"The Sparrow of Avignon": Mireille Mathieu Says Goodbye to Germany

A pageboy haircut, red lips, and an unmistakable voice: These have been Mireille Mathieu’s trademarks for decades. That’s exactly how the chanson singer took the stage in Chemnitz on Wednesday evening—kicking off her farewell tour of Germany. The audience in the well-filled Stadthalle was thrilled by the 80-year-old. 

Saying a final goodbye to the stage is apparently harder for the French chanson icon than expected: As early as 2024, she had announced her retirement from extended tours with her “Goodbye my Love Goodbye” tour. 

Now she is returning to the big stages one last time: According to reports, the concerts in Germany over the coming weeks will be the singer’s final performances—under the title “Goodbye my Love Goodbye. The Finale of the World Farewell Tour.” 

After kicking off in Chemnitz, Mathieu will continue her tour on October 30 at the Tempodrom in Berlin. The following stops in November include: the Alte Oper in Frankfurt am Main (Nov. 2), the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden (Nov. 4), the HCC in Hanover (Nov. 6), the Meistersingerhalle in Nuremberg (Nov. 8), the Kulturpalast in Dresden (Nov. 9), the Tonhalle Düsseldorf (Nov. 11), the Rosengarten in Mannheim (Nov. 15), the Isarphilharmonie in Munich (Nov. 16), and finally the Gewandhaus in Leipzig (Nov. 17).

Close Ties to Germany

For six decades, Mathieu, the “Grande Dame des Chansons,” has been delighting fans around the globe. The singer has a special history with Germany. Here she was celebrated as the “Sparrow of Avignon,” and here she achieved success with songs such as “Behind the Scenes in Paris” and “Akropolis Adieu.” But her connection extends far beyond music. In 1984, Mathieu received the Federal Cross of Merit for her contributions to Franco-German friendship.