[Live report] Lenny Kravitz at Printemps de Pérouges: still got the groove!

Some concerts have to be earned a little more than others. This one certainly did. Scorching heat, chaotic access to the parking areas on the festival’s opening day, crowds that were difficult to manage at the entrance… In short, the stars seemed aligned to prevent us from seeing what promised to be an excellent opening act in the shape of De’Wayne. But once inside the festival grounds, all those inconveniences were quickly forgotten. Because Lenny Kravitz had decided to remind everyone why, nearly forty years after his debut, he remains one of the last true rock stars of his generation.

Live report – Lenny Kravitz
📆 June 23, 2026
📌 Saint-Maurice-de-Rémens
🎸 Printemps de Pérouges
⏱️ Concert length: approximately 2 hours

Once we finally made it inside the festival grounds, it was impossible not to fall under the spell of the venue. Located near the château of Saint-Maurice-de-Rémens, where Antoine de Saint-Exupéry spent much of his childhood and drew part of his inspiration, the site offers a truly spectacular setting. A place steeped in history and culture, which felt like a promising sign for the evening ahead.

On Tuesday night, the château grounds were sold out for Lenny Kravitz’s return to the Lyon region. Just over a year after his appearance at the LDLC Arena, the American artist was back before Rhône-Alpes audiences in a radically different environment. In front of more than 10,000 spectators, he delivered a nearly two-hour set mixing major classics with a handful of songs from Blue Electric Light.

Festival mode activated

There was reason to fear a carbon copy of his LDLC Arena show from a few months ago. From the very first notes, those fears vanished. No opening riff from Are You Gonna Go My Way this time around. That would have to wait until the end of the night. Instead, Kravitz opted for a more traditional entrance with Bring It On followed by Dig In. The tone was immediately set.

Lenny Kravitz is no longer really in promotion mode. His latest album, Blue Electric Light, was released in 2024 and the tour supporting it is now behind him. In fact, he would only perform two songs from it during the evening. This summer, the American artist is mainly playing festivals, a format that suits him perfectly and allows him to focus entirely on the music.

Lenny Kravitz at Printemps de Pérouges (c) Cédric Vernet

No giant screens dominating the stage. No monumental production. Very few special effects. Even the trademark hip-shaking seemed somewhat restrained tonight, perhaps because of the heat. Lenny Kravitz kept only the essentials: a powerful band, a catalogue of songs that many artists would envy and an undiminished stage presence.

The opening section of the show alternated recent material with older favourites. The excellent TK421 brought its share of groove while the equally impressive Always On The Run triggered the first genuinely enthusiastic reactions from the crowd. Behind him, longtime collaborator Craig Ross continued to excel in his role as chief lieutenant. Jas Kayser impressed with her energy behind the drums, while Hoonch “The Wolf” Choi and George Laks locked everything together with precision. On backing vocals, Tiffany Smith and Maiya Sykes provided the soulful touch that remains essential to the Kravitz sound.

The hit machine is unleashed

The atmosphere shifted when I Belong To You and then Stillness Of Heart rang out across the château grounds. The Printemps de Pérouges suddenly became a giant open-air choir. Lenny Kravitz took his time, allowing the songs to breathe and multiplying his interactions with the audience.

The middle section of the concert gave Lenny Kravitz the opportunity to dig a little deeper into his catalogue. Believe, Honey, Beyond the 7th Sky and Low provided a welcome change of pace before the return of the major hits.

Then came the moment to let loose and launch into the greatest-hits section of the evening. The Chamber followed by I’ll Be Waiting prepared the ground for a magnificent rendition of It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over, a gem from the album Mama Said inspired by Motown, Philadelphia soul and Earth, Wind and Fire (Kravitz even borrowed their horn section for the studio recording).

From that point onward, the concert entered its final stretch. Again provided a more intimate moment before American Woman, a cover of The Guess Who that many people forget is not a Kravitz original, raised the temperature by several more degrees, as if the audience needed any help in that department. Lenny then closed the main set with two unavoidable classics. First came Fly Away, followed a few minutes later by Are You Gonna Go My Way, which triggered one of the strongest reactions of the evening and probably the record number of smartphones held aloft in the crowd. More than thirty years after its release, the song remains astonishingly effective.

After a brief departure from the stage, Lenny Kravitz returned for a single encore. As is often the case, it was Let Love Rule that brought the concert to a close in an extended version that seemed determined never to end. During these final moments, the singer prolonged the experience by mingling with the audience, shaking hands along the barriers and even signing a few autographs for longtime fans who had endured the heat to secure spots in the front rows.

In short, it was worth the effort!

In an exceptional setting, the Printemps de Pérouges had chosen a safe bet to launch its series of major concerts. The gamble paid off. At 62 years old, Lenny Kravitz has little left to prove. He is no longer in conquest mode. Instead, he is focused on passing on a catalogue that has become the soundtrack to several generations. A catalogue where rock, funk, soul and, more often than people acknowledge, a strong blues heritage continue to intersect through a riff, a groove or a guitar solo.

After the traffic jams, the heat and the endless queues, Lenny Kravitz ultimately gave us a memorable journey that would have been a shame to miss. Just a few steps from the childhood home of a famous aviator, it was difficult to imagine a better place from which to soar across the full span of his career.