Theodora Performs First Zenith Concert in Paris with Surprise Guests and Elaborate Production

On Sunday, March 29, French-Congolese singer Theodora performed her first concert at the Zenith in Paris, marking a significant milestone in her career. The event was the opening of a series of four sold-out shows at the venue, with additional dates scheduled through April 1. The Zenith performances conclude a broader tour across France and Belgium, comprising twelve dates over seventeen days. The production, managed by entertainment giant AEG, featured an elaborate stage design resembling a miniature city, complete with a "BBL Tower," hair salon, and aesthetic salon, evoking New York or Barbès neighborhoods. The show included thirteen dancers, nearly ten musicians—such as a cellist, violinist, trumpeter, and guitarist—and transformed dynamically between songs into settings like a strip club, a Windows 98 Paint interface, and a cabaret. Theodora, aged 22, wore extravagant outfits, including a metallic, triangular-frilled dress with a military corset, blending gothic, futuristic, and nostalgic elements. She engaged the audience of over 6,000, leading a cappella sing-alongs and rhythmic clapping. Surprise guest appearances included artists like Miimii, Rema, Christophe Willem, Luidji, Guy2Bezbar, and Gims, the latter performing amid recent legal issues. The concert also featured acoustic renditions, such as a collaboration with pianist Chilly Gonzales. Fans, including Marie-Lorène and Anna from Aix-en-Provence and Avignon, attended enthusiastically, with some catching lace underwear thrown into the crowd—a quirky tradition by Theodora. Her rapid rise in the music industry began in late 2022 with the track "Le paradis se trouve dans le 93," gained momentum with the 2024 single "Kongolese sous BBL," and culminated in awards at the Victoires de la Musique, including Female Revelation and Album of the Year for "Bad Boy Lovestory" and its reissue "Mega BBL." The Zenith concerts, announced last spring and quickly sold out, were supplemented with a fourth show under the hashtag #Zenith4all, with tickets priced at 50 euros, emphasizing accessibility.