MIKA GIGS

Midem at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France 30/1/2025

At the first gig of the year in Cannes the audience was close to the stage and the wooden floor of it was reflecting colours coming from the lights and backgrounds, creating a beautiful scene and leaving space for Mika’s elegant outfits. The show was properly long and beautiful in every way and included many new and extremely lovely details. It started with the slower version of Lollipop that is perfect for stylish venues, the beginning part of the song was almost spoken. The astonishingly elegant opening for the show got only better when Mika started Origin and soon took off his black jacket revealing a black version of his prettiest top and a new, bold necklace. He flirted with the audience playing with the necklace introducing the new accessory and added a sweet detail in the “Thank God That You Found Me” part spelling with his fingers: L-O-V-E, thank-God-you-found-me. 

After Lollipop and Origin Mika continued with Talk about You and then did a particularly beautiful intro speech for Big Girl before rushing backstage to change his outfit. “I was sitting in a diner and this lady walks in and she looked like my auntie Mimi. She calls the waiter, she says, darling, bring me a Diet Coke and a pizza, please. I wanted to fall to my knees and scream: Diet Coke and a pizza please! Lady, you are beautiful! The problem was that that was the movie in my head and in real life I said absolutely nothing."  It was an unexpected pleasure to get the new speech detail in English. The whole night was exceptionally elegant yet still somehow sweet and not overly polished at all even though the venue was seated and the location kind of fancy. 

La Défense Arena in Paris, France 5/2/2025

Despite the huge arena circumstances the space for this private corporate event was actually surprisingly cozy. The performance time was one hour and 15 minutes meaning a compact but still proper length gig and included introducing chats and even some funny scenes. The energy was unexpectedly cheerful, reminding me of a small party and not a formal corporate gig at all. 

The gig day was coincidentally the 18th anniversary of Mika’s first album Life In Cartoon Motion and celebrating the day with dashing versions of his biggest Life In Cartoon Motion classics felt wonderful. Again, lovely spoken intro for Big Girl. In Grace Kelly the piano intro was simple and pretty before adding power like we are used to. During Happy Ending it felt refreshing to hear the brisk, totally different guitar and Mika’s fierce singing. Love Today was one of best moments for several reasons. The choir was powerful and the crowd was brought in successfully. The final dance started in a sophisticated way first marching and then changed to a proper dance full of excitement.

Before Elle Me Dit we saw a new, beautiful and theatrical little play where Mika told a love story with his jacket. He hung up the jacket of his multicolour suit to the microphone stand pretending it to be a person and then a warm, intimate moment was shared. The dance was first careful, then passionate and eventually it ended, the jacket was on the floor and he was shivering alone and I think we all felt for him. After this little scene he asked someone from the audience to dance with him and the more typical and eventually very cheerful Elle Me Dit dance was done together, the audience dancing as well. 

I wished I could have a closer look at his necklace and during Big Girl, totally out of blue, he suddenly handed the necklace to me and I was wearing it during the gig feeling fabulously royal and it was all very sweet, considerate and kind of magical.

Zermatt Unplugged in Zermatt, Switzerland 11/4/2025

The event in Zermatt was a beautiful combination of the best sides of different gig formats. It was focused and music oriented almost like symphonic concerts are, the atmosphere was as intimate as it can be at the tiniest club gigs. The concept was unplugged so the setting was simple and bare yet the energy during the energetic songs was sharp and Mika used his unbeatable showman skills throughout the gig. The acoustics were perfect, it was possible to hear everything. The performance was detailed and emotional and Mika truly put his soul in each song, it was intense and truly intimate. 

The setlist was full, generous and satisfying and carefully planned to please the most demanding person in the audience. Both Toy Boy and later Over My Shoulder were supported by the format, circumstances are rarely this ideal for those two songs. Listening to Underwater felt like moving to another dimension. I was transferred to another world, the air around us was not just air, it was filled with a totally unique energy. I had waited for an acoustic version of Ice Cream for a long time and knew it would be a huge highlight and it was perfect. The performance was extremely rich with details and it started almost whispering, changed to talking and then singing and finally screaming a bit, the frustration was sophisticated and the choir was powerfully demanding and just to put it shortly, it was gorgeous in every possible way. 

