The giant, floating Olympic cauldron is the surprise star in Paris

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Paris has the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and so many other famous landmarks. But something else has suddenly captivated Parisians’ imaginations and dispelled much of the notorious French aloofness toward all things new.

The Olympic cauldron – which is actually a simulated hot air balloon with fake flames – has emerged as the surprise star of the Games.

Ever since it was first launched during the opening ceremony, thousands of people have packed into the Jardin des Tuileries and lined the nearby streets to catch a glimpse of the giant orb as it rises from its base each night at 11 p.m. and hovers 30 metres in the air like an alien spacecraft.

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This being Paris, more than a few people bring bottles of wine and spread out small picnics on the grass with cheese, bread and assorted accoutrements. And while most of the sports venues are packed with tourists, the nightly balloon launch has become a largely Parisian fascination.

“I find it magical, poetic, even soothing,” said Virginie Llorens as she waited in the park Thursday night. “It’s an innovative technology – that also interests me.”

Davide Schirru and his girlfriend, Anna Contini, said coming to see the balloon made them feel part of the Olympics, as they couldn’t afford tickets to any of the sports events. “I saw it everywhere on social media, and we thought: There’s something that we could go and watch, and it’s free,” Mr. Schirru said. “So you have been somehow part of the Olympic Games.”

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For a city and a country that has spent the past few months grappling with political turmoil, fears about security and lacklustre interest in the Olympics, the balloon has become a welcome distraction.

“We French like to criticize everything our government may do,” said Wilfried Baradat. “But in the end, I think we are happy that the Games are in Paris and we can enjoy them. The balloon is symbolic because it’s beautiful.”

He and his partner had seen the balloon on television, but they wanted to come and see the launch in person. The closest they could get Thursday was a spot on a packed street corner next to the Louvre, which is across from the Jardins. “We thought maybe a few people would come, but not like this,” Mr. Baradat said, gesturing to crowd, which was four rows deep.

Mathieu Lehanneur, the balloon’s designer, had no problem straying from the usual Olympic ritual of a giant flame burning in the main stadium or some fixed point for the duration of the Games. He wanted to do something different – something more memorable and more environmentally friendly.

Instead of burning fossil fuel for days, Lehanneur created the illusion of flickering flames with 40 LED lights and 200 high-pressure misting nozzles that also push the 30-metre balloon skyward. He also threw in a historical reference: French inventors Jacques Charles and Nicolas-Louis Robert took the first flight in a hydrogen balloon from the same spot in 1783.

Organizers expected the balloon might be popular, but not this popular.

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All the free tickets to see the cauldron up close during the day have been snapped up, and officials are scrambling to make more available. A petition has been started to make the balloon a permanent fixture, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has said she’s open to the idea. After all, as she and others have pointed out, the Eiffel Tower was supposed to be a temporary installation for the world’s fair in 1889.

“Yes, it should stay,” said Roman Andic as he stood on his toes Thursday evening hoping to get a look at the rising ball. “There are other things in Paris that aren’t very good. But this, and the Olympics, it’s a good thing.”

The balloon doesn’t always go up on time – or at all. Bad weather has grounded it a couple of times this week, and technical issues caused a delay one night. But the uncertainty has only added to the allure and the mystery. Predictability can get boring.

As 11 p.m. approached Thursday, lightning flashed across the sky, and thunder boomed. A throng of spectators in one corner of the park craned their collective necks and held their cellphones high in eager anticipation. Most kept waiting long past the appointed hour, as rain pelted down and the balloon remained tethered to the ground. A murmur went through the crowd: “Wait. Let’s see. Don’t go yet.”

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