Paris 2024 Olympics: who is Gojira, the metal band tipped for the opening ceremony?

With the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games just around the corner, many people are getting impatient to find out what’s in store for the big night. For the first time in the history of these Games, the opening ceremony will take place outside a stadium. It’s on the Seine that this river spectacle will take place. In detail, over 200 delegations will climb aboard boats that will parade down the river, along a 6 km route between the Pont d’Austerlitz and Trocadéro. The athletes will also parade along this mythical river, passing by some of the capital’s most beautiful monuments, including Notre-Dame de Paris, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.

But what can we expect during this river parade? “ Animations, installations and artistic performances celebrating sport and the city will take place at the heart of this river setting,” says the City of Paris, adding that ” 12 artistic tableaux will showcase France’s heritage, Paris, its monuments and bridges along the way “.

Artists will also perform live at the 3-hour ceremony. No official announcement has yet been made, but rumors are rife. Aya Nakamura, Céline Dion (currently in Paris), Lady Gaga, Cerrone and Juliette Armanet are all rumored to be performing. Another name that has been put forward is Gojira. According to Le Parisien, this French metal band could perform this Friday, July 26, 2024, at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.

Gojira, a French metal band acclaimed the world over

So, who exactly is Gojira? Well-known to metalheads, Gojira is without doubt one of France’s most popular metal bands, both at home and abroad. Formed in 1996 under the name Godzilla, then renamed Gojira in 2001, the band consists of the Duplantier brothers – Joseph aka Joe on vocals and guitar and Mario on drums, then Christian Andreu on guitar and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass. Hailing from the Landes region, the band now boasts 7 studio opuses, including the excellent“L’Enfant sauvage” (2012) and“Magma” (2016), featuring the powerful tracks ” Stranded ” and ” Silvera “.

Let’s not forget the sensational“Fortitude“. Released in 2021, this is Gojira‘s latest album. Thanks to such successful tracks as ” Another World “, ” Amazonia ” and ” The Chant “, the album has charted in many countries, including France of course, but also the USA, the UK, Finland and Australia. The result? Gojira has criss-crossed much of the globe, playing concerts in Europe, the USA, South America and Australia.

Proof of its reputation with other metal bands, Gojira was chosen to open for Metallica at the Stade de France in 2012. More recently, Gojira lit up Hellfest in summer 2022 and set theAccor Arena alight in February 2023.

The French band, nominated for several Grammy Awards, is also known for its commitment to the environment. The quartet supports the NGO Sea Shepherd, denounces the ravages of deforestation and supports the indigenous peoples of Amazonia.

This Friday, July 26, 2024, according to Le Parisien, Gojira could well feature in the cast of this opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. According to the daily, artistic director Thomas Jolly and his team have come up with a surprising, but oh-so-interesting encounter between the French metal band and Franco-Swiss opera singer (mezzo-soprano) Marina Viotti. It’s a wonderful artistic proposition, and one that will surprise many if it is confirmed!

Paris 2024 Olympics: artists, happenings, parades… what to expect for the opening ceremony?
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are here! And for the opening ceremony, scheduled for July 26, 2024, plenty of great surprises await the lucky ones who were able to get a ticket, and those who will be watching on TV. Artists, happenings, a parade of athletes… What can we expect? We tell you (almost) everything! [Read more]