France bids farewell to Johnny Hallyday

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Paris on Saturday to bid farewell to the French rock star Johnny Hallyday, who died this week at the age of 74.

His coffin will be driven in a cortege down the Champs-Elysees followed by a ceremony, where President Emmanuel Macron will pay tribute to the singer, BBC News reports.

Hallyday's band will also perform instrumental versions of his songs.

The French icon died on Wednesday after a battle with lung cancer.

A religious ceremony, which will take place at the Madeleine church in Paris, is expected to be watched by large numbers of the French public.

National television and radio have put out a stream of special programmes since his death, with Hallyday's best-known songs being played along with recordings of tributes from friends and fans.