contrary!

PLK
At only 25 years old, PLK is far from being a Rookie. He is even one of the most popular French rappers. Polak started early. He is part of the generation that knew rap thanks to his parents and was fed with Notorious B.I.G or Rohff. He started his career at 14 years old within the Confrérie & de Panama Bende, and quickly caught the eye of 1995 and notably Alpha Wann. What happened next? Everything went very fast with 2 platinums for his first album Polak, 3 for his last album Enna. PLK simply doesn’t have the time!

DINOS
In ten years, the lord of La Courneuve has established himself at the top of the list of the best rappers in Paris with his scathing flow and his dark, introspective lyrics.

YUNG LEAN
If Yung Lean blew up the charts on Tiktok this year with his hit “Ginseng Strip 2002” (released when he was 17 in 2013), he’s not a teenager anymore. The 26-year-old Swedish artist exploded at a young age, popularized “Cloud rap” on par with the Chicago scene: quite a feat that deserves respect. Above all, he has been able to cross the ages with his rap fogged by a cloud of psychotropic drugs with soaring and synthetic sounds.

RONISIA
Between Cape Verde and Grigny, Ronisia broke TikTok (50 million views) with the diabolical “Atterrissage” where her African and Caribbean influences are asserted. A breathtaking talent confirmed by her first album which exploded the streams. Ronisia is more than ever in the footsteps of Aya Nakamura.

INDIE CRUSH

PHOENIX
The best French band in the world was supposed to present their fantastic album Alpha Zulu exclusively at WE LOVE GREEN last year, but the storm got the better of their tenacity. They are back in 2023, more determined than ever to make the French Touch sail.

DARKSIDE
The unclassifiable Nicolas Jaar/Dave Harrington duo returns for a reunion ten years after its formation and creatively pursuing its contemplative sonic wanderings on a new record and a new show, the pop duo born in a Berlin hotel room reopens its door. Darkside will carry us away in their electro-hypnotic dance during a highly graphic set to better reveal the best of ourselves.

BON IVER
Never has folk music made us shiver as much as Bon Iver’s refined and inventive, free and insolent, pop and modern, guided by the enlightened Justin Vernon, whose celestial voice warms up the cathedral-like hits of grace and ice.

JACK JOHNSON
A thwarted surfer who became a musician on the good advice of Ben Harper, Jack Johnson has since been riding an intimate and alternative folk wave with success and genius, carried by his voice as tender and gentle as the foam of days.

POMME
With three gentle and intimate albums, a revelation at the Victoires de la Musique in 2020, followed by that of the best female artist the following year, Pomme has established herself as the committed face of the new French folk music, discreetly enhanced by electronics. An artist who touches us both through her music and her commitment.

GABRIELS
Carried by an unreal timbre that draws from the depths of the gospel of the Gabriels trio, this jewel that fell from the sky surfs with delicacy and thrill on a modern, inventive soul, studded with blues. Worn by Jacob Lusk, with his bonze-like ball and XL body in his chic bathrobe, his powerful voice with a rare elegance, he continues his crazy rise.

SURF CURSE
The ocean calls with the surging energy of the Californian quartet led by drummer and singer Nick Rattigan. The band surfs between indie pop and beachy post-punk, a recipe for melodic sensibility that has seduced the general public, notably with their track “Freaks” which has reached hundreds of millions of streams.

CAROLINE POLACHEK
Caroline Polachek, who broke away from the duo Chairlift, has opted for pop in the broadest sense of the word to lay down her deep and sentimental voice (and) assert her femininity, while mixing symphonic and electronic artifacts. She has established herself as the Kate Bush of Gen Z.

