Place de la Concorde in the centre of Paris was the setting for Jean Michel Jarre’s first open-air concert in 1979. Although he had previously given concerts, together with the rock bands he played with during his late teens, by comparison with his previous concerts and the conventional concerts of the time, this concert was a completely unique, innovative performance. It was accompanied by giant light projections and fireworks displays. Place de la Concorde was the first of a long series of concerts that helped to visualize Jarre’s music and also break new ground for concert performances.
On July 14 1979 the ambitious show attracted an estimated audience of one million people. Jarre was alone on stage with his synthesisers, performing Oxygene and Equinoxe, and the concert was important in establishing a new standard. It also became the first of many Jarre-concerts to hijack an entire city for one night.
