Star Academy Tour 2027 And Star Academy's 25th anniversary

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Star Academy is coming to the Plenitude Arena, Europe’s largest indoor arena, on Saturday 3 April 2027. This unique event concert in Paris brings together every generation of Star Academy students around the greatest moments in the show’s history and its 14th season. An extraordinary anniversary concert promising an exceptional line-up and plenty of wonderful surprises.

Star Academy: 25 years of an extraordinary adventure

25 years ago, Star Academy became part of everyday life in France. On 20 October 2001, TF1 launched the very first season, adapted by Endemol from the Dutch format Star Maker. For almost three months, sixteen students took singing, dancing and stage performance classes at the Château des Vives Eaux in Dammarie-les-Lys. Every week, they performed live alongside guest artists. Hosted by Nikos Aliagas, directed by Alexia Laroche-Joubert and mentored by Florent Pagny, this first class was won by Jenifer. Its final drew around 12 million viewers.

Over the seasons, the weekly live shows welcomed prestigious guests such as Madonna, Beyoncé, Céline Dion, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Kylie Minogue. The show ran for eight seasons on TF1 until 2008, followed by one season on NRJ 12 in 2012. The strong ratings of its 20th anniversary specials then convinced TF1 to bring it back: it returned to the air on 15 October 2022, still hosted by Nikos Aliagas, now joined by Karima Charni. The fourteenth season starts on 10 October 2026. Mosimann, himself the winner of the seventh season, takes over as head of the academy, with Vianney as mentor.

A show that became a cult classic

Star Academy’s success quickly reached beyond its live shows. In November 2003, it won the 7 d’Or for best reality show, awarded by public vote. The format also went international: TF1 and Endemol created Eurobest, a Eurovision-style competition bringing together the winners of the show’s various versions. In 2003, Nolwenn Leroy finished second. The following year, Élodie Frégé won the second edition, renamed Worldbest.

Anniversary specials confirmed the public’s attachment to the show. The 5th anniversary special, broadcast at the end of 2005, drew more than 8 million viewers, a 37.9% audience share. Almost twenty years later, on 8 June 2024, TF1 broadcast the tour’s special concert live from the Accor Arena in Paris, proof that Star Academy still brings people together on stage as well as on screen.

Every generation of students on one stage

Over 13 seasons, more than 200 students have climbed the steps of the château in Dammarie-les-Lys. The show has revealed some of the greatest talents on the French music and entertainment scene, from Jenifer, winner of the first season, to Ambre, the latest title holder in 2026. In between, Nolwenn Leroy, Élodie Frégé, Grégory Lemarchal, Magalie Vaé, Cyril Cinélu, Quentin Mosimann, Mickels Réa, Laurène Bourvon, Anisha, Pierre Garnier and Marine also won the show. Other students, such as Olivia Ruiz and Sofia Essaïdi, built their careers without taking the title. Winner of the 2023 season, Pierre Garnier saw his song “Ceux qu’on était” certified diamond, and his debut album “Chaque seconde” certified platinum.

Bringing several generations of students together on one stage is part of Star Academy’s history. In July 2004, the first three classes reunited at the Parc des Princes in front of 45,000 spectators, alongside Garou, Lorie, Lara Fabian, Dany Brillant and Michel Sardou. In 2021, former students and teachers celebrated the show’s 20th anniversary at La Seine Musicale, over three evenings broadcast on TF1. For the 25th anniversary, the celebration moves up a level. This special concert, separate from the regular tour, brings together every generation of students around the greatest moments in the show’s history and its 14th season. An exceptional line-up has been announced, with plenty of wonderful surprises.

Anthems sung by several generations

Star Academy also made its mark on the sales charts. The first season’s album sold more than one million copies, driven by the single “La Musique”, which sold 1,450,000 copies. The second class followed with “Star Academy 2 fait sa boom” (975,000 sales), “Chante Michel Berger” (750,000 sales) and the single “Paris Latino” (800,000 sales). Then came “La Bamba”, “L’Orange”, “Laissez-moi danser” and “Santiano”, covers that have become inseparable from the show.

Bob Sinclar’s “Love Generation” has been the theme of the live shows since the fifth season and has been back since 2022. New classes carry on the tradition: “L’Album de la Promo 2024” includes the song “Et si tu sens”, written by Grégory Lemarchal, and reached number 10 in the French sales and streaming charts.

The stage, Star Academy’s second home

As early as 2002, the first tour sold 500,000 tickets across 67 dates in France, Belgium and Switzerland. Bercy and the Olympia sold out, and the troupe played twelve concerts at Forest National in Brussels. In 2003, the second class’s tour set the show’s record with 97 dates and 650,000 tickets sold. By 2006, more than 1.8 million tickets had been sold since the tours began.

After ten historic tours, the Star Academy Tour made a triumphant comeback in 2024: originally planned for nineteen dates, it ended up with 75. In three years, the show has once again become an unmissable event, with more than 1.1 million spectators and more than 200 performances in France, Belgium and Switzerland. The 2026 tour travelled across France from 27 February to 7 June. It stopped at the Accor Arena on 3 April 2026, and its concert at the Zénith de Toulon was broadcast on TF1.

To celebrate 25 years of singing, dancing, encounters and sharing, Star Academy invites its audience to the Plenitude Arena, Europe’s largest indoor arena, on Saturday 3 April 2027. An evening for long-time fans and for those who have discovered the château since 2022 alike.

Tickets