PARTY RAISERS

SKRILLEX
From his beginnings as the brightest and loudest element of the EDM scene to his ease of movement in the edgy, sweaty post-dubstep scene, Skrillex has surprised everyone. After disappearing from the radar, the American superstar DJ and producer is back in better shape than ever: serial hits with Justin Bieber & Don Toliver, Fred Again, PinkPantheress…with this ease of articulating mainstream and experimental, bringing everyone together under the banner of dance. He’ll be coming to where WE LOVE GREEN was expressly asked to be: in the heart of Lalaland, surrounded by a sharp underground techno set, tailored to him.

THE BLAZE
Since the fascinating “Territory” in 2015, the French duo The Blaze has woven a bewitching universe mixing brilliantly image and music, aerial trap and electronic trance, homo-eroticism and exoticism. The Blaze continue on their second album which will carry us all in its wake!

PEDRO WINTER – ED BANGER XX
20 years, that’s something to celebrate, isn’t it? The cult super-label Ed Banger, owned by Pedro Winter aka Busy P, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. He’ll be coming to the festival with a show designed by his sidekick SO ME and his old pals…

HONEY DIJON
The absolute queen of the dancefloors, originally from Chicago, spreads the good word of house music all around the world. In collaboration with Madonna or Beyoncé, as an outstanding DJ behind the turntables of the biggest festivals and clubs or in VIP fashion week, Honey is also a fierce activist for LGBTQI+ rights.

CHANNEL TRES
A pioneer of today’s house revival, the American is on display with Honey Dijon, Tyler, Shygirl or Tinashe, and explodes the dancefloors with his decisive mix of west-coast sensuality, 4/4 beats and techno intensity.

FOLAMOUR presents HOUSE OF LOVE
As talented a producer as he is a DJ, Folamour has made his frenzied and funky-disco-house sets his trademark. What if he was the French Mister Groove?

On the Lalaland stage, Folamour will come from Lyon with some friends to present his new baby: House of Love. A label built around one idea: to create an environment that allows you to dream. House of Love defends a culture, a state of mind and a common passion for music. An environment where the sky is the limit and dreams can come true.

ELIZA ROSE
DJ, producer and singer, Eliza Rose has translated her love of soul, jazz and clubbing into a track called “Bota”, an unmissable house/garage hit that made us sweat like never before.

JAYDA G
If the Canadian’s prods wonderfully transport house music towards more deepness and soul, her DJ sets transpire energy, hedonism and sweat. Like “Mine”, a feat. with Aluna and Inner City capable of heating up any dancefloor.

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE

YVES TUMOR
Signed to the Warp label, the unclassifiable crooner breaks down rhythms and mistreats melancholy. The great Yves has fun blurring the lines and mixing glam, psyche, rock and funk, to the rhythm of his great sentimental mixer. All sprinkled with a good dose of dance.

JOHAN PAPACONSTANTINO
Mixing his Greek roots with a melancholic and rhythmic Frenchie trap, full of bouzouki, autotune and humour, the lover of the French Touch will present his first album that makes you want to start playing sirtaki.

CHARLOTTE ADIGERY & BOLIS PUPUL
As a duo, produced by the 2 Many DJ’s, the two Ghent artists put world music back at the centre of the dancefloor, spicing it up with electro and acid loops, committed speeches and humour. An invitation to dance that is not to be refused!

TEMS
In just a few months, the Anglo-Nigerian Tems has gone from urban sensation to international superstar, churning out hits, collaborating with Wizkid and Bieber and winning a GRAMMY with Drake and Future.

FLO
Back to the golden age of girl bands. The gang of Londoners Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma and Renée Downe, revealed by the single “Cardboard Box” which went viral in a few hours, have the art and the way to reinvent the most qualitative R&B. A trio with superpowers!

SUDAN ARCHIVES
From Los Angeles, this violin prodigy mixes strings and R’NB, crooked beats and Afro-futurism, soul and psyche, while weaving an urban, futuristic, dancing and radically feminist pop.

VTSS
Heroine of the Polish rave scene, VTSS, famous for her fusion sets that mix indus, acid and EBM, loves techno that shakes up bodies and consciences. A regular at the most beautiful peak times (CircoLoco, Time Warp, Peacock Society), she will cover WE LOVE GREEN with her devastating beats.

