France will stage a spectacular light show at the Statue of Liberty to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, the French consulate announced on Monday.
Described as a "monumental artistic creation", the show will be pre-recorded and broadcast by ABC at the start of its 25 hours of programming dedicated to Independence Day on 4 July.
"The Statue of Liberty will be revealed to the public as never before, in a production designed to amplify its symbolic and emotional power," the consulate said.
"Our friendship goes back 250 years; it remains very strong, it is deep, and that is why we wanted to do something memorable," France's consul in New York, Cedrik Fouriscot, told AFP.
Entirely funded by private sponsorship, the project was conceived to showcase "France's excellence through its technology and its artists", he added. It required special authorisation from the National Park Service, which manages the monument, following negotiations that lasted several months.
The Statue of Liberty, located in New York Harbour, was created by French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, who initially chose Viollet-le-Duc as architect, later replaced after his death by Gustave Eiffel.
It was presented to the United States by France in 1886 and is among the country’s most famous landmarks.
France has also sent its aerobatic air display team to the United States this month to celebrate this 250th anniversary.
On 9 June, eight Alpha Jets from the Patrouille de France painted the Manhattan sky in the colours of the French tricolour as they flew over the iconic statue.
A flypast is also planned over New York on the final day of the festivities, 4 July, the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, an exceptional operation that is likewise being organised as part of the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
The eight PAF aircraft, whose tail fins will for the occasion carry an American flag on one side and a French flag on the other, will be accompanied by an A400M transport plane and two spare aircraft, representing a total of 85 military personnel.
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