The Toulouse gladiators Bigflo and Oli at the end of the Nîmes Festival

Bigflo et Oli en concert de clôture, ce samedi. MIDI LIBRE – Mikaël Anisset

The public, enchanted, for sold-out arenas. Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

Carbonne, the singer of Imagine (not John Lennon's), in the first part. Midi Libre – MIKA ANISSET

Oli, à la trompette… MIDI LIBRE – MiKAEL ANISSET

… Bigflo à la batterie. Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

the essential On this Saturday, July 20, the Nîmes arenas resonated with the music of Bigflo and Oli during the last evening of the 2024 Nîmes Festival. In front of 12,000 enthusiastic spectators, the two brothers offered a unique show.

This is a concert of which only Bigflo and Oli have the secret: energy to spare, explosions, flames, and a unique connection with the audience. The evening was perfectly chosen to close this 27th edition of the Nîmes Festival.

"Tonight we are gladiators"

Before the two brothers stormed the stage, Carbonne, the 27-year-old rapper from Montpellier, set the scene alight. "The project is me who represents it, but behind it, there is a whole family ", he explained. On stage, the young man strings together his sounds. From Mùsica, released three days ago, via C’est la vie (2023) the audience responds well and truly, until they turn on the flashlights and sing in unison, a cappella, the chorus of Imagine, the singer's most popular single. From now on, the arenas only await the arrival of the two brothers.

"Tonight we are gladiators, here we go!", is projected on the giant screen before Bigflo and Oli take the stage, marking the start of a grandiose concert. The brass instruments sounded, followed by a standing ovation. "Stop!", Oli shouted, amazed by the sight of a packed arena. "It’is one of the most beautiful places in Europe to have a concert", added Bigflo. 4, 3, 2, 1… and the show can begin as I was not there (2022) quickly followed by the first trumpet solo of Oli followed by Bigflo on percussion.

A musical journey

But Bigflo and Oli are also two artists influenced by Argentinian culture, the country where their father, Fabian Ordonez, comes from. So when Papa resonates(2017), in the arenas we start dancing to the rhythms of South America. The pieces follow one another, each song finding its place to maintain an energy of which only the two Toulouse residents have the secret. In the audience we laugh, we dance, and we sing with our arms raised. "Phew it's hot, but we're having fun on stage", they said before starting calmer pieces like José and Amar (2022), in homage to their grandfathers respectively Argentinian and Algerian.

The duo then introduced their musicians, mainly childhood friends, before raising the audience's hands again to It was better before (2022). Wawad, former beatbox world champion was also there, just like Patricia, mother of the two rappers, present in the audience. But as the concert comes to an end, Bigflo decides to launch a live Instagram "to show that France is hot !" Then, with Dernière (2022), it is the last notes of the Festival 2024 edition that resonate. Oli, carried by the crowd in an inflatable boat, then came to greet the spectators perched at the very top of the ancient enclosure. "Thank you, it’was Bigflo and Oli", they concluded, leaving an implicit promise to return very soon. See you next year!