The Paris Olympic Games officially kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony on the Seine River, despite the rain. Lights from the Eiffel Tower illuminated the event, marking the start of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Paris hosted its first Summer Olympics in a century with a star-studded, rule-breaking ceremony. On-and-off showers, the first at a Summer Olympics’ opening ceremony in over 70 years, didn’t dampen the athletes’ spirits. They held umbrellas while riding boats down the river, showcasing the city’s resilience.
Although travel disruptions and the weather cast a shadow before the ceremony, French officials cited coordinated arson attacks on high-speed rail lines. Yet, crowds packed the Seine’s banks and bridges, watching from balconies and cheering as Olympic teams paraded on boats. As the weather worsened, the waterway became increasingly choppy.
Nevertheless, spectators, undeterred by the rain, huddled under umbrellas, plastic ponchos, or jackets. Some danced and sang, while others sought shelter. U.S. basketball star LeBron James, sporting a plastic poncho, declared, “The rain can’t stop us.”
The ceremony featured prerecorded and live performances. A pianist played on a rain-drenched grand piano, and a breakdancer performed on a wet platform. Meanwhile, athletes in colorful Bermuda-style shirts seemed dressed for the beach, not the rain.
Paris put its best foot forward with a spectacular Olympic launch, lifting spirits and featuring joyous French cancan dancers. Additionally, soccer icon Zinedine Zidane starred in a humorous short film, and French blue, white, and red smoke plumes filled the air.
Lady Gaga sang in a prerecorded performance, in French, with dancers shaking pink plumed pompoms for a cabaret feel. To close the show, Celine Dion gave her first live performance since being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, singing under the Eiffel Tower.
French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, in an all-gold outfit, emerged from a pyrotechnic display to sing her hit “Djadja” with the French army’s Republican guard band. Finally, French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open, though a gaffe occurred when the Olympic flag was raised upside down.
The final torch relay included landmarks like the Louvre and sports legends like Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal. Moreover, French judo champ Teddy Riner and three-time Olympic champion runner Marie-Jose Perec lit the Olympic cauldron, which floated into the Paris night.
The ceremony celebrated women, with ten golden statues of female pioneers rising along the river. Among them was Olympe de Gouges, who drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Women and campaigned for the abolition of slavery.
The Paris Olympic Games boast equal numbers of male and female competitors. Consequently, the ambitious ceremony aimed to impress dozens of heads of state and government, turning Paris into a giant open-air theater. Iconic monuments became stages for dancers, singers, and other artists.
Sofia Cohen, a 20-year-old Nicaraguan-American watching with her father, called the ceremony “electric.” She loved the applause given to the Ukrainian team, saying, “Every Olympics is different, and this one was very French. The ceremony started majestic and regal but became hectic and fun as the rain poured down.”
Organizers faced the challenge of transporting and safeguarding larger crowds compared to previous Olympic hosts. Optimism soared that Paris, true to its unsinkable motto, might see its gambles pay off, despite the rain. Paris organizers said 6,800 of the 10,500 athletes attended before embarking on the next 16 days of competition.
The boats carrying the Olympic teams started the parade by breaking through curtains of water from Austerlitz Bridge, beginning the nearly 4-mile route. The jetting waters nodded to the fountains of Versailles Palace, the venue for Olympic equestrian competitions.
Following Olympic protocol, Greece’s athletes, birthplace of the ancient Games, led the parade. They were followed by the Olympic refugee team and other nations in French alphabetical order.
Usually, the parade of athletes takes place during a pause in the opening ceremony. However, Paris broke tradition by blending the parade with pageantry, combining sports and artistic expression. Some spectators who arrived early fumed over long waits to reach their seats.
“Paris has been great, but anything related to the Olympics and information dissemination has been horrible,” said Tony Gawne, a 54-year-old Texan who arrived six hours in advance with his wife. “When you spend $6,000 on two tickets, that’s a little frustrating.”
Nevertheless, Paris Olympic Games had plenty of aces up its sleeve. The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre Museum starred in the opening ceremony. Award-winning theater director Thomas Jolly used Paris’ cityscape of zinc-gray rooftops as his playground. His task was to tell the story of France, its people, and its history, leaving an indelible imprint on Olympic audiences. He aimed to refresh the image of Paris, struck by deadly extremist attacks in 2015.
