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Paris 2024: Olympics start after grand opening ceremony

Published July 26, 2024last updated July 26, 2024

The 2024 Olympics in Paris are officially open after a spectacular opening ceremony that saw Lady Gaga and Celine Dion perform. DW has the latest.

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The opening ceremony of the Olympics at the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Paris delivered a spectacular opening ceremony at the 2024 OlympicsImage: Lionel Bonaventure-Pool/Getty Images
Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

  • Celine Dion, The Minions and Lady Gaga all perform
  • 85 boats on the Seine with athletes from across the world
  • Around 45,000 police officers on site

 

Skip next section Follow DW for all the latest at the 2024 Olympics in Paris
July 26, 2024

Follow DW for all the latest at the 2024 Olympics in Paris

Frankreich | Paris2024 | Olympische Sommerspiele in Paris Eröffnungsfeier
Image: Edgar Su/REUTERS

Well, what an opening ceremony that was. I think I need to lie down after all that.

That's the end of our live blog coverage. Check out DW for all the latest on the  2024 Olympics in Paris. Enjoy the Games!

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Skip next section A hot air balloon at the Louvre and Celine Dion!
July 26, 2024

A hot air balloon at the Louvre and Celine Dion!

After a long boat ride and an even longer lights show, the torch is passed to former French tennis player and world number one Amelie Mauresmo, who jogs up from the river towards the Louvre!

Inside, the torch is passed to Tony Parker, France's most famous basketball player and a four-time NBA champion. Mauresmo joins Parker as the pair run together towards the famous glass pyramind. As they get closer, they pass the torch onto a trio of Paralympians.

They all run together. Great to see parasport put in the foreground. After jogs, the flame is passed on to the next and the next. Then the steps get fewer before the next person takes over, as a host of famous French athletes have their moment.

The oldest Olympic champion, who is 100, passes on the flame — what a sight! The ever-growing group approaches a huge balloon, two go forward and "light" it up the cauldron undearneath before it takes flight into the air and hangs there. Wow! The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris have now officially started! 

And now Celine Dion is singing on the Eiffel Tower! What is happening? What a comeback from the Canadian-born singer, who has been struggling with stiff-person syndrome since 2022 and hasn't performed in four years. And she absolutely nails it too. What a finish!

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Skip next section Nadal, Serena, Comaneci and Carl Lewis take the Olympic torch across Paris!
July 26, 2024

Nadal, Serena, Comaneci and Carl Lewis take the Olympic torch across Paris!

Ah! Here comes the Olympic torch. It was lit in Olympia, Greece on April 16 by the rays of the sun, according to ancient tradition, and after an 11-day relay across the Olympic homeland, it then went around France. Across 68 days, 11,000 chosen torchbearers representing all ages and genders took part in the process that ends tonight with the lighting of the flame.

Zinedine Zidane returns, and looks as calm as he did on the football field. What a man. He takes the torch off our mysterious rider. Still no clues to who that is, but Zidane then hands off the torch to Rafael Nadal. Talk about sporting legends!

Nadal takes the flame down the steps and the Eiffel Tower goes dark, with shimmering lights pulsing across it. What a finale this is!

Nadal is now on a boat, and we're back off around Paris while a laser light show continues around the Eiffel Tower. Serena Williams is in the boat, as is Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci — wow! No idea what is happening next, but there are sporting legends everywhere! Paris has pulled out all of the stops.

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Skip next section Speeches on 2024 Olympics: 'Paris is your city'
July 26, 2024

Speeches on 2024 Olympics: 'Paris is your city'

Frankreich | Paris2024 | Olympische Sommerspiele in Paris Eröffnungsfeier
Image: Petr David Josek/Getty Images

Time for speeches, of course. 

Tony Estanguet, a three-time Olympic champion in caneoing, is the man in charge of organising all of this. He gives thanks to everyone involved and for not being put off by the rain.

