When Notre Dame in Paris reopened last year, after the fire that had left a whole country in shock, it was not only the building that returned. It was the emotion. The history. And with it, one image that travelled the world: the cathedral glowing in deep blue and white. Breathing again. Lights illuminating early Gothic rosettes, arches, quatrefoil motifs, and immersing pointed windows in abstract shadows and shapes. Moving, evolving, coming to life alongside a powerful, epic melody. At the centre of that moment: Michael Canitrot. The French DJ and producer, standing behind his decks, turning centuries-old stone into sound.
Now you finally know the name behind this captivating spectacle, a name that doesn’t play clubs like other artists. No, Canitrot performs at castles, cultural landmarks, places you’d never expect to become open-air stages. His performance at Notre Dame was part of the Monumental Tour – a project that blends electronic music, heritage, and digital art. But before you jump to conclusions: the Monumental Tour isn’t about spectacle for spectacle’s sake. It’s about connection, between past and present, sound and memory, audience and monument. About education, preservation, and community. Using new technologies to rediscover historic places through large-scale scenography, light installations, and complex video mapping. Making monuments like the Eiffel Tower, the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, Château de Chantilly or the Palais Royal dance.
And now, after a breathtaking performance in September, there’s another monument to add to that list: the Château de Chambord. A former hunting lodge for King François I not far from Paris, where medieval forms meet Renaissance architecture and Tuscan influences. A roofscape of towers, cupolas, gables, lanterns and chimneys – no symmetry, just playful, powerful architecture that feels like a skyline frozen in time.
After this latest show, we sat down with Michael Canitrot to discuss his vision. About Château de Chambord and François I. About the future. About how sound can give history a heartbeat – and why monuments make the best collaborators.
Hi Michael, if you could travel back in time which era, where and when would that be?
As someone passionate about history, I’d be tempted to say the century of Enlightenment or the Industrial Revolution. But honestly, the future inspires and intrigues me even more. I’m curious to see how our world will evolve, especially with the challenges we face today. Traveling a hundred or one hundred and fifty years ahead and looking at our present through the mirror of the future would be truly fascinating.
I’ve read that monuments have always inspired your music. What is it about historical architecture that resonates with your creative process?
Monuments are like living memories — they carry human emotion, history, and genius through time. When I stand in front of one, I let myself be carried away by its lines, rhythms and proportions. I’m fascinated by how architecture speaks without words. Through music and visuals, I try to translate that language, giving it a new vibration that speaks to the people.
What inspired you to perform especially at Château de Chambord?
Chambord is a true masterpiece, a mix of symmetry, mystery, and innovation. Performing there felt like entering a dialogue with the past: the vision of François I, the spirit of Leonardo da Vinci. Everything about Chambord resonates with creativity and freedom. It was the perfect setting for Monumental Tour and to imagine something unique.
When you walk around Château de Chambord, what do you think about? Do you picture yourself going for a hunt with King François I?
When I walk around Chambord, I think about vision; how a single dream can transcend time and become a masterpiece. You can feel François I’s curiosity, ambition, and love for art and innovation everywhere. I don’t imagine going on a hunt with him (laughs), but I like to picture sharing ideas about creativity, beauty, and the future. He was a true visionary who always loved artists, and I think he would have understood the concept of Monumental Tour, using music and technology to bring heritage to life.
Chambord was built to impress, a Renaissance dream designed to resemble Constantinople’s skyline. How did you approach translating that ambition into a modern audio-visual experience?
Chambord is a statement of vision and ambition. I wanted to reflect that energy through sound and light, creating an experience that feels both grand and human. The goal wasn’t to reproduce history, but to continue it. Every beat, every light pulse was designed to echo the architecture and create a dialogue between the Renaissance dream and our modern imagination.
How did you make sure you enhance the building’s story, not overshadow it?
The monument always comes first. I study its lines, proportions, and history, and look for the right balance between emotion and respect. Music, visuals, and technology are built around the monument’s own rhythm. It’s about revealing its beauty in a new light, not rewriting it.
What was the biggest challenge about preparing the performance at Château de Chambord?
The biggest challenge was both technical and artistic. Chambord has the largest façade we’ve ever worked with, it’s over one hundred and fifty meters wide, so creating a balanced visual and sonic experience was a huge feat. We also wanted the audience to feel fully immersed, standing at the foot of the monument. To make that possible, we tripled the usual capacity from three thousand to nearly nine thousand people, by building extra entrances, exits, and floating bridges. It was a big challenge, but it served the ambition of the project: to make the architecture itself vibrate and bring people closer to its emotion.
You aim to raise awareness among younger audiences about the importance of heritage. How do younger generations respond to your shows? And what impact do you hope to leave on them?
Many come for the music but leave with a new connection to history and culture. That’s exactly what I hope for — to spark curiosity and show that heritage isn’t distant or static, but alive and inspiring. But it works both ways, older generations also discover electronic music through the Monumental Tour. I love seeing families sharing the same emotion in front of a monument. It proves that art and beauty can bridge generations in a very real way.
How has the concept of the Monumental Tour evolved over the years?
We have always maintained the same message that makes this project magical and unique. It all started with a simple idea: creating a dialogue between electronic music, architecture, and heritage, while raising awareness of the importance of preserving our cultures. Over the years, the project has grown enormously – from five-hundred people at the very first show in France to forty-five thousand in Zaragoza. We’ve held more than twenty-five performances across France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Luxembourg. At Chambord, we welcomed visitors from more than twenty different nationalities, it’s incredible to think that someone might come all the way from Australia, the USA, Mexico or Madagascar to experience the concept. It shows how much the project has now reached an international audience. Our latest show at the Hauts-Fourneaux de Belval in Luxembourg also opened a new chapter for the Monumental Tour, as we explored an industrial heritage site for the very first time.
When you stand in a centuries-old site preparing your set – say, in the nave of Notre-Dame or the courtyards of a château – do you compose differently? Is the monument your co-artist in a way?
Absolutely. The monument always guides my music. The acoustics, the light, and the space shape how I feel and play. In that sense, the monument becomes my co-artist: it sets the tone and rhythm, and I respond through music and visuals, creating a dialogue between past and present.
If you had to choose a favourite historical monument as co-artist of all time, what would it be?
It’s hard to pick just one, but I would say Notre-Dame de Paris. It’s a symbol of resilience, beauty, and human creativity. Performing there, especially after its rebirth, might be one of the most emotional experiences of my life. Its spirit reminds us that heritage isn’t just about the past, it’s about inspiration for today and tomorrow.
