Daft Punk reject opportunity to reunite at 2024 Olympics in Paris
Legendary French electronic duo Daft Punk have rejected an offer to reunite and perform at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
During a recent interview, the games’ artistic director, Thomas Jolly, hinted at the possibility of the iconic pairing making an appearance at the opening ceremony.
“It would be very happy if they were in this ceremony. We can’t not think about it,“ Jolly told France Inter. He added, “You can’t not think of Daft Punk when you think of a successful international showcase for a French group.“
However, on October 25th, Jolly shared an update on social media stating that the musicians wouldn’t be reuniting for the games. “My comments were confusing and generated a lot of expectations,“ he posted. “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.“
A Daft Punk representative also confirmed with Pitchfork that the duo won’t be reuniting for the 2024 Olympics, saying, “This is just a rumour and not true.”
Daft Punk announced their split in February 2021. Earlier this year, they unveiled a 10th-anniversary edition of their fourth and last studio album, Random Access Memories, which offers an inside look at the creation of the LP alongside various highlights from collaborators who worked with them on the project.
Earlier this year, Thomas Bangalter, one half of the duo, revealed he was “relieved” with the nature of Daft Punk’s split.
He told BBC 6 Music: “The question I ask more myself is why we did end it rather than how it could last for so long. It’s a lot like a story or mini saga – sometimes there’s a TV show that has a special place in people’s hearts, and it keeps that place, and it runs for one, two, three, four, five, sometimes ten seasons.”
Bangalter added: “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… [I was] relieved and happy to look back and say: ‘OK, we didn’t mess it up too much.’”
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