With a history of anthems that never fade, Queen’s music continues to find new life in unexpected ways. More than three decades after it first dropped, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is making a triumphant return in the U.K. following a breathtaking flash mob in Paris that has gone viral worldwide.
On September 8, pianist Julien Cohen led a team of 30 musicians and singers in a stunning street performance of the 1975 classic. Backed by Britain’s Got Talent contestant Mickey Callisto and 11-year-old guitar prodigy Olly Pearson, the epic flash mob stopped Parisians in their tracks and quickly became a global sensation. Videos of the performance surged online, amassing tens of millions of views across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and more.
Cohen, who regularly stages surprise public performances, called this one “the most insane Bohemian Rhapsody flashmob you will ever see,” and it didn’t take long for the numbers to prove him right. Within 24 hours, the clip had clocked over 70 million views, with fans flooding comment sections to call the moment “chills-inducing” and “once-in-a-lifetime.”
The flash mob wasn’t just a viral hit—it reignited chart interest in Queen’s catalog. “Bohemian Rhapsody” has now climbed into the Top 3 on iTunes U.K., a feat that underscores the song’s timeless appeal nearly 50 years after its release. Callisto himself described the surreal experience of arriving in Paris by horse and carriage to sing one of Queen’s greatest hits, saying, “Never in a million years would I have thought I would be doing this.”