The Rise of a Unique Musical Trend
The 2025-26 figure-skating season has introduced something fresh and unexpected. For the first time, several French figure skaters have built their entire performances around the legendary music of The Beatles. This surprising twist has captured the attention of fans, coaches, and media alike. The decision shows how athletes are blending sport and art to connect emotionally with audiences and judges.
The use of The Beatles’ timeless songs has transformed the tone of competitions. Instead of traditional orchestral scores or movie soundtracks, the skaters are stepping onto the ice to music that once defined the cultural heartbeat of the 1960s. It’s a daring shift — and it’s paying off.
Why French Skaters Chose The Beatles
The move wasn’t random. In recent seasons, French skaters have searched for ways to refresh their image and energize performances. The Beatles’ catalogue offers exactly that: rhythm, melody, and universal recognition. Every song carries emotion, story, and meaning — ideal ingredients for programs that must tell a story through movement.
For pair skaters Camille and Pavel Kovalev, the new season marked a chance to reinvent their style. Their decision to skate to “Come Together” — a modern version inspired by Gary Clark Jr.’s soulful adaptation — reflects their desire to mix rock energy with elegance. Pavel described the change as a way to “try something different” and rediscover joy on the ice.
Another French talent, François Pitot, has also embraced the Beatles’ sound, incorporating “Eleanor Rigby” into his program. The haunting strings and deep lyrics allow for emotional storytelling, making his performance stand out among technically focused routines.
A Fresh Direction Under New Guidance
Behind this shift lies strong coaching influence. French figure-skating coaches have encouraged their athletes to take artistic risks. The Kovalevs, who began working with Olympic champion Bruno Massot earlier this year, were inspired to experiment beyond classical structures.
Massot’s philosophy focuses on “detail and personality.” His method pushes skaters to use music that expresses who they are rather than what the judges expect. For French figure skaters Beatles programs 2025-26, that philosophy fits perfectly — the music connects with audiences instantly while giving the athletes room to showcase emotion and creativity.
The Beatles Effect: Blending Nostalgia with Modern Energy
The Beatles’ music carries a rare balance between nostalgia and power. Songs like “Come Together,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Hey Jude,” or “Yesterday” are instantly recognizable. When these melodies echo through arenas, even casual viewers feel engaged.
For the skaters, that response matters. Competitive skating isn’t only about jumps and spins — it’s also about energy exchange. The louder the cheers, the stronger the performance confidence. By using such beloved music, French skaters are inviting the crowd to become part of the story.
This connection can even affect scoring. Judges often respond to crowd engagement subconsciously; when the audience reacts, the overall impression score tends to rise. That makes The Beatles a strategic, not just artistic, choice.
Balancing Artistry and Technical Skill
The challenge for these skaters lies in balance. Figure skating demands both emotion and precision. Integrating popular music means re-thinking choreography — ensuring that every jump, spin, and lift flows naturally with the beat.
Coaches in France have invested hours refining timing, transitions, and musical interpretation. Instead of skating mechanically, the performers must feel the rhythm. In French figure skaters Beatles programs 2025-26, you’ll see modern edge work, expressive arm movements, and seamless lifts synced to musical accents — something rare even a few years ago.
A Symbol of Creative Freedom
In many ways, this Beatles trend represents freedom. It’s proof that figure skating can evolve without losing its elegance. French skaters are proud of their artistic reputation — from Surya Bonaly’s athletic innovation to Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron’s mesmerizing dance programs. The new generation continues that legacy by bringing The Beatles into the rink.
These choices signal that skating is not locked in the past. The music of Lennon and McCartney speaks to timeless human emotions — love, longing, courage, and hope — themes that match perfectly with the expressive art of skating.
Audience Reaction and Growing Buzz
At early preseason exhibitions, crowds have already responded enthusiastically. When “Come Together” begins to play, fans clap to the beat; when “Eleanor Rigby” swells, silence falls across the arena. That emotional swing — joy to melancholy — is exactly what performers hope for.
French social-media communities have started sharing short clips from practice sessions, labeling them with hashtags like #BeatlesOnIce and #FrenchFigureSkating2025. The buzz indicates that this musical direction may spread to other nations too.
Setting the Stage for the Grand Prix
All eyes are now on the first events of the 2025-26 ISU Grand Prix series. In Angers, France, the home crowd will witness how this musical experiment translates to competition. The Kovalevs and Pitot plan to open their seasons with their Beatles-themed routines, hoping to ignite both national pride and international attention.
If successful, the French figure skaters Beatles programs 2025-26 trend could inspire others — from Japan to Canada — to explore pop-rock music in their own routines.
The Artistic Transformation on Ice
The arrival of The Beatles’ music into French figure skating is more than just a seasonal trend — it’s a creative transformation. The new French figure skaters Beatles programs 2025-26 are breathing life into choreography, storytelling, and audience connection in ways rarely seen before.
For years, skaters leaned on familiar movie scores or classical compositions to convey emotion. But those melodies, while beautiful, often restricted personality. Beatles music, with its lyrical storytelling and cultural impact, gives skaters a new vocabulary of movement — one rooted in rhythm, energy, and real emotion.
