The Paris Olympics opening ceremony is set to dazzle with nearly 10,500 athletes afloat on 100 boats along the Seine during the parade, covering approximately 6 km and honoring iconic landmarks like Notre Dame and the Louvre, before stopping at the Trocadéro near the Eiffel Tower. Scheduled for at 7:30 PM Paris time, or 1:30 pm EST local time on July 26, the event will be witnessed by 600,000 spectators in person and millions worldwide.

Adding to the excitement, Gojira, widely regarded as one of France’s premier metal bands, will feature in the exceptional line-up, bringing a powerful and unique sound to this historic event. With tickets having sold out earlier this year, anticipation is high for this unprecedented performance. So, who is Gojira, and what can we expect from its groundbreaking appearance?

Meet the metal band performing at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony

The French heavy metal band Gojira which has been around since 1996 has made a significant impact on the music scene in the country and is scheduled to perform on the date of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. The Gojira band members consist of brothers Joe Duplantier on the guitar who is the leading vocalist, Mario Duplantier on the drums, Jean-Michael Labadie on the bass, and Christian Andreu as lead guitarist.

Originating from the Landes region, the band has released seven studio albums to date, including the acclaimed “L’Enfant Sauvage” (2012) and “Magma” (2016), which feature the powerful tracks “Stranded” and “Silvera”. Their themes focus on ecology, spirituality, and the human race’s impact on the planet making them the perfect performers for the Olympics.  

Ahead of the performance, Gojira band albums like ‘From Mars to Sirius,’ ‘L’Enfant Sauvage’ and ‘Fortitude’ as well as merch like Gojira band shirts and Gojira band posters have all seen a spike in sales. Moreover, the Gojira band songs have seen an increase in streamers across music platforms. Their expertise in death metal, groove metal, and progressive metal strikes a chord in the fans’ hearts. The unique blend also helps create aggressive as well as melodic sounds. 

Who is Marina Viotti, the artist collaborating with Gojira?

Gojira’s reputation in the metal scene was further solidified when they were chosen to open for Metallica at the Stade de France in 2012. More recently, they delivered electrifying performances at Hellfest in the summer of 2022 and at the Accor Arena in February 2023. This time at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, they will share a stage with opera singer Marina Viotti. She has gained immense recognition for her versatile vocals and her experimental style.

Marina Viotti herself was in a heavy metal band called Soulmaker. Her opera-based profile lists her many performances, repertoire, photos, and videos. At the age of 25, her collaboration with artists who have had careers as long as hers is particularly impressive. Furthermore, her prowess in heavy metal, jazz, and opera will surely create a unique and spellbinding effect that will be a treat to watch. For readers wondering how to watch the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, which will feature her, it will be streamed on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com. It’s a remarkable artistic choice and one that is sure to surprise many!