It's been an exciting few weeks watching the 2024 Summer Olympics play out in Paris, particularly if you're a fan of professional breakdancing (aka breaking), Lady Gaga, the French metal band Gojira, and Céline Dion, who made a much-anticipated return to live performance at the Eiffel Tower during last month's opening ceremony. But all good things must come to end, and today they have, with Phoenix and Air (both French bands, naturally) closing out the Olympics in a ceremony put together by artistic director Thomas Jolly and executive director Thierry Reboul.
Performing six songs over 17 minutes — styled as a "mixtape," as Thomas Mars told the New York Times — Phoenix were joined by Air, Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, Kavinsky and Angèle, and VannDa.
Phoenix kicked off the set with "Lisztomania" before inviting other artists to the stage. With Kavsinky and Angèle they performed "Nightcall" (from the Drive soundtrack) and with Cambodian rapper VannDa they did old Phoenix faves "If I Ever Feel Better"/"Funky Squaredance." Weeks after Mars joined Air on the roof of the Paris Aéroport for their first performance of "Playground Love" together in 20 years, they did the Virgin Suicides classic again, with Koenig helping on guitar. And Phoenix and Koenig did their collab "Tonight" before the set closed with "1901."
“We are infinitely happy to have had the chance to celebrate with all the athletes and the entire world at the Closing of the Olympic Games in our beloved city of Paris," Phoenix said in a statement. "It was a wonderful moment to have been invited to take the stage with our friends from France and around the world, honoring the French spirit and remaining true to our motto: Liberté, Égalité, Phoenix! We are thrilled to both pass the baton to the Paralympics athletes and to Los Angeles for the forthcoming 2028 games."
Watch Phoenix be swarmed by Olympic athletes below.
https://twitter.com/leo_caesaris/status/1822748489878577306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
