The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris reopened this weekend with a special celebration, having been closed since being badly damaged in a fire in 2019.

To close the ceremony – which was attended by 1,500 dignitaries and several world leaders – French DJ Michael Canitrot was invited to play a set in front of the iconic cathedral. It was the latest in his ‘Monumental Tour’ series of performances that has seen Canitrot play to audiences at locations including the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, the Eiffel Tower, and most recently the Basilica del Pilar in Zaragoza, Spain, where he drew a crowd of over 45,000. 

He comments about the historical performance: “I drew inspiration, both musically and visually, from elements unique to the cathedral: the sound of the bells, the artworks inside, the voices of the Maîtrise Notre-Dame choir, and the classical style. I want to convey a universal message, so that everyone can connect with my music and feel inspired to say, ‘I want to come back and visit Notre Dame.'”

You can watch some clips of the performance below. 

Pioneering electronic composer Jean-Michel Jarre also produced an immersive audiovisual concert titled ‘Welcome To The Other Side’ where audiences could experience a virtual tour of the cathedral via Facebook, YouTube and his website. Watch that below. 

Last year, Jarre performed a mixed reality Christmas concert from Château de Versailles. Jean-Michel Jarre also led the musical portion of the Paris Paralympics closing ceremony this year.