In pictures: Memorable moments at the star-studded Paris Olympics opening ceremony
The cauldron, with the Olympic flame lit, lifts off while attached to a balloon, in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Photo: Pool via AP/Peter Cziborra)
PARIS: It was an opportunity to impress the world as Paris opened the 2024 Olympic Games with a spectacular show in the heart of the French capital.
For the first time, an Olympics opening ceremony was held outside a stadium. Athletes sailed down the River Seine, cheered on by hundreds of thousands of people who lined the streets in torrential rain.
Lady Gaga and Celine Dion added sparkle to the four-hour extravaganza. Here are some highlights of the night, in pictures.
The historic boat parade
Thousands of athletes from around the world sailed down a 6km stretch of the river Seine from the Austerlitz bridge in the east to the Eiffel Tower, on 85 barges and boats.
The performances
The multi-location ceremony was masterminded by acclaimed French theatre director Thomas Jolly. He split the show into 12 different sections, with performers positioned on both banks of the river, the bridges and atop nearby monuments.
US pop star Lady Gaga appeared from behind a fan of pom-poms held by her dancing troupe to sing Mon truc en plumes (My Thing With Feathers), an iconic French music hall hit by the legendary Zizi Jeanmaire.
The pouring rain
But there was one thing Jolly could not plan for - the weather. Heavy summer downpours descended on Paris even as forecasts showed days of hot sunny weather ahead.
The Olympic torch
A mix of French and international stars, including football great Zinedine Zidane, 14-time French Open champion Rafa Nadal and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams were among the last torchbearers before the cauldron was lit.
The Olympic cauldron
After a stunning light show at the Eiffel Tower, French track legend Marie-Jose Perec and three-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner lit the Olympic cauldron which formed the base of a hot-air balloon.
The great comeback
Canadian superstar singer Celine Dion closed the show with a solo performance from the platform of the Eiffel Tower, making a stirring comeback after revealing in 2022 she that was suffering from Stiff Person Syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disorder.
The Paris Olympic Games will close on Aug 11.