The most touching part of the gig was naturally and expectedly Relax. On some level every person is alone and that’s scary. Somehow the message in Relax says there could be a collective, universal love that can change all that, that in the end we are not alone after all and that’s the most comforting thought any song has ever told to us. The Zermatt version felt utterly genuine. It was done in a simple way mostly with piano, the choir joining a bit and the other instruments joining only in the very end. The performance was serious, beautiful and moving and it was focusing on what was said. 

During Grace Kelly the audience started chanting and Mika immediately used the opportunity, played some air piano and guided the crowd like it was his own big choir before continuing to the song itself. He had the audience completely eating out of his hand. However, after the song he had no other option than to say thank you and tell he has already exceeded his strict time limit. The audience wouldn’t hear it. No one wanted to leave and people kept demanding him back until he eventually came and to everyone’s joy did the ending Love Today, adding a long introduction in the “marine weather forecast style” like he occasionally does. The crowd went totally mad. 

Pinkpop in Landgraaf, Netherlands 20/6/2025

The performance at Pinkpop started with a big wow effect and a totally new intro and Mika appearing on stage wearing a dashingly elegant light greyish-blue suit and huge, incredibly generous and vital looking wings. The outfit was breathtakingly beautiful, sophisticated and in every way impressive and the start with We Are Golden couldn’t have been better. It was possible to hear a collective gasp in the audience which was with him from the first seconds. A festival performance like this is only one hour long but it’s an hour spent in the best possible way, always my favourite moments. Every single second was full of beauty, elegance, joy and happy smiles. The performance and the energy in the audience were fantastic, it was in every way a positive and sunny experience.

Arenes de Nimes in Nimes, France 26/6/2025

Gigs at the historical arena in Nimes always turn out to be extremely special in a particularly emotional way. The day is always incredibly hot and sunny and the gates are always chaotic but when we are finally inside in the evening we have a moment to admire how amazing both the structure and the size of the arena are. One of the reasons why the gig turned out to be as emotional as it was, was definitely the French audience reacting to the French songs and generally the interaction between Mika and the crowd and him making the audience participate in several songs and the energy moving back and forth between these two elements. 

Some of the biggest highlights during the night were definitely C’es la vie and Jane Birkin. We saw the choir ladies on stage and everything was a bit more classy and glamorous than at regular festival gigs. Underwater is my usual favourite and the audience at the arena became a sea of beautiful lights and the atmosphere continued equally beautifully with the exciting new mood in Good Guys. The song had lovely new tones. It felt like everything in the song suddenly happened at nighttime. The atmosphere was beautifully dusky, Mika did gestures like hugging himself, at the same time swinging a bit from one side to another while the choir kept repeating the rhythm.  Everything was beautiful.

Sound of City in Leeds, UK 3/7/2025

Just being back in the UK felt amazing and created extra anticipation and excitement in the air before the show. I was looking forward to experiencing a good atmosphere and energy in the audience and also couldn’t wait to have a proper look at the new visuals. Being lucky to hear a new song never came to my mind and was a totally unexpected treat. More than a festival, the event felt like a simple outdoor gig. A distinct part of the gig was for sure the great atmosphere and the crowd that so fully took part of the gig singing, dancing and waving their hands. There was a lot of talk between songs, obviously this time in English, and it was mostly about the location and the owls and people who were sitting in the balconies but also some more serious comments about the previous Leeds gig where Mika had his mother with him when introducing Elle Me Dit. Elle Me Dit became a huge party, the whole crowd at the square jumping and having fun, and having a French song on the setlist felt just right.