When Camille and Pavel Kovalev skate to “Come Together,” their routine isn’t just athletic; it’s alive. The powerful guitar riffs give intensity to their lifts, while smooth transitions match the hypnotic beat. Similarly, François Pitot’s interpretation of “Eleanor Rigby” turns loneliness and reflection into visible art on ice.
Reactions from the Skating Community
Within the skating world, this Beatles wave has drawn admiration — and curiosity. Coaches from other nations have noticed how the French team is merging technical precision with a contemporary sound. Many agree that such creativity can elevate audience engagement and even boost scores under the new ISU judging components, where “performance” and “interpretation” hold equal weight to technical elements.
Some purists, however, remain cautious. They argue that skating to pop or rock might distract from pure technique. Yet, as the 2025-26 season unfolds, French skaters are proving that both can coexist — powerful jumps and elegant choreography can thrive on popular soundtracks if executed thoughtfully.
This shift also reflects the French spirit — bold, innovative, and artistically fearless. France has always valued expression in sport, and French figure skaters Beatles programs 2025-26 perfectly capture that national identity.
How The Beatles’ Music Shapes Emotion and Storytelling
Each Beatles song tells a story — and figure skating is storytelling in motion. By combining the two, skaters can create performances that audiences remember long after the competition ends.
Take “Eleanor Rigby”: its sorrowful strings and haunting lyrics mirror the emotional ups and downs of a solo routine. Pitot’s program uses the song’s rhythm to emphasize loneliness, resilience, and redemption — themes that naturally resonate with figure skating’s artistry.
On the other hand, “Come Together” brings a completely different vibe — rebellion, rhythm, and unity. It allows the Kovalevs to show strength, synchronization, and chemistry as a pair. The tempo drives their movements, turning lifts into musical highlights and spins into rhythmic punctuation marks.
The Beatles’ versatility — from “Let It Be” to “Here Comes the Sun” — opens endless possibilities for future French programs, ensuring that the trend remains fresh and emotionally deep.
The Role of Coaching and Training
Behind every great routine lies months of hard work. Coaches like Bruno Massot have pushed their athletes to understand how to skate with the music, not just to it. Timing, expression, and emotional connection are being treated as essential technical components.
For the 2025-26 season, French training camps focused on musicality — using off-ice dance sessions, rhythm exercises, and video analysis to align each movement with the sound. The goal? To make every beat visible through the body.
The French figure skaters Beatles programs 2025-26 show that skating has evolved beyond counting steps and rotations. It’s about creating a living story where technique supports emotion, and emotion amplifies technique.
Audience Buzz and Cultural Influence
From the moment fans heard The Beatles playing during early practice sessions, excitement began to grow. French skating enthusiasts flooded social media with comments praising the creativity of their athletes. Videos of these programs quickly spread online, gaining thousands of views.
What makes the response special is the age diversity. Older audiences feel nostalgia hearing the music of their youth, while younger fans are discovering The Beatles for the first time through skating. This crossover of generations has made figure skating more inclusive and emotionally accessible.
Event organizers are also thrilled — ticket sales for French competitions have increased, and broadcasters note higher viewer engagement when performances include well-known songs. The Beatles may be more than half a century old, but their influence continues to attract modern audiences.
Breaking Stereotypes in the Sport
Figure skating often faces stereotypes — that it’s elitist, overly classical, or detached from mainstream culture. The French skaters’ Beatles experiment breaks that image. By skating to popular, emotionally rich songs, they remind everyone that skating belongs to everyone, not just to traditionalists.
The programs also celebrate individuality. Each skater interprets The Beatles differently: some emphasize emotion, others focus on storytelling or humor. This variety makes competitions more entertaining and dynamic.
The result? A fresh, relatable image for the sport — one that connects culture, history, and athleticism in a single artistic experience.
Global Influence and What Comes Next
The impact of French figure skaters Beatles programs 2025-26 may soon go beyond France. Already, reports suggest that athletes from Japan, Canada, and the U.S. are considering similar musical themes for their upcoming seasons.
This could mark the beginning of a new era — one where pop and rock coexist with classical music in competitive skating. Skaters may use artists like Queen, Elton John, or even Coldplay, following the path France has pioneered.
Such creative freedom encourages new fans to explore the sport and makes figure skating more connected to mainstream art and music.
Long-Term Legacy
When history looks back at the 2025-26 season, it might remember it as the year when figure skating rediscovered its musical soul. The Beatles’ music reintroduced emotion, rebellion, and authenticity — qualities that sometimes fade in the pressure of competition.
French skaters, by taking this risk, are leaving behind more than medals. They are leaving a legacy — proving that sport can evolve without losing its grace. They’ve shown that innovation is not about replacing tradition, but about enriching it.
As audiences cheer and judges take note, one thing is clear: the magic of The Beatles and the artistry of French skating have found perfect harmony.
Final Thoughts
The French figure skaters Beatles programs 2025-26 represent a bold new chapter — a blend of rhythm, memory, and motion. It’s not just about skating to famous songs; it’s about rediscovering what makes figure skating beautiful: emotion, connection, and courage to be different.
Whether it’s “Eleanor Rigby’s” melancholy or “Come Together’s” power, The Beatles have found a new stage — a frozen one, shining under arena lights, where music and movement unite to tell timeless stories.
