To mark the first anniversary of the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the live rendition of ‘Imagine’ by French singer Juliette Armanet and pianist Sofiane Pamart has been officially released this 25 July 2025.
One of the most memorable moments of the ceremony, their performance took place on a floating stage on the River Seine. Stripped down and deeply emotional, the rendition culminated with Pamart’s grand piano set alight in flames, adding a striking visual finale to a moving tribute.
A song deeply rooted in Olympic tradition
Since its release in 1971, ‘Imagine’ has become closely associated with the Olympic Games, symbolising universal values of peace, hope, and solidarity. In Paris, it continued a tradition of memorable performances, following in the footsteps of Stevie Wonder in Atlanta 1996, Peter Gabriel in Turin 2006, and the 2012 London Closing Ceremony, which featured a remastered video of John Lennon accompanied by choirs from Liverpool.
The anthem was also featured at PyeongChang 2018, performed by Korean artists including Ha Hyun-woo, Ahn Ji-young, Jeon In-kwon, and Lee Eun-mi; and at Tokyo 2020, in a global collaboration featuring Angélique Kidjo, Alejandro Sanz, John Legend, Keith Urban, and the Suginami Children’s Choir.
An artistic legacy with a French signature
The performance by Armanet and Pamart has been praised by the International Olympic Committee as a powerful artistic statement. “It was a poetic, emotional and iconic continuation of this tradition,” said Patrick Stalder, Chief Ceremony Officer at the IOC. “As we look ahead to Milano Cortina 2026, we know this timeless anthem will once again bring audiences together around the core Olympic values.”
Both artists spoke about their vision for the performance. “We wanted something intimate, guided by the melody and the meaning of the song,” Armanet explained. Pamart added: “That shared emotion was what inspired us throughout the performance.”
Now streaming from 25 July
The Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony was named Concert of the Year at the Victoires de la Musique Awards, and contributed to several international accolades for French artists, including a GRAMMY Award for Gojira, opera singer Marina Viotti and composer Victor Le Masne. Among the standout moments was also Céline Dion’s rendition of ‘Hymne à l’amour’, which led to the release of an official music video at the end of last year.
The official recording of ‘Imagine’, performed live during the Opening Ceremony, is now available on major platforms including Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/4k34zBWPYGVr9DkIQ4tdYU
