Paris delivered an Olympics Opening Ceremony worthy of the world’s attention. Here are the 11 best moments.
Paris delivered an Olympics Opening Ceremony worthy of the world’s attention.
The spectacle directed by French actor and artistic director Thomas Jolly celebrated the over 10,000 athletes participating in this year’s games while showing the world French culture on the highest level.
In what felt like a true Tour de France, audiences around the world were able to walk through the Lourve Museum, sit underneath the Eiffel Tower, sail on the Seine and watch Parisian culture on full display.
Rumored performances by Lady Gaga and Celine Dion did not disappoint and surprise returns from fan-favorite athletes made the four-hour special well worth it.
Before President Emmanuel Macron of France announced the official start of the games, Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, thanked France for the “magical welcome” and gave a message of hope to the athletes before him and the world.
“In our Olympic world, there is no global south or global north. In our Olympic world, we all belong. As Olympians, we respect each other. We care for each other,” he stated in his bilingual French and English remarks. “It is thanks to this solidarity that we can all come together tonight … Welcome to the best athletes of the world – welcome, Olympians!”
For the biggest moments from the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony, keep reading:
The winner of the 1998 World Cup opened the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony in a pre-recorded video. The French soccer star carried the Olympic Torch through colorful cars stuck in traffic a la “La La Land” until he finally reached a young trio and symbolically passing the torch to the next generation.
A mysterious hooded figure in medieval-like garb carried the torch throughout Paris, doing parkour on top of buildings and bridges along the Seine River. He ushered the audience through the streets of Paris, guiding our gaze to each element of French culture put on display.
While the rain did not take away from the spectacle of the opening Ceremony, it certainly made its presence known.