La Nuit de L’Erdre & Mainsquare in France 5-6/7/2025

The tour continued with two French festivals, La Nuit de L’Erdre in Nort-sur-Erdre and Mainsquare in Arras in Northern France. The schedule was tight and after the first festival there was a 5-6 hours drive to the next one without any break and for that reason the experience felt like one even though it included two festivals.

In Nort-sur-Erdre there was a lot of interaction and this time Mika didn’t communicate only with the audience but also with the security making two guys in front dance and during Elle Me Dit he joined the dance with them. We got both C’est la vie and Jane Birkin and during Jane Birkin a little girl was asked on stage from the audience and her contagious happy dance made everyone at the festival happy.  

In Arras the audience had a great energy and it gave an enthusiastic response and my only worry was that the time limit would cut the performance before Love Today. However, when it was time for Love Today and the giant heart I saw Mika’s face expressing the kind of determination that I knew he would fit the song in the performance and offer us the heart experience and the ending party with the heart was absolutely great.

La Semo in Enghien, Belgium 11/7/2025

My absolute favourite moment in Enghien was definitely Underwater. There’s nothing like Underwater to make you appreciate every aspect in your life. The song is like oxygen when needed and it can make any day a beautiful, special occasion. The audience was singing a lot, during Billy Brown, Relax and the ending Grace Kelly which sounded fantastic. It felt wonderful to hear three French songs from the latest album. Jane Birkin and C’est la vie were lovely in an expected way. Bougez was a slight surprise, and the energy during it became explosive. The setlist was as perfect as it could be.

Lovely Brive Festival in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France 17/7/2025

Seeing the light blue, “rare bird” outfit felt an aesthetic experience. I couldn’t stop admiring how beautiful it looked and loved seeing the poses, the background colours changing and small stars sparkling here and there. After that revealing the gorgeous blue shirt and pants combination which, again, looked stunning. One of the most beautiful outfits ever seen on stage. Sophisticated and with the shirt totally casual at the same time, an incredible amount of visual beauty in one outfit. 

During the show different powerful moments came one after another which gave the night a strong, energetic vibe. To balance the setlist we saw beautiful, calm and funny moments as well. I loved Underwater and another huge highlight was Happy Ending. The silver glittery outfit was sparkling against the pink background giving an immediate impression of magic, the flower piano was ready with lights and the letter M and when the song started, the piano was filled with colourful little flowers like a soft, high flower bed and indeed, Mika used the opportunity. He climbed on the flower bed rolling over in flowers trying to find the most comfortable position like Sleeping Beauty. After that he took little baths and showers in flowers spreading them all over his hair. He took a big handful of flowers and threw them over the audience and it felt like a surprise flower confetti rain and to my joy I found flowers in my pockets after the gig.

Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy 19/7/2025

During the Umbria Jazz Festival the town of Perugia is filled with live music performances here and there, people are sitting in cafes and restaurants or walking around with their dogs watching musicians. There are dogs everywhere. In the evening Arena Santa Giuliana becomes the centre of the area, the vibe is elegant and somehow a bit more special than at regular festivals. 

The sound was beautiful and the lights fantastic, the stage quite high. The best part of the setlist was the “cocktail” it created because I felt it represented Mika really well and at the same time was suitable for the jazz festival audience, just slightly pushing the boundaries. Even though energetic as usual for Mika, the setlist was both classy and international and for sure enough to please the most demanding person. It included the classic, big Mika songs, the main language was Italian and to acknowledge the country Stardust had a place on the setlist. As a surprise the audience got Jane Birkin in French and to my pleasure also a little bit chatting about writing an album in French which I loved. The couple of English songs outside the regular setlist could be seen as little gifts both being such extremely lovely performances.

No Borders Music Festival in Tarvisio, Italy 20/7/2025

The stage was simple and to my great, great pleasure I saw there was no stage background at all, we could see the landscape and the view through the stage: green trees and mountains in the background. To match this natural, simple surrounding Mika had chosen a simple, very fresh white and navy coloured patterned suit and I loved seeing that, adding a new suit felt a special effort to make the gig stand out and the start looked pretty and fresh and when he started with We Are Golden the sound was beautiful and I knew since the first seconds that the event was special and something we would well remember later. The gig continued and every song felt special and was beautifully performed and sounded absolutely lovely. 

