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Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
How Paris Continues To Conquer Olympics Fans A Year After The Games
The reinstalled cauldron from the Paris 2024 Games Olympic Cauldron rises above the Louvre and River ... More Seine during the Fete De La Musique 2025, on June 21, 2025 in Paris, France. The basin designed by Mathieu Lehanneur will lift off into the sky of the French capital each summer evening from June 21 to September 14 for the next three years. (Photo by) The balloon has gone up and Paris is once again enchanted. The elegant spherical creation that housed the Olympic flame during last summer's Paris Games has returned to its floating perch above the Tuileries garden between the Louvre Museum and the Champs-Elysées, a central spot visible from many of the city's grandest monuments and bateaux-mouches floating down the bref, Paris has mastered post-Olympic fusion tourism. Come for the, well, everything, and stay to check out the spot that has made for some of the most spectacular Olympic imagery this coup de ballon, Paris has pulled off the kind of pivot most Olympic host cities have not been able to manage once the Games have ended. 1992 made a tourist destination of Barcelona and 2012 transformed London's formerly downtrodden East End. In the shadow of these successes, there have also been some dismal failures: see de Janeiro, Rio, where the Olympic Park seemed to fall to pieces only months after the Games ended, and Sarajevo, where disused venues from the 1984 Winter Olympics are greatly in need of refurbishment following the Bosnian the Paris Olympics to the past The helium-powered Olympic cauldron was imagined as a balloon in homage to the Montgolfier brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne. (The French word for hot air balloon is in fact montgolfier.) Jacques-Étienne piloted the first recorded balloon ascent by humans in 1783, setting the stage for Charles and Orville Wright 120 years later. Jacques-Étienne happened to launch his balloon in the middle of the Tuileries, and by no coincidence, the Olympic cauldron has been placed exactly where he took off for his fateful rebranded as the 'Paris cauldron,' the balloon's rise over the city will be a nightly occurrence on summer evenings for the next three years. Though it appears to house a flame, the whole contraption is really trompe l'oeil: its golden glow comes from a combination of LED lights, mist-squirting jets, and high-pressure fans. LED lights, fans, and high-powered jets provide the cauldron's flame-like effect. (Photo by Ezra ...) According to city estimates, Paris's newest iconic attraction drew more than 250,000 admirers last summer alone. Less popular so far are the 'baignades en Seine,' or sites where you can swim in the Seine River, an activity banned 100 years ago due to poor water quality but recently brought back in select areas and trumpeted as of the Games's great legacies. (Daily quality testing determines whether the water is actually sanitary enough for bathers to dip into.)More intriguing for the less adventurous may be the planned flotilla procession down the Seine set for July 27, a year and a day after the magically rainy Opening Ceremony that featured Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, and a bevy of small boats ferrying soaked and thrilled Olympic athletes down the river. New IOC President Kirsty Coventry will be among those in attendance. Olympians from Croatia wave flags aboard a boat in the floating parade on the Seine at the start of ... More the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Paris. (Photo by Clodagh Kilcoyne - Pool/Getty Images) Nor does Paris plan to stop at just the cauldron. Plans for a 'Monument of Champions' with the names of the 2024 Olympians and Paralympians will also be revealed, while the half-submerged statues of ten extraordinary Frenchwomen that made up part of the river decor during the Opening Ceremony will be unveiled in their new residence near the Adidas Arena, which held rhythmic gymnastics and badminton and was one of only two new build venues at the Games. As the Olympics expands its reach, Paris of all places certainly knows how to prolong the magic of the past.
