On a warm summer evening in Paris, the Place de la Contrescarpe became an open-air opera house as 30 musicians and singers joined forces for a once-in-a-lifetime flashmob tribute to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Organized by pianist Julien Cohen, the July 10 spectacle featured lead vocals from Britain’s Got Talent contestant Mickey Callisto and a breathtaking guitar solo from 11-year-old Wrexham prodigy Olly Pearson.
The ambitious performance transformed the cobblestone square into a full surround-sound experience, with singers echoing “Galileo” from windows above and crowds erupting as the iconic rock section exploded to life. But it was Pearson’s fiery rendition of Brian May’s legendary solo that had jaws dropping. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with seasoned musicians, the young guitarist played with poise and precision well beyond his years.
Videos of the flashmob, first shared by Cohen on Instagram and YouTube in early September, quickly went viral. Within 48 hours, the clip had raced past 70 million views and today sits close to 200 million views worldwide. Pearson himself revealed that he received over 10,000 messages of support from fans across the globe, all praising his fearless stage presence.