Officials have responded to rumours that Daft Punk will be reuniting to perform at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Yesterday (October 24) the director of the games’ opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, suggested during an interview on French radio station France Inter that the electronic duo would be making a comeback for the event.
“Daft Punk would be very happy to be part of the ceremony,” he explained (via sortiraparis). “You can’t not think of Daft Punk when you think of a successful international showcase for a French group.”
Jolly added: “I lied a bit about Daft Punk. So it’s done, it’s not under negotiation. We’ve got the news!”
However, the director clarified in an official statement issued today (October 25) that the band “would not be returning for the Olympics” next year. “My comments were confusing and generated a lot of expectations,” he wrote on Twitter (translated from French)
“I must clarify: After discussing a possible presence at the ceremony, the group’s decision is not to participate. I respect this decision and apologise for the ambiguity of my comments.”
Elsewhere, Le Parisien reports that Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo had met with the ceremony’s organising committee “several months ago” but nothing was formally agreed upon.
Les Daft Punk à la cérémonie d’ouverture des JO ?
“Ce serait très heureux qu’ils soient dans cette cérémonie. On ne peut pas ne pas y penser”, répond Thomas Jolly, avant de confier plus tard : “J’ai un peu menti sur les Daft Punk…” #le710inter pic.twitter.com/Wju8N4KDKS
— France Inter (@franceinter) October 24, 2023
Jolly told the outlet: “Bringing Daft Punk together was obviously one of the first ideas I had. They are extremely talented and have a great international aura. But do they want to reform in the time of an epilogue to their career, when they very thoughtfully announced their separation?” (translated from French).
“We must respect their history. Their artistic desire to pursue their careers each on their own is sacred. If they decide the day before [to perform], we will find a place for them.”
The opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics is due to take place on Friday, June 26.
A post on the games’ official website reads: “Breaking with history, the opening ceremony will be bold, original and unique. Paris 2024 will offer an opening ceremony that is certain to join the most memorable moments in Olympic history, including several firsts.
“For the first time in the history of the Summer Olympic Games, the ceremony will not be taking place in a stadium. Paris 2024 is breaking new ground in sports competition by bringing sports out into the city and the same will be true for the opening ceremony, which will be held in the heart of the city, along its main artery, the Seine.”
Mes propos ont été confus et ont généré beaucoup d’attentes.
Je me dois de clarifier : Après avoir échangé sur une possible presence à la cérémonie, la décision du groupe est de ne pas y participer.Je respecte cette décision et m’excuse de l’ambiguïté de mes propos. https://t.co/W02RwzTIzI
— Thomas JOlly (@Thomajolly) October 25, 2023
Daft Punk announced their break-up back in February 2021 after almost 30 years together. During a recent interview, Bangalter admitted that he was “relieved” over the way that the group ended.
“There’s a moment where it ends and I think it’s actually interesting to have this opportunity to start, have the middle and to end it,” he said. “[I was] relieved and happy to look back and say: ‘OK, we didn’t mess it up too much’.”
Recently, Daft Punk announced a new “drumless edition” of their fourth and final studio album ‘Random Access Memories’. It’ll follow on from a 10th anniversary expanded version of the 2013 record.