Photo Credit: Bill Kelly

Last night, June 2, Eric Clapton rolled into Nice, France’s Palais Nikaïa to deliver the final performance of his spring tour. For the eighth staging in his European series, the guitar giant stayed close to the stable hit-lined, three-act setlist that’s wowed crowds in Nottingham, England, London, Assago, Italy and Paris–save for a very special grand finale with a guest appearance from John McLaughlin.

Clapton kicked off his show on Monday with an explosive take on the Cream classic “White Room,” then continued through the opening electric set with his tried and true covers of Charles Segar’s “Key to the Highway” and Willie Dixon’s “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” before shooting into a set break with the unforgettable Cream hit “Sunshine of Your Love.” After stripping his band back to the essentials for a five-track acoustic set, including stirring takes on standards like Robert Johnson’s “Kind Hearted Woman Blues” and a soaring rendition of Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way Home,” the blues rock giant wrapped the main portion of the performance with a second electric frame including Cream’s “Badge,” Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues” and a ripping run of J.J. Cale’s “Cocaine.”

After a beat for the audience’s roaring reception, Clapton and his ensemble stepped back into the spotlight for an encore, welcoming the great McLaughlin to join them on a triumphant treatment of Bo Diddley’s “Before You Accuse Me.” Clapton has been honing his unique approach to Diddley’s 1957 debut since its inclusion on his 1989 Grammy-winning comeback album Journeyman, and his version alongside McLaughlin was the icons’ first onstage meeting since the memorable 2023 Jeff Beck tribute event at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The two great axemen closed out Clapton’s tour with a bang by trading razor-sharp solos.

Clapton will return to the stage this fall for a six-show East Coast tour, beginning with a Sept. 8 staging at Nashville, Tenn.’s Bridgestone Arena and including a Sept. 19 booking at Madison Square Garden in New York. For tickets and more information, visit ericclapton.com.

Read on for the full setlist from Monday night.

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Thank you @EricClapton for letting me join and having fun ! pic.twitter.com/HqAgnWMRtG

— John Mclaughlin (@jmcl_gtr) June 3, 2025

Eric Clapton
Palais Nikaïa – Nice, France
6/2/25
Electric: White Room, Key to the Highway, I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man, Sunshine of Your Love
Acoustic: Kind Hearted Woman Blues, Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out, Golden Ring, Can’t Find My Way Home, Tears in Heaven
Electric: Badge, Old Love, Cross Road Blues, Little Queen of Spades, Cocaine
Encore: Before You Accuse Me+
Notes:
+ with John McLaughlin