PARIS (AP) 鈥� The may be over, but the flame is still rising 鈥� just don鈥檛 call it Olympic.
The helium-powered that lit up the French capital's skyline during the 2024 Games is making a dramatic comeback to the Tuileries Gardens, reborn as the 鈥淧aris Cauldron.鈥�
Thanks to an agreement with the International Olympic Committee, the renamed marvel will now lift off into the sky each summer evening 鈥� a ghostly echo of last year鈥檚 opening ceremony 鈥� from June 21 to Sept. 14, for the next three years.
Gone is the official 鈥淥lympic鈥� branding 鈥� forbidden under IOC reuse rules 鈥� but not . The 30-meter-tall (98-foot-tall) floating ring, dreamed up by French designer and powered by French energy company EDF, simulates flame without fire: LED lights, mist jets and high-pressure fans create a luminous halo that hovers above the city at dusk, visible from rooftops across the capital.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those monuments in Paris that could stay,鈥� said Laurent Bro茅ze, a local architect pausing in the gardens on Thursday. 鈥淚t was set up temporarily, but a bit like the Eiffel Tower, it makes sense for it to return. It鈥檚 a bit of a shame they want to take it down later, but maybe it could be installed somewhere else, I don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Though it stole the show in 2024, the cauldron鈥檚 original aluminum-and-balloon build was only meant to be temporary 鈥� not engineered for multiyear outdoor exposure.
To transform it into a summer staple, engineers reinforced it: The aluminum ring and tether points were rebuilt with tougher components to handle rain, sun and temperature changes over several seasons.
Though it鈥檚 a hot-air-balloon-style, the lift comes solely from helium 鈥� no flame, no burner, just gas and engineering.
A茅rophile, Paris鈥檚 tethered balloon specialist, redesigned the winch and tether system to meet aviation rules, allowing safe operation in winds up to 20鈥�25 kph (12-15 mph).
Hydraulic, electrical, and misting systems were fortified 鈥� not only to ensure smooth nightly flights but to endure months of wear and tear untested on the original design. These retrofits shift the cauldron from a fragile, one-off spectacle to a resilient, summerlong landmark 鈥� prepared to withstand everything Paris summers can throw at it.
The structure first dazzled during the , ignited on July 26 by Olympic champions Marie-Jos茅 P茅rec and Teddy Riner. Over just 40 days, it drew more than 200,000 visitors, according to officials.
Now perched in the center of the drained Tuileries pond, the cauldron鈥檚 return is part of French President Emmanuel Macron鈥檚 effort to preserve the Games鈥� spirit in the city, as Paris looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Visitors have already begun to gather.
鈥淏eautiful,鈥� said Javier Smith, a tourist from Texas. 鈥淎nd the place where it鈥檚 going to be, or is sitting now, it鈥檚 beautiful. All these beautiful buildings, the Louvre, all that is fantastic.鈥�
Access is free and unticketed. The cauldron will be on display from morning to night, igniting with light from 10 a.m. and lifting off each evening after the garden closes 鈥� 10:30 p.m. in June and July, with earlier times through September. It will float above the city for several hours before quietly descending around 1 a.m.
The 鈥渇lame,鈥� while entirely electric, still conjures a sense of Olympic poetry.
鈥淵es, we came for a little outing focused on the statues related to mythology in the Tuileries Garden,鈥� said Chlo茅 Solana, a teacher visiting with her students. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 true we鈥檙e also taking advantage of the opportunity, because last week the Olympic cauldron wasn鈥檛 here yet, so it was really nice to be able to show it to the students.鈥�
The cauldron鈥檚 ascent may become a new rhythm of the Parisian summer, with special flights planned for Bastille Day on July 14 and the anniversary of the 2024 opening ceremony on July 26.
It no longer carries the Olympic name. But this phoenix-like cauldron is still lifting Paris into the clouds 鈥� and into memory.
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Nicolas Garriga contributed to this report.
Thomas Adamson, The Associated Press