The Mainichi
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Paris' iconic cauldron from the Olympic Games returns to light up summer nights
PARIS (AP) -- A year after it captivated crowds during the Paris Olympics, a centerpiece of the summer Games made a comeback Saturday to light up the French capital's skyline. The iconic helium-powered balloon that attracted myriads of tourists during the summer Games has shed its Olympic branding and is now just called the "Paris Cauldron." It rose again into the air later Saturday, lifting off over the Tuileries Garden just as the sun was about to set. Despite the suffocating hot weather in Paris, around 30,000 people were expected to attend the launch, which coincided with France's annual street music festival -- the Fete de la Musique, the Paris police prefecture said. And it won't be a one-time event. After Saturday's flight, the balloon will lift off into the sky each summer evening from June 21 to Sept. 14, for the next three years. The cauldron's ascent may become a new rhythm of the Parisian summer, with special flights planned for Bastille Day on July 14 and the anniversary of the 2024 opening ceremony on July 26. Gone is the official "Olympic" branding -- forbidden under International Olympic Committee reuse rules -- but the spectacle remains. The 30-meter (98-foot) -tall floating ring, dreamed up by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and powered by French energy company EDF, simulates flame without fire: LED lights, mist jets and high-pressure fans create a luminous halo that hovers above the city at dusk, visible from rooftops across the capital. Though it stole the show in 2024, the cauldron was only meant to be temporary, not engineered for multi-year outdoor exposure. To transform it into a summer staple, engineers reinforced it. The aluminum ring and tether points were rebuilt with tougher components to handle rain, sun and temperature changes over several seasons. Though it's a hot-air-balloon-style, the lift comes solely from helium -- no flame, no burner, just gas and engineering. The structure first dazzled during the Olympics. Over just 40 days, it drew more than 200,000 visitors, according to officials. Now anchored in the center of the drained Tuileries pond, the cauldron's return is part of French President Emmanuel Macron's effort to preserve the Games' spirit in the city, as Paris looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Gulf Today
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Olympic balloon rises again in Paris
A giant balloon that became a popular landmark over the skies of Paris during the 2024 Olympics rose again Saturday evening, as Parisians celebrated an annual street music festival. As locals danced to live music in and around the Tuileries garden in central Paris, the balloon made its return on a hot summer evening. Organisers are hoping it will once again attract crowds of tourists. During the Games, the Olympic cauldron was tethered to the balloon, flying above the Tuileries garden at sunset every day. Thousands flocked to see the seven-metre (23-foot) wide ring of electric fire. Last summer's version "had been thought up to last for the length of the Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Mathieu Lehanneur, the designer of the cauldron. After President Emmanuel Macron "decided to bring it back, all of the technical aspects needed to be reviewed", he told the media on Thursday. Lehanneur said he was "very moved" that the Olympic balloon was making a comeback. US band Major Lazer's Walshy Fire (right) and Brazilian singer Anitta perform during a concert as the Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron tethered to a balloon flies above the stage set in the Tuileries garden during France's annual street music festival, the Fete de la Musique, in Paris on Saturday. AFP "The worst thing would have been for this memory to become a sitting relic that couldn't fly anymore," he said. 'Make the flames dance' The balloon's return on Saturday kicks off a daily appearance each evening until September 14 -- a summer staple every year until the 2028 Los Angeles Games. "For its revival, we needed to make sure it changed as little as possible and that everything that did change was not visible," said Lehanneur. With a decarbonated fire patented by French energy giant EDF, the upgraded balloon follows "the same technical principles" as its previous version, said director of innovation at EDF Julien Villeret. The improved attraction "will last ten times longer" and be able to function for "300 days instead of 30", according to Villeret. The creators of the balloon also reinforced the light-and-mist system that "makes the flames dance", he said. People watch as the Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron tethered to a balloon flies above the Tuileries garden at sunset during France's annual street music festival, the Fete de la Musique, in Paris on Saturday. AFP Under the cauldron, a machine room hides cables, a compressor and a hydro-electric winch. That system will "hold back the helium balloon when it rises and pull it down during descent", said Jerome Giacomoni, president of the Aerophile group that constructed the balloon. "Filled with 6,200 cubic meters of helium that is lighter than air," the Olympic balloon "will be able to lift around three tonnes" of cauldron, cables and attached parts, he said. The Tuileries garden is where French inventor Jacques Charles took flight in his first gas balloon on December 1, 1783. He followed in the footsteps of the famed Montgolfier brothers, who had just nine days earlier elsewhere in Paris managed to launch a similar balloon into the sky with humans onboard. The website is to display the times when the modern-day balloon will rise and indicate any potential cancellations due to weather. Agence France-Presse
