Hotels for PLK

A stadium show on this scale means a full evening out: gates open well before the headline act, the crowd builds slowly, and the sound of tens of thousands singing along carries long after the last song. Friday night timing gives the whole event a release-of-the-week feeling, with fans arriving straight from work and staying out late afterwards.

Expect a long queue for the main doors, a merchandise rush, and a slow, good-natured filter back out into the surrounding streets once the lights come up. It's the kind of night that rewards travelling light and getting there early.

France's national stadium, the Stade de France in Saint-Denis just north of Paris hosts football and rugby internationals, cup finals and the very biggest stadium concerts. The surrounding area is urban and busy, geared to moving huge crowds, with central Paris a short train ride away. RER lines and the Métro serve stations right beside the stadium, linking swiftly into the city. Booking a room near a convenient RER stop, or centrally in Paris, makes reaching the ground and returning afterwards straightforward.