Philippe Petit recreates high-wire walk between World Trade Center’s twin towers on 50th anniversary

NEW YORK (AP) — Fifty years after his famous high-wire walk between the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center, Philippe Petit recreated the daring stunt with a performance at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, located about 7 miles north of the original site.

At 74, Petit aimed to celebrate the “glorious days of the twin towers” rather than dwell on their tragic destruction in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

“I don’t need to remind people of that tragic day,” Petit told The Associated Press after the performance on Wednesday.

Petit’s intention was to honor both his historic feat and the legacy of the towers. “Even though the towers are no longer there, discussing a legend or piece of history adds significance. That’s the power of memory,” he said.

The performance, titled “Towering!!,” replicated Petit’s unauthorized walk between the towers on August 7, 1974. Inside the cathedral, Petit ascended to his wire while Grammy-nominated jazz clarinetist Anat Cohen performed beneath him. As Petit walked the wire, Sting joined in with a performance of “Fragile,” and later, Petit changed into a sequined gold tunic while “Fields of Gold” played.