"That we French, who can never agree on anything, came together to make this possible," Estanguet says, raising a smile or two in the crowd. He's really very grateful. "Tonight you have shown how beautiful people are when they unite."

"For the next 16 days, this is your city. Paris 2024 is your Paris," Estanguet says to the athletes of the world, before adding some words of motivation to the French team.

And now comes Thomas Bach. He too has a lot of thank yous, and waxes lyrical about Paris. "Thank you for this magical welcome this evening."

"In our Olympic world there is no global south or global north," Bach says. "We all follow the same rules and we all belong to the Olympic family. We live in solidarity with each other."

"In a world torn apart by wars it is thanks to this solidarity that we can all come together tonight."

"Welcome to the best athletes of the world, welcome Olympians."

Bach then asks Emmanuel Macron to officially declare the Paris 2024 Olympics open, which he does swiftly. Then comes the Olympic oath, read aloud to all the athletes, which is met by cheers.

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Skip next section Hooded rider, more rain and the Olympic flag raised
July 26, 2024

Hooded rider, more rain and the Olympic flag raised

Frankreich | Paris2024 | Olympische Sommerspiele in Paris Eröffnungsfeier
Image: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

And now we have arrived at the most unknown part of the whole ceremony.

The aforementioned hooded rider appears underneath the Trocadero, but their horse has "transformed" into a real white horse. Who is this mysterious rider? Probably a handful of different people tonight, but who is the one we are going to meet?

The rider leads the way, and as they pass through the flag bearers fall in behind them. Quite the sight really.

The rider climbs off their horse and walks up the stairs with the Olympic flag, all the athletes watching on right beside the stage (most filming on their phone). The flag is delivered and hoisted to the sound of the Olympic anthem. I guess we'll never know who the mysterious figure is. Shame.

Now we get the Olympic vision, with talk about the Refugee Olympic Team. And Filippo Grandi is given an award by the IOC for his work in the field, and he gives thanks. Fair to say there is no Refugee Team without him, so major kudos.

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Skip next section Dancing, Imagine and a metal horse on show as opening ceremony approaches grand finale
July 26, 2024

Dancing, Imagine and a metal horse on show as opening ceremony approaches grand finale

Still can't get over the size of that French boat...

Anyway, it's time for lots and lots of dancing, on the runway and on a boat in front of the Eiffel Tower. The rain was certainly not part of the plan, but it's almost adding something at this point. 'Final Countdown' and 'Free From Desire' make the playlist. The latter really has become an absolute staple of major sporting summers. Crazy really. I blame Will Grigg.

After a diverse group of dancers collapse onto a volcano floor in an apparent reference to the struggle of the younger generation, we cut to a man playing a piano that is on fire and a woman singing... Imagine, by John Lennon. That is a surprise, and feels a bit out of place in the show so far. 'We stand and call for peace' is the message on show afterwards.

Then a hooded rider, wearing an Olympic flag as a cape, speeds down the river on a metal horse (powered by a hidden engine). As we do so, we take a quick trip through the history of the modern Olympics with black and white, and grainy colored images of historic moments appear. As the flags of all the countries start to be carried out in the Trocadero, it's clear the climax is near!

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Skip next section USA and France finish the boat show
July 26, 2024

USA and France finish the boat show

Paris 2024 Olympische Spiele
Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Flying by now. Tanzania, Chad, and Czechia. Boat 76 is Thailand. We're nearly there!

Then we get Turkeyin right and white blazers as the lights start to come on across Paris. Here comes Ukraine, in what is perhaps their most charged Games ever.

And, after 460 Australians, hosts of the 2032 Olympics by the way, comes the arrival of the USboat, which means we are nearly at the end of the boat show. LeBron James and Coco Gauff are flag bearers for the US. James (39) is nearly twice Gauff’s (20) age, which says so much about the pair’s achievements at opposite ends of their careers. James, who made his Olympic debut in 2004 and won bronze, is aiming to win his third Olympic gold after winning in Beijing and London. The US men’s basketball team are aiming for their fifth straight gold medal. Gauff is making her Olympic debut after missing out three years ago because of COVID-19. The last American woman to win gold in singles tennis? Serena Williams in 2012. It has been a while.

Our mysterious torch bearer is back, and now he's dancing on the runway. We then cut to a live drone shot of Tahiti where the surfers at this Olympics are competing. It's cool, and the weather is certainly better there, but it's also a little ridiculous really.

The biggest cheer of the night though, unsurprisingly, comes for the last boat, the French one. This looks the biggest boat of the night, which seems fair really. They're hosting after all.

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Skip next section Rap and runways part of Paris opening ceremony
July 26, 2024

Rap and runways part of Paris opening ceremony

Frankreich | Paris2024 | Olympische Sommerspiele in Paris Eröffnungsfeier
Image: Eloisa Lopez/REUTERS

As the evening sets in — it's definitely darker now — we get some French rap as Rim-K steps in to sing about being the prince of the city. 

Then we get Barbara Butch — an icon of the French Pride scene — mixing some music on a fashion runway featuring disabled and gender non-conforming models. This show would have been incomplete without some fashion — it is Paris after all.

We flip back and forth between the runway and the boats. The Netherlands look in a good mood, as do Poland, who are in some pretty cool outfits. North Korea are back, too, after missing the last Games due to COVID concerns. COVID, gosh, that feels like a decade ago now. 

The dance music has started and the opening ceremony is in full swing! We're closing in on the end of the alphabet — the boat with Slovakia, Slovenia and Somalia goes by. The main show and the big reveal isn't far away.

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Skip next section Mongolia's beloved outfits on show
July 26, 2024

Mongolia's beloved outfits on show

Frankreich | Paris2024 | Olympische Sommerspiele in Paris Eröffnungsfeier
Image: LIONEL BONAVENTURE/REUTERS

More boats, and more rain, but the show must go on.

Some men in white perform impressive tricks on BMX bikes and skateboards, and we get some breaking (breakdancing) too. A nod to the street events, and on that note, some of the youngest athletes at the Games are competing in such events. With such youth, comes a lot of responsibility for all involved. Indeed, should children even be at the Olympics?

Maldives, Mali, Malta — we're into the Ms. Hats off to Mauritius, who are dancing and living their best lives, and shout out to Mongolia, who might well have the best outfits out of everyone. Water fountains are spraying everywhere, which seems a bit unnecessary given the weather.

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Skip next section The Minions and inspiring statues on show at the opening ceremony in Paris!
July 26, 2024

The Minions and inspiring statues on show at the opening ceremony in Paris!

The Minions make an appearance. The little yellow animated figures are from French animation even though they speak a mixture of different languages. We see them acting out some Olympic events in comical fashion. And it turns out they stole the Mona Lisa, which then appears on the Seine in real life (a copy, not the original, don't worry) as we hear the French national anthem sung from a rooftop.

It is interrupted as a host of new statues of famous women appear out of the ground on the riverside. A quiet moment of reflection amid the madness and all done to make up for the fact there are too few statues of women in Paris compared to men. From explorers to journalists, these are inspiring figures that many did not know enough about before, but should have known.

Honestly, the production tonight has been pretty remarkable. Talk about managing moving parts...

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Skip next section Back to the boats as rain falls harder at opening ceremony in Paris!
July 26, 2024

Back to the boats as rain falls harder at opening ceremony in Paris!

Now we're racing through the boats.

Denmark, then Spain with Estonia hanging off the back, and then Gabonon a tiny boat. They're loving it. Interestingly, this is apparently the first Olympics in history to have an equal number of male and female athletes. About time really.

Then we get some live piano to accompany us. Lovely really. I feel like I'm in a classy hotel bar, although it is raining.

Here comes Great Britain, in rain ponchos but used to it probably. Grenada, Guam in sum funky blue shirts and Guatemala share the boat with Team Great Britain.