Fox Sports
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
Paris' iconic cauldron from the Olympic Games returns to light up summer nights
Associated Press PARIS (AP) — A year after it captivated crowds during the Paris Olympics, a centerpiece of the summer Games made a comeback Saturday to light up the French capital's skyline. The iconic helium-powered balloon that attracted myriads of tourists during the summer Games has shed its Olympic branding and is now just called the 'Paris Cauldron.' It rose again into the air later Saturday, lifting off over the Tuileries Garden just as the sun was about to set. Despite the suffocating hot weather in Paris, around 30,000 people were expected to attend the launch, which coincided with France's annual street music festival — the Fete de la Musique, the Paris police prefecture said. And it won't be a one-time event. After Saturday's flight, the balloon will lift off into the sky each summer evening from June 21 to Sept. 14, for the next three years. The cauldron's ascent may become a new rhythm of the Parisian summer, with special flights planned for Bastille Day on July 14 and the anniversary of the 2024 opening ceremony on July 26. Gone is the official 'Olympic' branding — forbidden under International Olympic Committee reuse rules — but the spectacle remains. The 30-meter (98-foot) -tall floating ring, dreamed up by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and powered by French energy company EDF, simulates flame without fire: LED lights, mist jets and high-pressure fans create a luminous halo that hovers above the city at dusk, visible from rooftops across the capital. Though it stole the show in 2024, the cauldron was only meant to be temporary, not engineered for multi-year outdoor exposure. To transform it into a summer staple, engineers reinforced it. The aluminum ring and tether points were rebuilt with tougher components to handle rain, sun and temperature changes over several seasons. Though it's a hot-air-balloon-style, the lift comes solely from helium — no flame, no burner, just gas and engineering. The structure first dazzled during the Olympics. Over just 40 days, it drew more than 200,000 visitors, according to officials. Now anchored in the center of the drained Tuileries pond, the cauldron's return is part of French President Emmanuel Macron's effort to preserve the Games' spirit in the city, as Paris looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. in this topic
The Advertiser
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Iconic Paris Olympic cauldron returns for summer nights
A year after it captivated crowds during the Paris Olympics, a centrepiece of the summer Games has made a comeback to light up the French capital's skyline. The iconic helium-powered balloon that attracted a myriad of tourists during the summer Games has shed its Olympic branding and is now just called the "Paris Cauldron". It rose again into the air later Saturday, lifting off over the Tuileries Garden just as the sun was about to set. Despite the suffocating hot weather in Paris, around 30,000 people were expected to attend the launch, which coincided with France's annual street music festival — the Fete de la Musique, the Paris police prefecture said. And it won't be a one-time event. After Saturday's flight, the balloon will lift off into the sky each summer evening from June 21 to September 14, for the next three years. The cauldron's ascent may become a new rhythm of the Parisian summer, with special flights planned for Bastille Day on July 14 and the anniversary of the 2024 opening ceremony on July 26. Gone is the official Olympic branding — forbidden under International Olympic Committee reuse rules — but the spectacle remains. The 30m-tall floating ring, dreamed up by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and powered by French energy company EDF, simulates flame without fire: LED lights, mist jets and high-pressure fans create a luminous halo that hovers above the city at dusk, visible from rooftops across the capital. Though it stole the show in 2024, the cauldron was only meant to be temporary, not engineered for multi-year outdoor exposure. To transform it into a summer staple, engineers reinforced it. The aluminium ring and tether points were rebuilt with tougher components to handle rain, sun and temperature changes over several seasons. Though it's a hot-air-balloon-style, the lift comes solely from helium — no flame, no burner, just gas and engineering. The structure first dazzled during the Olympics. Over just 40 days, it drew more than 200,000 visitors, according to officials. Now anchored in the centre of the drained Tuileries pond, the cauldron's return is part of French President Emmanuel Macron's effort to preserve the Games' spirit in the city, as Paris looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. A year after it captivated crowds during the Paris Olympics, a centrepiece of the summer Games has made a comeback to light up the French capital's skyline. The iconic helium-powered balloon that attracted a myriad of tourists during the summer Games has shed its Olympic branding and is now just called the "Paris Cauldron". It rose again into the air later Saturday, lifting off over the Tuileries Garden just as the sun was about to set. Despite the suffocating hot weather in Paris, around 30,000 people were expected to attend the launch, which coincided with France's annual street music festival — the Fete de la Musique, the Paris police prefecture said. And it won't be a one-time event. After Saturday's flight, the balloon will lift off into the sky each summer evening from June 21 to September 14, for the next three years. The cauldron's ascent may become a new rhythm of the Parisian summer, with special flights planned for Bastille Day on July 14 and