Sting reopened the Bataclan concert hall in Paris with a minute of silence dedicated to the 90 people who died in a terrorist attack at the venue one year earlier.
Appearing on stage to loud cheers, Sting spoke French to the packed crowd.
"We've got two important things to do tonight ... First, to remember and honour those who lost their lives in the attacks a year ago, and to celebrate the life and the music of this historic venue.
"So before we begin, I would like to ask that we observe one minute of silence ... We shall not forget them."
After the minute of silence, the star launched into a string of hits.
The audience of about 1500 people contained survivors and relatives of those who died in the attack by three members of the Islamic State group on a concert by the Eagles of Death Metal rock band.
The proceeds from Saturday's concert will go to two organisations for the victims.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls called for unity and more collaboration between European authorities to prevent terrorism.
"Yes, terrorism will strike us again," Valls wrote in an essay published in Le Soir and The Guardian Saturday.
"But, yes, we have within ourselves the resources to resist and the strength to win. We Europeans will defeat Islamist terrorism," he wrote.
In a statement, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the attacks would remain "forever etched in our hearts" in a statement on Saturday.
"They wanted to attack France. But on that tragic night, we Europeans and citizens across the world were all French," Juncker said.
Various memorial activities are planned throughout Sunday in the French capital at the scenes of the co-ordinated terrorist attacks across Paris, in which a total of 130 people died.