2025 was a landmark year for French electronic music: Justice’s global Hyperdrama tour and a third Grammy, Thomas Bangalter’s classical turn, two major anniversaries, a loss the scene will not forget, and the moment electronic music formally joined France’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Here is our full roundup of the year’s defining moments, album by album, festival by festival.
If you needed proof that French electronic music is in rude health, 2025 delivered it many times over. From the Grammys to a sold out night at the Olympia, from Coachella to a quiet loss that shook the French Touch 2.0 generation, here is everything that mattered.
The big tour: Justice
Fresh off a third Grammy for “Neverender” (their collaboration with Tame Impala), Justice spent 2025 taking the Hyperdrama show around the world. The tour cemented the duo’s reputation as the most spectacular live act in electronic music, and confirmed, once again, that French Touch pioneers still set the standard decades after their debut.
New chapter, same magic: Polo & Pan and Coachella
Polo & Pan released their third album, “22:22,” in April, a sensory blend of disco, dream house and French pop featuring Beth Ditto and Metronomy. The duo were also the only French act on the Coachella 2025 bill, and toured Europe (including two Olympia dates) to a rapturous reception.
Two French Touch anniversaries
2025 was a year of milestones. Vitalic celebrated 20 years of his genre defining album “OK Cowboy” with a special reissue, while Yelle marked two decades of hits with a sold out 20th anniversary show at the Olympia in November, a full circle moment for one of the scene’s most enduring pop exports.
Thomas Bangalter’s reinvention
Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter continued his post-Daft Punk evolution, bringing his orchestral ballet “Mythologies” back to La Seine Musicale in May. The production proved just how far a French Touch icon can travel from the dancefloor without leaving his roots behind.
New albums, new voices
Beyond the headline names, 2025 was rich with new music. Worakls returned in October with the symphonic “From One Blink To Another,” featuring Carl Cox. Etienne de Crecy released his first solo album in 25 years, “Warm Up,” with guests including Damon Albarn and Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor. Vegyn marked Record Store Day with “Blue Moon Safari,” a full, divisive reinterpretation of Air’s “Moon Safari” for its 25th anniversary. And Myd, Cerrone, Scratch Massive, Bob Sinclar and Teenage Bad Girl all added to a packed release calendar.
A loss for French Touch 2.0
The year was not without sorrow. In April, Kartell (Thomas Thierry), a key figure of the Roche Musique roster and the “French Touch 2.0” generation, passed away shortly after releasing the deluxe edition of his acclaimed album “Everything Is Here.” His death was a reminder of how much the scene owes to the artists who kept pushing it forward after the genre’s golden age.
Festivals and the road ahead
On the festival side, Astropolis celebrated its 29th edition in Brest, still France’s oldest electronic festival, while Versailles Electro brought a fully French line-up to the grounds of the Chateau de Versailles in February. Both events underlined how deeply electronic music is woven into French cultural life, from underground raves to heritage sites.
The cultural milestone: heritage status
The year’s most symbolic moment came in December, when electronic music was formally inscribed on France’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, a historic recognition of a genre once dismissed as fleeting, and widely seen as a first step toward a future UNESCO bid.
The takeaway
Between a Grammy, a world tour, two 20th anniversaries, a heritage listing and a loss the scene will not forget, French electronic music in 2025 was both a heritage and a living, evolving force.
Key facts
- Justice: third Grammy win, world Hyperdrama tour
- Polo & Pan: “22:22” album, only French act at Coachella 2025
- Vitalic: 20th anniversary of “OK Cowboy”
- Yelle: sold out 20th anniversary show at the Olympia
- Thomas Bangalter: “Mythologies” ballet revival in Paris
- Kartell (Thomas Thierry): key French Touch 2.0 figure, died in April
- December 2025: electronic music joins France’s Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Also notable: new albums from Worakls, Etienne de Crecy, Vegyn, Myd, Cerrone; Astropolis’ 29th edition; Versailles Electro
