PARIS July 27, 2024 – The official opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics was launched on Friday evening in the presence of many heads of state, government and international organizations.
Outside the Olympic Stadium, at a distance of more than six kilometers along the Seine River, 85 boats carrying around 7,000 athletes, representing the participating countries, paraded on the waters of the Parisian River, heading from east to west under rain drops like an epic movie scene.
Nearly 360,000 spectators watched the show in various locations, along with more than a billion viewers online. The route highlighted some of the most famous Parisian monuments, such as the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum and Notre Dame Basilica.
In line with traditions, Greece, the Olympics birthplace, opened the procession of Olympic delegations, followed by other countries in alphabetical order, while France, the host country, ended the parade by arriving at the Trocadero, at the feet of the Eiffel Tower.
Dancers, musicians, actors, singers and skaters distributed on the roofs of banks, bridges and facilities, creating twelve artistic paintings highlighting French heritage, based on a text co-written by Moroccan novelist Leila Slimani.
Under the rain showers, a symphony orchestra and world-famous artists, such as Celine Dion, Lady Gaga and Aya Nakamura, performed new pieces of music. The soundtrack mixed different musical genres, namely, electronic, metal and classical music.
At night, the lights of Paris shone on the Parisian landmarks to end a show that gathered sports, art and Olympic protocol, and thus start 19 days of competition.