The rain, by the way, hasn't put people off, but goodness it does look wet out there.

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Skip next section Love and the Louvre on show at the opening ceremony!
July 26, 2024

Love and the Louvre on show at the opening ceremony!

We're in the library and seeing books about love and then there are multi-colored dresses everywhere as performers dance in the name of love. Then we see three people kissing and closing a bedroom door. Think the message there is clear.

The mysterious figure though, remains unclear. Any guesses? I have no idea.

Aya Nakamura is now performing in a pretty amazing gold dress. The French-Malian singer is massive in France. She has the most streamed French-language album. Kudos. She is performing with the marching band as we get a mix of traditional and modern music.

And then we're in the Louvre, probably the most famous museum in the world. And guess who is back? The mysterious figure.

Oh, and in case you forgot, we're back to the boats for the athletes, who you know, are the reason we're all here. Cyprus is next. Yes, we've got a long way to go yet. Aand the rain has picked up too.

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Skip next section Cool outfits, dancers and heavy metal in Paris!
July 26, 2024

Cool outfits, dancers and heavy metal in Paris!

The boats keep coming. Some cool outfits on show. Would definitely order some outfits from the Bahamas and Cameroon teams. Fresh.

In between all of this, we keep cutting to footage of the mystery person with the Olympic torch, who has now moved from a boat to running across the rooftops of Paris. No clues there, maybe we'll never know. Now we turn to 100 dancers in recycled, bright pink outfits dancing the can-can. Energy!

That we return to the mysterious torch holder, First he's at a dancing reconstruction of the Notre Dame (the bells then ring, which is rare and an honor). Then he's running through a Louis Vuitton production house — that's where the medals are stored. We're shown the making of the medals and then a box of them is transported down to the river as we switch between live and recorded. 

We get some ballet (of course), a scene from the famous French novel "Les Miserables" and then heavy metal accompanying a woman holding her own head, a nod to the beheading of Marie Antoinette that started the French Revolution. And then some Carmen, one of the most performed operas in the world. A history, music and sports lesson all happening tonight!

Fans at the opening ceremony of the Olympic ceremony in Paris
Fans cheer on the opening ceremony in ParisImage: MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP/Getty Images
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Skip next section Back to the boats at Olympics opening ceremony!
July 26, 2024

Back to the boats at Olympics opening ceremony!

Frankreich | Paris2024 | Olympische Sommerspiele in Paris Eröffnungsfeier
Image: CARL DE SOUZA/REUTERS

Back to the boats! Now athletes from Bangladesh are next, on a smaller boat all to themselves. The same is true for Bhutan a little later. Love to see it.

Then comes another joint boat, with Barbados, Belgium, Belize (just four I think), Benin and Bermuda in Bermuda shorts (of course). A nice spread of flag and outfit colors there. Then comes Brazil on a massive boat — 274 athletes all on board.

There are apparently 10,500 athletes representing 206 countries at these Games, with 20,000 accredited journalists covering it all. Around 1 billion people are watching on television and online, while 320,000 are expected to line the route. I believe all of the tickets were sold out but the last ones available apparently cost nearly €2,000 ($2,169). Yikes.

Astoundingly, I read that 8.8 million tickets have already been sold for these Games, which is more than at any other Olympics. That is astounding really, and perhaps a sign that people are desperate to enjoy the Games live after the COVID-19 Games in Tokyo three years ago.

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Skip next section Lady Gaga enters the Olympics show!
July 26, 2024

Lady Gaga enters the Olympics show!

So far, so good for the organisers as the boats continue, Aruba, Austria and Bahamas all wave their flags. There's a man playing the accordian on a bridge. I'm told the show is to be mixed with parts of Parisianculture and although not French, Lady Gaga enters the show singing in French among dancers holding up pink, fluffy balls. A friend of mine who is French tells me her accent is very good. A lady of many talents right there and a nice change from the boats.

https://p.dw.com/p/4inMO
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