The Paris Olympic Games aren’t quite over yet. This Saturday, the capital will host a festive “after-party” with a parade of athletes and a massive concert on the world’s most famous avenue, the Champs-Élysées.
The Olympic celebration isn’t finished! After a summer of sweat, cheers, tears, and athletic feats, Paris has decided to extend the magic of the Games with a grand celebration on the Champs-Élysées this Saturday. On the agenda: an athlete parade and a giant concert, which attracted 70,000 reservations in just one hour.
“Even though we’re a bit tired, we’re happy to go back,” said Thierry Reboul, director of ceremonies, still emotional after orchestrating four magnificent ceremonies with director Thomas Jolly. This Olympic “after-party” is an opportunity to extend the festivities and honor the heroes of these Games.
Nearly 300 athletes, out of around 800 members of the Olympic and Paralympic delegations, are expected at the top of the avenue. Among them are stars like judoka Teddy Riner, swimmer Léon Marchand, and rugby player Antoine Dupont, the first French gold medalist of these Olympics. Fencer Manon Apithy-Brunet and triathlete Cassandre Beaugrand will also be in attendance.
The parade will also be an opportunity to award the medalists, a tradition usually reserved for the Elysée Palace. President Emmanuel Macron and other previously honored champions will present the Legion of Honor or the National Order of Merit to their peers. No fewer than 170 athletes are eligible for these distinctions.
Between 8,000 and 10,000 people are expected at the Place de l’Etoile, including public servants, volunteers, and members of the Organizing Committee (Cojo), who worked behind the scenes to make these Games a success. The internal security forces, heavily mobilized throughout the summer, will also be present to ensure safety at this final celebration. In total, more than 4,000 police officers and gendarmes will be on duty.
The highlight of the event will undoubtedly be the giant concert scheduled for the evening. A large stage will be set up around the Arc de Triomphe, featuring performances by several artists who stood out during the opening and closing ceremonies, such as Marc Cerrone, Chris (Christine and the Queens), Lucky Love, the duo Amadou and Mariam, and mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel, who performed La Marseillaise during the opening ceremony.
Spectators will be treated to a “best of the ceremonies,” with images projected onto the monument. To end the night in style, a DJ set will light up the avenue from 11 PM to midnight. It’s an event not to be missed, broadcast by France Télévisions and TF1, which will air a special program dedicated to the celebration.
This celebration is also a chance to begin reflecting on the impact of these Games. In the coming weeks, organizers will review the final bills and accounts. The cost of this parade-concert, announced by the President during the Games, will be shared between the various stakeholders and partners.
Afterward, attention will turn to the legacy of these Games. By the end of 2023, the Minister of Sports and the Olympics, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, had announced the plan for a law addressing the legacy, inspired by a report from former Minister of Sports Marie-George Buffet and Stéphane Diagana.
But before thinking about the future, it’s time to celebrate! This Saturday, Paris will once again live in the Olympic spirit, bidding farewell to a Games that delivered on all its promises and will be remembered for years to come. A giant “after-party” for a historic edition.
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