PHOTO: JIMMY FONTAINE
This historic moment saw Gojira become the first metal band ever to perform at the Olympic Games, sharing the stage with global icons like Lady Gaga and Celine Dion.
Collaborating with composer Victor le Manse and acclaimed French-Swiss mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti, Gojira transformed the French Revolution-era song “Ah! Ça ira!” into a heavy metal masterpiece. Their performance, backed by nearly 300 classical musicians and enhanced by a spectacular display of pyrotechnics, took place from the windows of Paris’ iconic Conciergerie. Widely hailed as one of the most talked-about moments of the Summer Olympics, the performance received international acclaim and cemented the band’s reputation as innovators in the genre.
Gojira, currently nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 67th Annual GRAMMY® Awards, are no strangers to such accolades, with this being their fourth GRAMMY® nomination. The band recently concluded a North American tour supporting Korn and are hard at work on the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2021 album Fortitude. Featuring the GRAMMY®-nominated single “Amazonia“, Fortitude was celebrated as one of the best metal albums of the year by publications including Rolling Stone, Consequence, and The Guardian.
Looking ahead, Gojira is set to headline the U.K.’s Bloodstock Open Air Festival in August 2025.
Watch the video below.
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie
