Celebrities

Sophie Ellis-Bextor pays tribute to Bataclan victims before singing Murder of the Dancefloor

Sophie Ellis-Bextor pays tribute to Bataclan victims before singing Murder of the Dancefloor
Sophie Ellis-Bextor discusses hit song's revival following Saltburn success
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Sophie Ellis-Bextor recently performed at the Bataclan in Paris where she paid tribute to the 90 people who tragically lost their lives during the 2015 terrorist attack at the venue before singing Murder on the Dancefloor.

The 44-year-old is currently on her European tour and took to the stage on March 5 in the French capital but wanted to share a message before singing her hit song.

"Murder on the Dancefloor is not a song with any evil in its heart, the whole intention of that song, like this venue, is to bring joy and music onto the dancefloor," the singer explained, prompting cheers from the crowd.

"So in tribute to that spirit and in tribute to everybody who has ever danced right here at the Bataclan, this is Murder on the Dancefloor."

The Bataclan was attacked by three Islamic State terrorists on November 13, 2015 where they killed 90 people in a mass shooting during a performance by American band Eagles of Death Metal.


The terrorists were also wearing suicide vests and began shooting indiscriminately when they entered the venue while some concertgoers were held hostage.

Police ended up storming the concert hall where two terrorists detonated their suicide vests and the third was shot by officers.

This tragedy was part of a coordinated terrorist attack across the city which saw three suicide bombers detonate their bombs on the same day outside the Stade de France during a France v Germany game, while gunmen targeting cafes and restaurants.

From this series of terrorist attacks 130 people were killed and over 400 people were wounded in total.

A year on from the tragedy, the Bataclan reopened its doors and has welcomed artists and concertgoers since then.

Meanwhile, Ellis-Bextor made headlines after her hit song returned to Number 2 in the UK charts after it saw a resurgence in popularity following its use in the 2023 film Saltburn.

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