Paris Olympic’s ‘flying cauldron’ returns to capital for summer
Access is free and without reservation
The Olympic cauldron is set to return every summer until 2028
UPI / Alamy Stock Photo
The Olympic cauldron, symbol of the Paris 2024 Games, has returned to the Jardin des Tuileries for its second summer since the Games.
Its first flight was scheduled for June 21, coinciding with the Fête de la Musique, but was cancelled due to the risk of significant gusts of wind despite the clear skies and hot conditions.
From today (June 22), the vasque olympique is set to rise every evening at sunset, weather permitting, until September 14.
Lift-off times change through the season: around 22:30 in late June and July, 21:30 in August, and 20:30 in September.
During the day, the cauldron sits freely accessible in the Tuileries gardens, between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde and no reservation required.
You can check daily live updates in English on the cauldron’s official website.
Behind the spectacle
The cauldron stands 30 metres tall, 22 metres wide, and weighs one and a half tonnes. It is raised each evening by a bespoke hydraulic and electric winch system, with three independent mechanisms to ensure it can always be brought safely back down.
Its flame is entirely electric: a blend of water, air, and light. Onboard instruments continuously monitor wind conditions before each flight.
Designer Mathieu Lehanneur said the magic has not worn off. "We needed poetry, we needed something monumental, we needed lightness.
“We mixed it all together, crossed our fingers, and shed a few tears."
The cauldron's return was confirmed by EDF, which co-produced the structure, in a statement on June 16.
Last summer, its first return since Paris 2024, drew 2.5 million spectators. It is set to come back every summer until 2028, when the Olympic flame travels to Los Angeles for the next Games.
