The concert was recorded on Friday due to bad weather, but will be broadcast on Saturday December 7 evening as planned, with dozens of artists.
Bad weather almost got the better of the concert evening, specially organized for the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris, Saturday December 7. The artists finally performed the day before, in live conditions, during a show broadcast from 9 p.m. on France 2. An evening which promises to be “unforgettable”.
After the shock of the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris, the French and the rest of the world will be able to reconnect with the monument, just reopened and renovated. The event, organized by France TV and radioFrance, in partnership with Franceinter and Le Parisien, will be presented in France by Stéphane Bern.
Five years ago, Notre-Dame de Paris was ravaged by flames. Its roof and its emblematic spire went up in smoke in a few hours. A disaster still vivid in memories, and which the capital will be able to put behind it. The concert will close the first day of reopening ceremonies. The programming aims to be particularly diverse, between modernity and tradition, between sacred and profane. Stars of pop, classical music and even electro will follow one another.
World-famous artists will follow one another
Among the best-known French-speaking artists, we will find Clara Luciani, Vianney and Garou on stage. The latter performed songs from the famous musical “Notre-Dame de Paris”, notably “Le Temps des Cathédrales”, during the recording. And surprise! During the recording of the concert on Friday, Pharrell Williams was heard by passers-by, surprised to recognize the title “Happy”, reports The Parisian. He is accompanied by a gospel choir.
DJ Michaël Canitrot is also there: this artist is known for his electronic music concerts in front of monuments, such as the Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey in 2021 or the Eiffel Tower in December 2023. We will also find the Franco- Beninese Angélique Kidjo, winner of five Grammy Awards. The Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji is also announced: after her participation in 2015 in the show “The Voice”, she took over the role of Esméralda in the musical “Notre-Dame de Paris”.
Classical artists from all backgrounds present
In the more traditional part of the show, the Maîtrise de Notre-Dame, the cathedral organists and the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra will perform, led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel. This 43-year-old Venezuelan, known worldwide, was musical director of the Paris Opera from 2021 to 2023, and will be artistic and musical director of the New York Philharmonic from 2026.
Famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang will also perform in the show, as will South African soprano Pretty Yende. They both performed for the coronation of Charles III in 2023. Musicians like the Franco-Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili, the Franco-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Swedish violin prodigy Daniel Lozakovich are expected, indicates the HuffPost. The Franco-Swiss tenor Benjamin Bernheim and the soprano Julie Fuchs, whom you will recognize from the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, are also on the bill.
In addition to the musical event, classic texts will be read throughout the evening, notably by Victor Hugo, who “wrote his deep attachment to the cathedral and its major role in the history of Paris”, specifies the organization in a press release.