Paris became the stage for one of the most talked-about flashmobs of the year: a rousing performance of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” led by Mickey Callisto and 11-year-old guitar prodigy Olly Pearson. Organized by pianist Julien Cohen, the spectacle transformed the Place de la Contrescarpe into a living concert hall and quickly captured the internet’s attention. Within hours of being posted online, videos of the performance had spread across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and beyond, pulling in tens of millions of views and sparking enthusiastic reactions worldwide.
Cohen, who is known for organizing public performances in unexpected spaces, called the Paris event “the most insane Bohemian Rhapsody flashmob you will ever see.” With 30 musicians and singers positioned throughout the square — including vocalists echoing “Galileo” from surrounding apartment windows — the performance recreated Queen’s legendary six-minute masterpiece with creativity and scale. Callisto brought flair to the lead vocal role, even arriving dramatically on a horse-drawn carriage, while Pearson delivered Brian May’s iconic solo with astonishing poise for someone just 11 years old.
The choice of song was deliberate. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” first released in October 1975. For Callisto, the tribute was a way to honor “arguably the greatest song of all time,” and to celebrate Freddie Mercury’s enduring legacy. Fans agreed, with one Reddit commenter summing it up: “Bohemian Rhapsody is already powerful, but with 30 voices echoing through Paris it probably felt like a once-in-a-lifetime concert.”