the anniversary of the 2024 opening ceremony on July 26. Gone is the official Olympic branding — forbidden under International Olympic Committee reuse rules — but the spectacle remains. The 30m-tall floating ring, dreamed up by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and powered by French energy company EDF, simulates flame without fire: LED lights, mist jets and high-pressure fans create a luminous halo that hovers above the city at dusk, visible from rooftops across the capital. Though it stole the show in 2024, the cauldron was only meant to be temporary, not engineered for multi-year outdoor exposure. To transform it into a summer staple, engineers reinforced it. The aluminium ring and tether points were rebuilt with tougher components to handle rain, sun and temperature changes over several seasons. Though it's a hot-air-balloon-style, the lift comes solely from helium — no flame, no burner, just gas and engineering. The structure first dazzled during the Olympics. Over just 40 days, it drew more than 200,000 visitors, according to officials. Now anchored in the centre of the drained Tuileries pond, the cauldron's return is part of French President Emmanuel Macron's effort to preserve the Games' spirit in the city, as Paris looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. A year after it captivated crowds during the Paris Olympics, a centrepiece of the summer Games has made a comeback to light up the French capital's skyline. The iconic helium-powered balloon that attracted a myriad of tourists during the summer Games has shed its Olympic branding and is now just called the "Paris Cauldron". It rose again into the air later Saturday, lifting off over the Tuileries Garden just as the sun was about to set. Despite the suffocating hot weather in Paris, around 30,000 people were expected to attend the launch, which coincided with France's annual street music festival — the Fete de la Musique, the Paris police prefecture said. And it won't be a one-time event. After Saturday's flight, the balloon will lift off into the sky each summer evening from June 21 to September 14, for the next three years. The cauldron's ascent may become a new rhythm of the Parisian summer, with special flights planned for Bastille Day on July 14 and the anniversary of the 2024 opening ceremony on July 26. Gone is the official Olympic branding — forbidden under International Olympic Committee reuse rules — but the spectacle remains. The 30m-tall floating ring, dreamed up by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and powered by French energy company EDF, simulates flame without fire: LED lights, mist jets and high-pressure fans create a luminous halo that hovers above the city at dusk, visible from rooftops across the capital. Though it stole the show in 2024, the cauldron was only meant to be temporary, not engineered for multi-year outdoor exposure. To transform it into a summer staple, engineers reinforced it. The aluminium ring and tether points were rebuilt with tougher components to handle rain, sun and temperature changes over several seasons. Though it's a hot-air-balloon-style, the lift comes solely from helium — no flame, no burner, just gas and engineering. The structure first dazzled during the Olympics. Over just 40 days, it drew more than 200,000 visitors, according to officials. Now anchored in the centre of the drained Tuileries pond, the cauldron's return is part of French President Emmanuel Macron's effort to preserve the Games' spirit in the city, as Paris looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. A year after it captivated crowds during the Paris Olympics, a centrepiece of the summer Games has made a comeback to light up the French capital's skyline. The iconic helium-powered balloon that attracted a myriad of tourists during the summer Games has shed its Olympic branding and is now just called the "Paris Cauldron". It rose again into the air later Saturday, lifting off over the Tuileries Garden just as the sun was about to set. Despite the suffocating hot weather in Paris, around 30,000 people were expected to attend the launch, which coincided with France's annual street music festival — the Fete de la Musique, the Paris police prefecture said. And it won't be a one-time event. After Saturday's flight, the balloon will lift off into the sky each summer evening from June 21 to September 14, for the next three years. The cauldron's ascent may become a new rhythm of the Parisian summer, with special flights planned for Bastille Day on July 14 and the anniversary of the 2024 opening ceremony on July 26. Gone is the official Olympic branding — forbidden under International Olympic Committee reuse rules — but the spectacle remains. The 30m-tall floating ring, dreamed up by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and powered by French energy company EDF, simulates flame without fire: LED lights, mist jets and high-pressure fans create a luminous halo that hovers above the city at dusk, visible from rooftops across the capital. Though it stole the show in 2024, the cauldron was only meant to be temporary, not engineered for multi-year outdoor exposure. To transform it into a summer staple, engineers reinforced it. The aluminium ring and tether points were rebuilt with tougher components to handle rain, sun and temperature changes over several seasons. Though it's a hot-air-balloon-style, the lift comes solely from helium — no flame, no burner, just gas and engineering. The structure first dazzled during the Olympics. Over just 40 days, it drew more than 200,000 visitors, according to officials. Now anchored in the centre of the drained Tuileries pond, the cauldron's return is part of French President Emmanuel Macron's effort to preserve the Games' spirit in the city, as Paris looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
