Gojira and Marina Viotti: what is the metal surprise made in France at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games ?

Alongside the expected stars and the parade of athletes, a group will also put on a show at the opening ceremony, Gojira, one of the French flagships of metal, in a duet with classical singer Marina Viotti.

More than a million listens per month on streaming platforms, three nominations for the American Grammy Awards, concerts galore… And participation in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games! While international stars are announced, the flagship group of French metal, Gojira, will also play a role this Friday, July 26, during the ceremony on the Seine that is to open these 2024 Olympic Games.

Gojira, a Landes band originally founded by two brothers Joseph and Mario Duplantier, has conquered the world in addition to France. With their three Grammy Award nominations, they have also shared the stage in the United States with icons Metallica and Korn, notably following them as the opening act on several tours. In France, they have obviously hosted the Hellfest reference festival but also filled Bercy in Accor Arena in 2023. The album Fortitude released in 2021 ahead of this record-breaking tour had already sent sales figures into overdrive, particularly in the United States. Across the Atlantic, Gojira's appearance at the heart of this ceremony should therefore be particularly commented on. In France, it also represents a strong choice by the organization by giving a place to a musical genre that is not often highlighted in this type of event.

Their duet with mezzo-soprano singer Marina Viotti according to Le Parisien promises to break the codes a little more, a bet clearly made by this already extraordinary ceremony. Named lyrical artist of the year at the last Victoires de la musique classique, Marina Viotti also has a particular appetite for metal, and even has her own group Soulmaker. Far from the relative classicism of a cover of Edith Piaf as announced everywhere, the show by Gojira and Marina Viotti could be one of the nice surprises of the opening ceremony of these Paris Olympics.