The main language was Italian but several times there were comments in English and a little bit in German and with some help from the audience also a tiny bit in Slovenian. There was a lot of chatting and the languages created a lovely mess. The mood went from wildly cheerful to beautifully calm but stayed warm and cozy and every single person at the venue surely appreciated the nature of the gig, understanding how special the tone was. I couldn’t agree more with Mika who complimented the moment during the gig asking if we could just cancel everything else and do “this” again and again. Would be absolutely happy to see a gig like in Tarvisio again and again.

Este Music Festival in Este, Italy & Anfiteatro del Vittoriale in Gardone Riviera, Italy 22&24/7/2025

The castle environment in Este was already historical and special but the location for the gig in Gardone Riviera one of the most gorgeous I had ever seen. Simply arriving and seeing the lake and flowery gardens everywhere felt shockingly beautiful and when I finally saw the venue I was stunned, we were obviously going to see a gig at one of the most unique venues Mika has ever performed. Teatro Vittoriale is surrounded by a giant green area with a quirky historical house that used to belong to the famous, extravagant, colourful poet Gabriele D’Annunzio.

How beautiful the performance was, how incredible it was to follow it in a setting like that! The atmosphere was different than I had expected in advance, not immediately warm and cozy, taking time for people at the back to join, but what a beautiful, beautiful performance it was. Absolutely fantastic. 

I loved Jane Birkin, both the opportunity to hear it in Italy one more time and the performance itself. I loved Good Guys and the incredibly pretty ending where the crowd started to sing, one of the prettiest Good Guys moments I’ve heard. I loved Stardust that made the setlist special for Italy. I loved listening first Underwater and then gorgeous Billy Brown, again with a really nice introduction. Just hearing Mika speaking English before Billy Brown felt fantastic, a big highlight moment, no one makes the English language sound as beautiful as he does. 

Latitude in Suffolk, UK 27/7/2025

The best part of the festival was the mood and atmosphere that could be felt from the beginning in the organisation and in the audience and later in Mika’s performance as well. Even though his show was strictly one hour it was relaxed and smiling and joyful as ever and in every way absolutely lovely. There was definitely a good connection between Mika and the audience. The new song Spinning Out was by far the best performance we had seen so far, the sound was great and the performance didn’t have an introducing vibe like it often is for a new song, it was considered and confident and made the song feel a treat indeed, the Latitude audience was very lucky. 

City Celebration in Timișoara, Romania 2/8/2025

Surprisingly the night in Romania turned out to be magical. Timisoara is a smallish, peaceful and extremely friendly city. Even though the event was free the organisation was lovely and helpful. The security organised people protection from the sun, offered water and generally behaved in such a nice and kind way that it was a pleasure to wait for Mika’s turn. The audience was cheerful and the unusual setting made the crowd surely look pretty seen from the stage. The venue was a narrow city boulevard, the high stage in the other end of it, meaning that the crowd continued and continued and must have looked absolutely beautiful especially with lights. 

The gig was extremely generous in every possible way. The crowd was generous showing their love and joined many, many songs in different ways. The performance was incredibly generous as well. Mika spoke Romanian several times, he kept complimenting the audience telling directly during Underwater that the crowd with their lights was the most beautiful thing he had seen the whole summer. He bathed in flowers and kept throwing a generous amount of flower confetti in the air and towards the audience which looked absolutely lovely and colourful.

