Paris has been the backdrop for countless historic moments, and some of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 venues reflect this storied past.
Yet, the image of 85 boats transporting 6,800 athletes along the Seine towards the gleaming Eiffel Tower, coupled with the ascent of the Olympic flame on a cauldron attached to a hot air balloon, is likely to remain etched in the city’s memory.
On the night of the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony, held on Friday, July 26, the City of Lights transformed into a grand sports arena.
The River Seine served as the track, the quays became spectator stands, and the historic landmarks lining the river provided silent witnesses to a lively celebration adorned with flags, feathers, and rain.
This ceremony, a historic first in Olympic Games history, moved outside the traditional stadium setting. Paris 2024’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, designed a four-hour extravaganza that invited everyone to participate.
Athletes took to boat decks amid pouring rain, while spectators filled the quays and bridges.
Ballet dancers executed pirouettes on rooftops, and Parisians emerged onto their balconies to cheer for the delegations from 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs).
The river parade and artistic performances made their way through central Paris to the Trocadero, where French President Emmanuel Macron delivered the ceremonial words: “I declare the Paris Olympic Games open.”
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach addressed the crowd, stating, “Some may say, we in the Olympic world, we are dreamers. But we are not the only ones.
And our dream is coming true tonight: a reality for everyone to see. Olympians from all around the globe are demonstrating the greatness we humans are capable of. So I invite everybody: dream with us.
Like the Olympic athletes, be inspired by the joy that only sport can bring. Let us celebrate this Olympic spirit of living life in peace, united as one humankind in all our diversity.”
