French Oposito Theater Company's "The Elephant Comes" kicks off the 2026 Taipei Arts Festival, with more than 100,000 people attending the event

The French Oposito Theater Company's outdoor performance "The Elephants Are Coming" was launched tonight, kicking off the 2026 Taipei Arts Festival. Three giant mechanical elephants appeared on the streets of Shilin, and the scene was packed with people. According to statistics from the Beijing Art Center, more than 100,000 domestic and foreign tourists participated in the grand event.

The classic work "Here Comes the Elephants" by the French street art group Compagnie Oposito will be performed today and tomorrow at the outdoor plaza of the Taipei Performing Arts Center. Three giant mechanical elephants take to the streets and walk along Jihe Road. They combine bagpipes, drums and costumes with images of five continents to realize the concept of "street as theater" and kick off the 2026 Taipei Arts Festival.

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Three mechanical elephants measuring 4.5 meters high and 8 meters long marched along the streets of Taipei, attracting many people to watch. The venue was already packed with people before the event started, and people were eagerly anticipating the appearance of the giant mechanical elephants. According to statistics from the Beijing Art Center, 100,000 people participated in the show, and the entire Shilin neighborhood was transformed into a giant immersive theater without walls or roof.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan also participated in the grand event, witnessing the performance with representatives from 10 countries in Taiwan including France, Germany, Hungary, and Lithuania, and interacting with the public at the scene.

The Beijing Art Center stated that "The Elephant Is Coming" not only showcases the top-notch arrangements of French street theater, but is also an in-depth collision of transnational cultures. Taiwan's local "Sound and Voice Theater" and "Xuanyu Music Collection" rehearsed intensively with the French team for four days before the performance and integrated everything from classical music, Breton folk melodies to explosive street percussion to present a special music performance to the public.

Jean-Raymond, artistic director and director of the Oposito Theater Company. Jean-Raymond Jacob described this as "a band that seems impossible to perform together", but in street theater, "listening" allows each other to absorb nutrients from each other while retaining their own cultural genes, and collide to create a new harmonious sound.

The Beijing Art Center pointed out that in response to the crowds, the police have strengthened the deployment of more than 400 people. Additional police will also be deployed on the 6th and will strengthen guidance at Exit 2 of Shilin MRT Station. The Beijing Municipal Rapid Transit Bureau stated that Jiantan Station and Shilin Station will transport more than 32,000 and 24,000 people respectively after 3 pm today, and will open 5 additional downbound trains and 1 upbound train, calling on the public to make more use of public transportation. (Editor: Hong Peiying) 1150906