Every new event launched by Cercle arouses curiosity. From May 28 to June 1, 2025, the now-famous event and festival producer presents"Odyssey" in Paris. Offered in just three cities worldwide (Mexico City, Los Angeles and now Paris), this new concept has quickly intrigued music lovers, eager to discover this event billed as " the first large-scale 360° nomadic concert experience ". For the occasion,"Cercle Odyssey" invited several headliners from the world of electro (Monolink, Ben Böhmer, Bonobo...), but not only. Sofiane Pamart and Max Richter are also part of the Paris line-up.
Curious ourselves, we headed off to the Porte de Versailles exhibition center on Wednesday May 28, 2025 to discover this new Cercle concept. That evening, it was around 9pm when we arrived in the 15th arrondissement of the capital. And the first spectators are already there, eager to attend this brand-new set by the famous and talented German-British composer and musician Max Richter.
So far, so normal. Our ticket is scanned, then we are searched. But the real experience begins inside Pavilion 1 at Paris Expo. Each spectator is invited to place his or her phone in a pocket. Because, to guarantee immersion,"Cercle Odyssey" is experienced without a phone. And that's a good thing. A very good idea indeed, at a time when smartphones seem to have taken control of everything.
Once we've locked the pouch, we keep it with us and follow suit. We then take a long, wide, dark corridor, lit by a few skylights. We arrive in a large, equally dark space, housing two bars, a food truck, a VIP corner, lockers, merchandising and a restricted area reserved for the use of telephones in case of compulsive need. The atmosphere is surprisingly calm, with some people wandering around in the middle of this large space, which is usually used to hosting trade fairs such as the Salon de l'Agriculture.
The concert hall is just a few meters away, separated by black curtains. We decided to step inside, and discovered this huge 2,500 m² cube. What's inside? Huge screens on either side of the cube, but also on the ceiling, and a central stage. The impressive control room, in charge of sound, lighting and video, has been set up in a corner of the hall. As for the audience, they are already present in large numbers. Standing calmly with a glass in hand.
The evening kicks off at 9:30pm with British multi-instrumentalist and producer cktrl, real name Bradly Miller. His style? A skilful blend of jazz and electronic sounds. However, there will be no images projected on the screens during his set. So we'll have to wait for Max Richter's arrival to discover the"Odyssey" concept in its entirety and live the experience to the full.
It's an experience that begins as if at the theater, with the famous three knocks and the raising of the curtain. Musician and composer Max Richter, accompanied for the occasion by a string quintet, takes to the stage to the applause of the audience.
A visual and aural immersion begins, inviting you to travel and relax. Each track is accompanied by panoramic visual projections designed for the artist's set. Violent thunderstorms and lightning in the sky, jellyfish swimming in the ocean, aurora borealis, waves breaking, dancing bodies, lush nature and waterfalls, starry skies... our gaze moves from one screen to another, not forgetting to admire the beautiful play of light created for the occasion. Because light also contributes to the success of this experience.
On Wednesday evening, the concert was sold out. Due to the crowds at Paris Expo, it's difficult at times to catch a glimpse of the artist and his musicians on stage. So, some are happy to plunge back into the visual projections. Others close their eyes, preferring to concentrate solely on Max Richter's immersive, moving, poetic and oh-so-bewitching music. A good way to shape their own images in their heads.
The last notes ring out after a set lasting around 1h15. A little too short for our taste. We would have liked to have seen and heard more that evening. But we came away with our heads full of images and happy to have been able to discover this new way of attending a concert. One small drawback, however: given the immersive concept of the show and the neo-classical musical style proposed by Max Richter, we would have appreciated being able to sit or rest on cushions, for example, to fully enjoy the experience.
But the next"Cercle Odyssey" concerts are sure to get the audience dancing, with sets from Artbat, Bonobo, Monolink and Ben Böhmer. And tickets are still available for several of them. However, you'll still need to pay 95 euros (per person) for the experience.
Location
Paris Expo - Porte de Versailles
1 Place de la Porte de Versailles
75015 Paris 15
Official website
odyssey.cercle.io
Booking
odyssey.cercle.io
