It's a bit like an "Africa House," without the athletes, but with an even better atmosphere. At the far end of the Paris suburb of L'Ile-Saint-Denis, opposite the Olympic Village which is partially in that town, the Robert-César stadium was packed on Sunday, August 4, for the 100-meter men's final. But it wasn't the hallmark race of the Olympic Games that drew more than 3,000 people and explained the long queue outside. The makeshift village with its little marquees for each nation – from Algeria to Mali, Côte d'Ivoire to Kenya, and Ethiopia to Senegal – was buzzing when the "King" took to the stage and the first notes were heard. Families, young men dressed to the nines, and young women brandishing their smartphones in the air – the whole town and its surroundings came out to see Youssou N'Dour.

Fatou Cissé was not afraid to say: It was for the famous Senegalese singer, not the Olympic watch party, that she came from Saint-Denis, on the other side of the Seine. The 40-year-old nurse said she loves the special atmosphere of this fan zone: "It mixes the Olympic atmosphere with the music we love." She arrived early to catch the first images of the race on the giant screen that sits on the artificial turf. At 9 pm, she slipped away to head to the stage: "Youssou N'Dour rocked my childhood, I had to see him." This is also what motivated Aude Seïté, a naturopath based in Saint-Denis, to sit in front of the fencing event: "It's a chance to have so many festivities without having to leave home."

In this suburban stadium, renovated with money from the Olympic Games, the city has tried to stand out from the crowd. On the one hand, there's everything you'd expect from a classic fan zone - a screen showing the events, association stands, the purple and pink Paris 2024 flag and sports activities for children - but on the other, it's unlike any other, with conferences on malaria or desertification, food trucks serving African cuisine and a stand presenting the future Youth Olympic Games in Dakar (in 2026).

The crowds are young and colorful, reflecting the local communities. "What works here is the diversity of audiences. I wanted something open to the public that would showcase African countries," said Mohamed Gnabaly, the Green mayor of L'Ile-Saint-Denis.

The vast majority of the audience is playing at home. Marie N'Diaye, a local civil servant in Saint-Ouen, was reunited with a group of childhood friends. They all grew up in the Maurice-Thorez housing estate, a stone's throw from the stadium. "Even if we don't all live in L'Ile-Saint-Denis anymore, we still get together for the Olympics and spend time together. The city has done a great thing, we're all mixed together," said the thirty-something, a Senegalese scarf around her neck. Further on, four employees of the Derichebourg cleaning company gathered near the stage. "It's a beautiful moment and it won't last," said one of them, who wishes to remain anonymous. "The race, we can see it again, him no," he insisted, pointing to the star as he launched his hit "Birima" to a rapturous audience.