La Nuit des Etoiles in Le Folgiet, France 14/8/2015

Festival La Nuit des Etoiles in Brittany was one of those fun local festivals that  are often my favourites. The mood can be a bit messy yet extremely warm and loving at the same time and this festival wasn’t an exception. Not the most organised event but people were nice and helpful. The audience was almost wild and it was definitely loud and Mika did his best to encourage these both characters. The show was planned for the crowd, it was extremely energetic, even physical, including wild dancing and jumping. The setlist was built around classics but surprisingly we saw many new details, like little gestures and moves, as well.

I loved hearing the guitar in the beginning of Happy Ending, watching his shiny, silvery suit sparkling under lights like numerous stars at the same time. A magical moment. I loved the air instrument details at the beginning of Grace Kelly and I loved how he made this loud audience louder and louder with “da daadada” and the same happened with Love Today. The crowd was made to repeat LOVE LOVE LOVE louder and louder and louder and the adrenaline rose and when it was time for the flower piano and bathing in flowers there were plenty of flowers to give a truly generous impression. The flowers were everywhere, even stuck in his hair. One particularly stubborn flower didn’t go away before he blew on it several times until it finally flew away. 

Venoge Festival in Penthaz, Switzerland 16/8/2025

Sometimes we are lucky to see a gig if not exactly on Mika’s birthday, at least around it, which makes the audience feel like celebrating together with him and it’s always lovely. This time the gig in Switzerland was late on Saturday night ending after midnight on Sunday, meaning it was the day before Mika’s official birthday which was on Monday. People in the audience had brought party hats, balloons and birthday signs to be used during Jane Birkin and after the song the crowd sang Happy Birthday getting smiles and thank you words in different languages as a reward. Generally, it was a sweet moment. 

The view from the crowd to the stage was absolutely beautiful because the stage was quite high and the distance to it long. It was possible to see Mika moving to different sides of it and it was possible to see the piano and the flowers and the choir on the other side of the stage in their glamorous dresses.  I felt lucky and grateful to be there. To see this beautiful view, generally to be able to see a concert this close to Mika’s birthday, to have a feeling of celebrating that important day. 

V and B Fest in Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne, France 22/8/2025

V and B Fest in Chateau-Gontier-sur-Mayenne, France, was the last gig of the 15 Days Of Summer Tour and for that reason alone an event that stands out. Mika started the full sunlight shining directly to the stage. It was highlighting his joy, positive energy and the smile on his face. The soft blue looked even softer, the bright pinks and greens even brighter and happier. The holiday tan on his skin was glowing. It must have been quite pretty also from his point of view, the sun smoothly going lower, the crowd eventually bathing in the golden light. An extremely beautiful time of the day to be on stage. During Origin, he took off his tie and suddenly threw it to someone in the audience and then continued and took off his shirt, throwing it away as well. He looked absolutely amazing on stage, dancing Origin hands up in the air, looking beautifully tanned in the sunlight. It was a stunning sight.

Busan International Rock Festival in Busan, Korea 27/9/2025

After closing the summer festival season in Europe we were lucky to experience one more festival in Busan, Korea. There was a natural connection between him and the festival crowd, the crowd simply started to sing and that happened during many songs starting from Lollipop and happening during each big song and even during Spinning Out which I found completely astonishing, because the song was new for everyone. 

For Elle Me Dit Mika spotted a poster with a text “Busan Is Golden” and he ran down to have it and then back to show it to everyone. At the end of the song he asked a lady from backstage to translate to be able to ask the audience to turn their backs and dance. He determinedly and carefully repeated everything the lady whispered to him in Korean, again making the crowd scream. After that he danced a moment together with the translator before the lady disappeared backstage and Mika himself did a wild Elle Me Dit dance in his usual style ending the song lying on the floor. 

One of my personal favourite moments of the night was during Happy Ending when the audience made little hearts with their fingers singing “little bit of love”. This little gesture that we so often do was originally introduced by the Korean audience, and that’s how I learnt it years ago, and suddenly it felt hugely emotional to see Mika back in Korea and to see the warm welcome with tiny Korean hearts and I loved how he immediately recognised the beauty of the moment as well and expressed to the audience how beautiful it looked.