J9UEVE
One of the future talents of the new rap generation who mixes solar and cloud melodies, soaring atmospheres and smoky flow, chewed-up phrasing and intimate confessions. The proof is in the pudding: Laylow immediately signed him to his label.

LUTHER
Signed to Sublime (Disiz’s label) Luther, 19, has pulled off the heist of the century with “Garçon”. His track record includes 20 million streams and a nerdish, biting rap that is raw and uncompromising, orbiting the throes of adolescence.

WINNTERZUKO
22 years old, prolific as ever, the mysterious Winnterzuko celebrates the unnatural union of hip-hop brutality and the naivety of eurodance beats and it’s totally irresistible. Turn-up or Rave Party, we don’t know anymore…

SAD NIGHT DYNAMITE
Inspired by Gorillaz, the English duo mixes influences (funk, punk, rap and pop) with audacity, talent and above all a freshness that explains the growing hype surrounding the most exciting project of recent years. A set that dynamizes the English club scene in the madchester way.

ADELE CASTILLON
Singer, actress and video maker, this all-rounder is very talented. After having made us dance to the eighties-style electro of the duo VidéoClub, she is now sailing solo with her intimate and delicately club-like pop.

AIME SIMONE
Dive into the intimate, poetic and moving world of Aimé Simone. His first album Say Yes, Say No, produced, composed and mixed by himself, is a luminous and bewitching work that creates a new style: melancholic post-pop.

NIA ARCHIVES
We can’t miss the revelation of the current jungle revival with the English sensation, raised between raves and the Mancunian clubbing scene, who brings a new and salutary breath to drum&bass.

CRYSTALLMESS
Based in Paris, the producer and DJ handles her turntables with a master’s hand to decompartmentalise genres and mix cultures. No wonder she was Frank Ocean’s first guest for the launch of his HOMER radio station a few months ago. Her sets mutate between Afro-trans, hardcore techno, frantic jungle, drum and bass… all in a sonic continuum that make clubs vibrate.

MAUREEN
Queen of “shatta”, the Guadeloupean version of dancehall, the young Maureen dances hand in hand and glued to the prods of Kalash, Staniski or Mr Vegas.

SOFIE ROYER
This adopted Viennese sensation has everyone under her spell with her falsely naive pop that plunges into the radiant sixties, topped with violins and analogue synths. Beware of addiction. Congratulations to her for having gone from trainee to one of the most beautiful promises of the mythical Stones Throw label in a few years.

LAZULI
A revelation adored by Brodinski and King Doudou, the young Frenchwoman mixes incendiary beats and latina-touch, mellow reggaeton and sensual trap, just like the chorus of her hit “Casse Ton Dos”: “Faut que ça tape, faut que ça bouge”.

H JEUNECRACK
“With each sound I reinvent hot water”, raps this young prodigy, rapper, MC and beatmaker from Toulouse with nonchalance and humour, who multiplies projects and releases with a talent that makes you dizzy.

VACRA
A mysterious artist with an androgynous and disturbing flow, Vacra has blown up the TikTok counters with a handful of addictive singles where house rhythms play close to dancehall and oriental sounds.

JOCKSTRAP
The unique duo of Taylor Skye and Georgia Ellery are part of a new wave of erudite pop bands that refuse to be confined to one genre, style or cultural reference point. Their sonic expertise allows them to take listeners on a whirlwind ride from powerful pop choruses to drill-inspired breaks, from classical violin to dancehall.

D4VD
D4VD is a pure self-taught visionary who delivers his moody indie pop straight from his Texas bedroom. Spotted as a teenager, he began creating his own heartbreaking tracks on Bandlab and recently broke through with his 2022 single “Romantic Homicide”, a song recorded entirely on an iPhone and peaked at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and led to d4vd signing with Darkroom/Interscope before he even graduated high school.