The Paris Olympics opening ceremony just got a lot more metal: the acclaimed French band Gojira have been revealed among the musical acts set to perform during the ceremony on Friday (July 26th).
French newspaper Le Parisien and Time Out both report that Gojira’s performance will consist of a collaboration with opera singer Marina Viotti, who has previously “experimented with jazz, gospel and heavy metal,” per her website.
Does that mean Gojira will just be providing musical accompaniment while Viotti sings? Or will we get to hear some death growls at the Olympics?
Metalheads who may have passed on watching the ceremony should now be more inclined to tune in and find out. Gojira certainly stand out against the other performers: Céline Dion, Lady Gaga, and Aya Nakamura. Stage director Thomas Jolly is orchestrating the opening ceremony, which traditionally celebrates the local heritage and culture of the host country.
For Gojira, it marks another career milestone for the long-running band that formed in the French commune of Ondres back in 1996. Fans can next catch the band stateside when Gojira supports Korn on the latter’s US headlining tour this fall (get tickets here).
The 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony airs at 1:30 p.m. ET Friday (July 26th) on NBC, Peacock, and NBC Olympics streaming platforms.