A historic parade. Head-turning performances. Big surprises. Even bigger stars. The Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony had it all.
Bonjour, Paris Olympics!
As a city widely known and loved for its grandeur, Paris welcomed the 2024 Olympic Games with the same energy. Transforming the entire city into one, grand stadium, the streets of Paris were lined with thousands of fans who eagerly and loudly welcomed all the elite athletes as they paraded on boats floating down the Seine River — the first time that the iconic Opening Ceremony was ever held outside of an Olympic Stadium.
Indeed, Paris kicked off the Summer Games already rewriting history, hosting one of the most memorable and spectacular Opening Ceremonies. But it wasn’t just about the setting.
From the iconic performers to big surprises to familiar faces, here are some of the grandest highlights from an even grander introduction to the Paris Olympics!
A city transformed
As mentioned, this was the first-ever Olympic Ceremony that was held outside of a stadium. For today, the iconic city was the stadium — and a gorgeous and scenic stadium it is.
Instead of a packed stadium, fans gathered all throughout the city to celebrate the athletes; and instead of stages for the musical performances, artists performed from historic buildings, from the river banks, or from rooftops.
All the world’s top athletes got the chance to enjoy the welcoming of a lifetime, cruising down the Seine River in boats, proudly waving their country’s flags in front of 320,000 fans. This was a spectacle in itself.
Big stars
The Olympics is a gathering of all the world’s top athletes, and one of the biggest highlights was definitely getting to see the biggest stars excited to don their national colors.
This year, some of the most popular names in the sports industry got the opportunity to lead their nations and serve as flag bearers at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony. Here are some of the stars who had our heads turned.
Big surprises, big performers
From Snoop Dogg welcoming the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony by carrying the torch through the city, to Lady Gaga’s tribute to the Cabaret, all the way to visually stunning performances at nearly every stop on the Seine River (including a full-on fashion show), the performances in the City of Love did not disappoint one bit.
The city truly outdid itself. These performances were a true testament to the work, dedication, and artistry that this Olympic Opening will be remembered for.
The perfect setting for a finale
After a six-kilometer journey that the Seine River took the Olympians on, there was only one place the festivities could end: the Eiffel Tower.
At this iconic landmark, the athletes got to close the opening of the Paris Olympics with a bang. All the flags of the participating nations waved as the rain fell in France’s Capital.
And to top it all off, the powerful vocalist Celine Dion graced the Olympic Opening Ceremony with her beautiful voice.
Let the Games begin!
Of course, it wouldn’t have been an Olympic Opening Ceremony without the iconic lighting of the cauldron, and Paris took this to another level.
But before the lighting of the cauldron, the final torchbearers had to turn over the Olympic flame, and the final two were some of the sports world’s biggest legends: Rafael Nadal and Zinedine Zidane. The two legends shared the stage, ushering in what we all expect will be a truly memorable Summer Games.
And finally, the lighting of the cauldron!
The cauldron was lit by a massive hot air balloon that looked almost like the sun itself descending to mark the beginning of the Olympic Games!
For more updates on Team Philippines at the Paris Olympics, follow The GAME’s live story for more.
Banner image from AFP.
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