Latest news with #OlympicCauldron
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Olympic balloon to rise again in Paris
The iconic symbol of the 2024 Paris Olympic will take to the skies during France's annual street music festival, the Fete de la Musique (Thomas SAMSON) A giant balloon that became a popular landmark over the skies of Paris during the 2024 Olympics is set to rise again, with organisers hoping it will once again attract crowds of tourists. During the Games, the Olympic cauldron tethered to a balloon flew above the Tuileries garden at sunset every day, with thousands flocking to see the seven-metre (23 feet) wide ring of electric fire. Advertisement Last summer's version "had been thought up to last for the length of the Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Mathieu Lehanneur, the designer of the cauldron. After President Emmanuel Macron "decided to bring it back, all of the technical aspects needed to be reviewed", he told AFP on Thursday. Lehanneur said he was "very moved" that the Olympic balloon was making a comeback. "The worst thing would have been for this memory to become a sitting relic that couldn't fly anymore," he said. The new cauldron will take to the skies on Saturday evening during France's annual street music festival, the Fete de la Musique. Advertisement The balloon will rise into the air every evening until September 14 -- a summer tradition set to return every year until the 2028 Los Angeles Games. "For its revival, we needed to make sure it changed as little as possible and that everything that did change was not visible," said Lehanneur. With a decarbonated fire patented by French energy giant EDF, the upgraded balloon follows "the same technical principles" as its previous version, said director of innovation at EDF Julien Villeret. The improved attraction "will last ten times longer" and be able to function for "300 days instead of 30", according to Villeret. Advertisement The creators of the balloon also reinforced the light-and-mist system that "makes the flames dance", he said. Under the cauldron, a machine room hides cables, a compressor and a hydro-electric winch. That system will "hold back the helium balloon when it rises and pull it down during descent", said Jerome Giacomoni, president of the Aerophile group that constructed the balloon. "Filled with 6,200 m3 of helium that is lighter than air," the Olympic balloon "will be able to lift around three tonnes" of cauldron, cables and attached parts, he said. The Tuileries garden is where French inventor Jacques Charles took flight in his first gas balloon on December 1, 1783, Giacomoni added. Advertisement He followed in the footsteps of the famed Montgolfier brothers, who had just nine days earlier elsewhere in Paris managed to launch a similar balloon into the sky with humans onboard. The website is to display the times when the modern-day balloon will rise and indicate any potential cancellations due to weather conditions. ls-pel-mpm/mct/ah/djt
France 24
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
What is Fête de La Musique, France's annual solstice celebration?
The Summer Solstice of June 21— the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere — also heralds France's beloved music festival, the Fête de la Musique, which is marking its 44th year. Amid the heat, streets, bars, restaurants, gardens, museums and even libraries across France will host thousands of concerts for one night only. From classical to techno to jazz and rap, the line-up features a mix of renowned artists and bands, including La Femme, Romain Pissenem, Major Lazer Sound System, and Abd al Malik — some of the many artists that will perform at the Olympic Cauldron, which will be re-lit for the first time since the Olympic Games. In every corner of the city, artists from around the globe — from Brazil to Cambodia — will be present, bringing music for every taste. Alongside these headliners, amateurs and street performers from across the country will also take the stage. Many of the events are organised by town halls as well as by local associations, shops, schools and neighbourhood cafés. The full lineup for concerts in Paris can be found here while the full lineup for all of France is available on the government website. Millions have attended in previous years, with some traveling from outside of France to join the festivities. This year, Beyoncé will also be performing for three days over the weekend at the Stade de France, attracting even more music lovers to Paris. Social media, especially TikTok, is buzzing with foreigners, mostly British, eager to join the celebration. Many are sharing tips on how to celebrate the event and even practicing their French. The Paris transport system will offer a special 'Fête de la Musique' pass for €4.20 which provides unlimited access to all public transportation (except to airports) from 5pm on June 21 until 7am on June 22. The fête this year fortuitously falls on a weekend – the next Summer Solstice to take place on a Saturday will be in 2031— but is also expected to coincide with a heatwave that could see Paris temperatures soar to around 35°C (95°F). Musical origins Former minister of culture Jack Lang launched the first Fête de la Musique in 1982. A ministry survey conducted that year found that around 5 million French citizens played an instrument — including half of all young people. Lang decided to create this free festival as a way to break down the barriers between amateur and professional musicians. The idea of the free festival was to be open to all music, 'without hierarchy of genres or practices'. Some credit Joel Cohen, an American musician working at France Musique public radio, as the originator of the idea of a musical solstice. In 1976 Cohen launched the 'Saturnales de La Musique', a special broadcast to celebrate the solstices on June 21 and December 21 with music. The European Year of Music in 1985 set its sights on exporting the celebration abroad, and by 1997 a charter on 'La Fête Européenne de la Musique' was signed in Budapest. Thousands of cities around the world now celebrate Fête de la Musique, which means 'Music Party' in French but is also a play on words since 'Faites de la musique' — meaning 'to make music' — is pronounced the same way. Organisers underscore that the event is "for all music and all audiences without any lucrative purposes".
