On the docks of the royal canal in Sète, you regularly come across cables, spotlights, and teams hard at work. The series Demain nous appartient, broadcast on TF1 since 2017, has turned this town in Hérault into an open-air filming set.
The sets visible on screen do not all function the same way: some are real buildings, while others only exist behind the walls of a studio. A few are located well beyond the limits of Sète.
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Permanent studios in Sète: where the interior scenes of DNA are filmed
Many viewers think that the actors perform in the actual apartments seen from the street. This is not the case. The majority of interior scenes are filmed in a studio, in permanent facilities located in Sète itself.
These spaces house more than fifteen reconstructed sets. You can find the characters’ apartments, the interior of the police station, the courtroom, and the counter of the Spoon bar. Each set is custom-designed, with fixed lighting and removable walls to allow cameras to pass through.
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You can map out the filming locations of Demain nous appartient by separating what belongs to the studio from what is part of the natural decor of the city. This distinction is useful when visiting Sète: there’s no need to look for the interior of the Spoon in a real bar; it only exists between four studio walls.
Outdoor sets in Sète: docks, bridges, and facades filmed by the production
The outdoor scenes rely on real sites, almost all accessible on foot. Here are the ones that appear most frequently on screen:
- The Quai d’Orient, where the building of the regional Crédit Maritime Mutuel serves as the facade for the series’ courthouse. Its contemporary architecture matches the visual style sought by the production.
- The Sadi Carnot bridge, 76 meters long and 24 meters wide, used in connecting shots between two scenes. Its modern structure contrasts with the old bridges in the center.
- The beach of Trois Digues, between Sète and Marseillan-Plage, where the beach hut representing the Spoon is located outdoors. Only the facade is filmed, with the rest being recreated in the studio.
- The house serving as Chloé Delcourt’s home, one of the few permanent outdoor sets of the series, visible from the street but located on private property.
The facades of the Beddiar houses or the shared apartment of Victoire and Georges are only used for quick illustrative shots. No dialogue is filmed in front of these buildings, which often surprises visitors who expect to see teams hard at work.
Filming outside Sète: Grau-du-Roi and Port Camargue in DNA
Some episodes are filmed near Grau-du-Roi and Port Camargue, in the Gard. Tourist guides focus on Sète, and this geographical extension remains poorly documented. It creates confusion among fans trying to locate certain scenes.
The choice of these sites meets practical needs. When the production seeks a marina with a different configuration or a Camargue landscape that does not resemble the Sète canals, the team moves. These shoots remain occasional, but the sequences appear on screen without any signs indicating the change of municipality.
Some fans recognize the locations without difficulty, while others struggle to identify the exact shots without precise indications.
Ciné Tour by boat: explore the DNA sets from the canals
A Ciné Tour by boat offers a chance to navigate the canals of Sète and the Thau lagoon while passing by the main filming locations. The tour includes commentary on production anecdotes and the practical workings of filming: camera positioning, management of pedestrian traffic, buildings dressed for the screen.
This format provides a different perspective from walking, especially on the docks of the royal canal.
What the Ciné Tour does not show
The circuit does not provide access to the interior studios, which remain closed to the public. It also does not cover the sites in Grau-du-Roi. You only see the facades and the outdoor sets in Sète, which is sufficient to recognize most of the recurring shots from the series.
Spotting an ongoing shoot in Sète: what to observe on site
Sète is not a theme park dedicated to DNA. Filming takes place under real conditions, often on docks open to traffic. When a scene is being prepared, you generally spot security barriers, technical trucks parked along the canal, and assistants directing pedestrians.
Outdoor shoots mainly take place during the week. Observing a scene from a distance is possible, but approaching the actors or equipment is systematically blocked by the crew.
The series attracts an audience each year that travels specifically for these sets. This attendance is felt in Sète, where businesses on the Quai d’Orient and in the upper district have seen their visibility increase since the series launched in 2017.