麻豆传媒映画

A video of a 鈥榮treet鈥� French pianist performing the iconic song Bohemian Rhapsody in Paris has attracted a surprise 379 million online views across four platforms so far.

Julien Cohen, who is 32, from Val d鈥橭ise (Ile-de-France) and a Cambridge graduate, organised a 鈥榝lashmob鈥� of around 30 to perform the famous Queen song in Place de la Contrescarpe, in the 5th arrondissement in the capital, in early September.

A flashmob is a group of people who gather together unnoticed to others and spontaneously begin to do something coordinated as a surprise to onlookers, often for a video stunt.

The performance - with Britain鈥檚 Got Talent singer Mickey Callisto taking on the central Freddie Mercury vocalist role, as well as many other musicians - was videoed and posted online across Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, under the title 鈥淭he most INSANE Bohemian Rhapsody Flashmob you will ever see!!鈥� 

It became a huge runaway success, and had more than 100 million views on its first day on Instagram. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 an Instagram record,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t feels like the entire world has seen it,鈥� said Mr Cohen to Le Figaro. 鈥淲e never hoped to have such success.鈥�

At the time of the writing, the video has (with links to the video on each platform): 

• 217 million views

• 135.6 million views on

• 13 million views on

• 13.4 million views on

Strolls and subscribers

Mr Cohen has been publishing music online - on his Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube accounts - for two years. He typically stages public performances in unexpected places, such as stations, restaurants, or commercial centres. 

He now has more than 30 million subscribers across the platforms.

鈥淲ith the Internet, we reach a wider, younger and more international audience,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he format quickly became very successful because it speaks to everyone. You and I walk through train stations and supermarkets every day.

鈥淚t's a format that has been working for years and allows people who are not used to going to concerts to enjoy a few minutes of entertainment while out for a stroll.鈥�

Mr Cohen comes from a musical family; his uncle and brother are both violinists. He launched his first 鈥榝lashmob鈥� project in 2024, when he and his brother covered the popular Christmas piece, Carol of the Bells (by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych).

This video hit more than 100 million views, and showed Mr Cohen that he had hit upon something special.

鈥楤iggest video of my life鈥�

The Paris project was the 鈥渂iggest video of my life鈥�, he said. Place de la Contrescarpe was chosen because of its public nature, and also its circular shape, Mr Cohen said.

鈥淚 wanted to bring together dozens of artists and I spent a lot more money than I budgeted for.鈥� 

The pianist also used 鈥減roper cameras鈥� to film the video, rather than relying on smartphones - which produced a better-quality video but were also more difficult to hide when trying to maintain the element of surprise.

Overall, the video cost him 鈧�40,000-50,000, he said, including equipment, and payments for the musicians involved.

He added that he also found residents to be welcoming of the project, which took weeks to organise. 鈥淲e went to knock on people鈥檚 doors to ask if we could use their window,鈥� he said.

鈥淢ost people enjoyed it and danced along,鈥� said Mr Cohen. 鈥滻t came to them. They weren't expecting it. It lasts five minutes, they enjoy it, and then they move on to something else.鈥� 

Mr Cohen believes that 鈥渇lashmobs have reinvented street performance鈥�, which is particularly suitable for cities such as Paris. 鈥淭he neighbourhoods of Paris are beautiful, and we add to their charm with our performances,鈥� he said.