#neuilly

(Written by Dominique Resuma Canio & Andrea Davenport / Regional Contributor of Channel 8 News, Online News Correspondent of The Brighton Bugle, and Assistant Station Manager of ONC Holdings)

(2nd & FINAL UPDATE!!!) NEUILLY, FRANCE / SUNNY BAY, CALIFORNIA -- French animation has been on a strong run for over a decade now, and that does not appear to be slowing down. The long-awaited 3rd season of the hit cartoon series LoliRock has finally been greenlit, as Banijay's Zodiak Kids & Family teams up with Disney Branded Television (DBT), and French public broadcaster "France Télévisions" to bring the fan favorites back on TV.

A recent announcement was made from a programming block for children and teens together on France TV. Okoo is known for hosting popular shows like Ankama Animation's Wakfu, which is set to return for its 5th season. This new installment is projected to make its debut in the window following this year's FIFA World Cup in North America in June 2026 and the Summer Olympic Games in Southern California.

Initially, our inside scoop at The Brighton Bugle was obtained from the production source this past weekend. LoliRock is a French animated series, which was first aired in late-mid October 2014, for those who are not yet familiar with the franchise. The story follows an auditionee hopeful 'Iris', a teenage girl with a powerful singing voice, who secretly discovers on a big break of performance that she is a human princess from the magical kingdom of Ephedia.

Alongside her bandmates and fellow princesses 'Talia' and 'Auriana', Iris has to balance her star career as a pop sensation from 'Sunny Bay, California' with her duty to reclaim her crown from the tyrannical Gramorr. The show was internationally popular for its vibrant "magical girl" style and styling of high-energy French-American pop music.

After the two-part Season 2 finale, which aired in late-February 2017 on France 4, the narrative tension had been created to a high level. In a climactic confrontation, the villainous Mephisto sacrificed himself to save his sibling sister 'Praxina' from a magical explosion. He was confirmed dead, a few moments later.

The princesses liberated Ephedia and brought Iris home to their parents, but even in victory, a bitterness tinged with hope hung over it all. Towards the end of the season, mournful Praxina found a piece of Gramorr's mask and vowed a terrible revenge upon Iris and her friends on our home planet. That cliffhanger has kept fans waiting nearly a decade, and now, with a possible return looming, the stakes feel legitimate once more.

In the years since the Season 2 finale aired, fans have speculated about Praxina's fate, often imagining the consequences she might face from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and International Criminal Court (ICC) for her actions, ranging from attempted murder, domestic terrorism, grand theft auto, and many specific charges such as crimes against humanity.

Because of her actions on their home planet Ephedia on a planetary scale, the ICC is able to issue a red notice (International Arrest Warrant) oddly disregarding local state laws. While a slight positive note, the LoliRock team plans to go world tour, but it was short-lived as unexpected. It will soon be all sorted against Praxina, no matter what.

On Sunday night (June 21st, 2026 -- France local time) in a social media captioned photo on Instagram (corporate parent company of Meta Platforms Inc. [MPi])… The teaser image maintains the series' signature vibrant art style, showcasing the trio in updated magical attire that retains their iconic color motifs.

The drawing styles remain the same, but the animation appears to be more polished in quality. A photo caption read: "Finally in production!", and there was a whole lot of engagement from the LoliRock community. According to the registry database of the International Standard Audiovisual Number (ISAN), Season 3 episodes are expected to run the same 21 minutes as before. Jean Louis-Vandestoc was both the show creator and director of that French animated series: "The new season gives us the opportunity to push the boundaries even further, taking our heroines to bold new visual and storytelling horizons. More of an evolution than a revolution, this new chapter remains deeply rooted in everything audiences love about LoliRock while expanding its scope and ambition", he said.

As of this press time, The Brighton Bugle has sought further comment from Zodiak Kids & Family at Banijay on the matter, but we have not heard it back in our response. France TV has announced a late-October 2028 broadcast date for Season 3, scheduled months after the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, though the public television network noted the timeline could shift if production delays come up.

Excitement crackles through the fan base, with anticipation for Season 3 sparking lively discussion and speculation. The specific synopsis details for the Season 3 premiere are yet to be unveiled, but with the series confirmed, the melody of Ephedia is nearly far from over.

Will Praxina's thirst for revenge steal the spotlight from the princesses' long-awaited comeback? That's the cliffhanger sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats at home or online. Both seasons of LoliRock are available now on the France TV website, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video (APV), so there's no better time to catch up, or to relive early in advance, before this next season arrives in two years' time.

POSTER ART PHOTO COURTESY: Okoo via PR BACKGROUND PROVIDED BY: TEGNA

SOURCES: *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UAsx0ZDuqw *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPcVl6ddIOU *https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ2pX1UjKvq/ *https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoliRock *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Audiovisual_Number *https://web.isan.org/public/rs/isan/0000-0003-E04D-F004-Z-0000-0000-6 *https://www.banijay.com/blog/2026/06/22/banijay-kids-family-and-france-televisions-confirm-return-of-lolirock/ *https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2026/06/08/deportes/calendario-mundial-2026-orix *https://enfoquenoticias.com.mx/deportes/borrador-automaticomexico-rompe-la-maldicion-y-arranca-el-mundial-2026-con-triunfo-historico/ *https://www.nbclosangeles.com/olympics/2028-los-angeles/venues-la-olympics/3844808/ *https://www.nbclosangeles.com/olympics/2028-los-angeles/next-summer-games-preview/3851680/ *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup and *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2028_Summer_Olympics

Elliott Erwitt

Stanislas Lepine