Paris Summer 2024 Opening Ceremony: A Celebration of French History
The Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony made history Friday as the first of its kind to be held outside a stadium and signaled the official start of the Summer Games.
Despite the periods of steady rain throughout the evening, fans lined the Seine and watched from apartments as the torch made its way down the river to the Trocadero, where the Olympic cauldron was lit by judo star Teddy Riner and 400-meter sprinter Marie-José Pérec.
To commemorate Paris’ role in the creation of the modern-day Olympics, the city redesigned one of the bridges with Olympic athletes etched in gold. Organizers also unveiled new statues of accomplished French women as part of the festivities and these statues will be donated to the city when the Games conclude. This is an effort to increase the number of statues commemorating female individuals on display in Paris. Currently there are 260 statues of male historical figures in the city, compared to just 40 statues of women figures.
After the opening sequence, athletes from around the world came via boats down the river through the bridge. Greece led the parade of athletes, followed by the Olympics refugee team, a team composed of independent Olympic athletes from across the world who are refugees. From there, the rest of the groups came down the river in alphabetical order, with some nations sharing barges.
BYU students and alumni, Kenneth Rooks and James Corrigan, were featured during the broadcast numerous times while riding on the Team USA barge. Team USA’s completely filled barge (594 athletes) featured a number of well-known athletes with LeBron James and Coco Gauff serving as the flag bearers.
Since the surfing event is held in Tahiti, these 48 athletes were showcased on their own as a group holding their surfboards.
At the end of the parade, the Eiffel Tower lit up with sparkling lights, a spectacular light show, and the Olympic rings aglow. With the Olympic flag posted and the announcement from Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, the Paris 2024 Summer Games have officially begun.
The Torch Travels Down the Seine
Along with the Parade of Nations, the journey of the Olympic torch throughout the city was a big part of the opening ceremonies. Several individuals, including French soccer star Zinedine Zidane, unidentified Parisian children, and a masked torch bearer, carried the torch through the catacombs, on rooftops, and through a Parisian fashion department store, among other well-known Paris sites.
As the torch made its way through an Opera House, the performers sang “Do You Hear the People Sing” in French from Les Miserables. Also of note, a decapitated Marie Antoniette preceded a hard metal song Ah, ça ira and an opera song L’amour est un oiseau rebelle by Georges Bizet.
The torch then passed through the Louvre, where paintings and statues came to life. They also reenacted the Mona Lisa painting theft from the Louvre with shattered glass on the floor.
At the Musee D’Orsay, the torch went through black and white scenes highlighting French ingenuity in creating film. A number of French creations were shown: the “Man in the Moon,” Le Petit Prince, and the Statue of Liberty.
As the torch inched closer to its final destination, an iron horse galloped down the Seine, carrying the Olympic Flag, a representation of the Olympic spirit. A knight in shining armor then took the flag up to the Trocadero.
The Olympic torch was then passed to Rafael Nadal, a football player from Spain. He joined a large number of famous athletes on a barge, including Serena Williams. This was unique as most countries don’t include athletes from other nations in their lighting ceremony.
The flame was passed through famous Parisian athletes. The Olympic flame was then lit in the center of the Tuileries Garden. The cauldron took the form of hot air balloon that floated into the Parisian air.
Musical Performances
Throughout the Parade of Nations, the Opening Ceremony featured a number of musical performances. Lady Gaga started by performing a number to Mon truc en plumes while a number of dancers with pink and white feathers performed around her cabaret-style.
On the banks of the Seine, Moulin Rouge dancers in pink performed the Cancan. Then, a scene featuring the Notre Dame Cathedral’s construction with performers dressed in construction garb hanging on the scaffolding showcased French craftsmanship. This segment continued in fashion design studios and ironworkers creating the medals.
The orchestra of the Republican Guard played music as they lit fire near the Concorde Guard, and Aya Nakamura, a well-known French artist, sang with them clad completely in gold. These dances displayed the égalité portion of the French motto.
Le Marseillaise, France’s national anthem, was sung by mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint–Cirel on top of the Grand-Palais.
In the center of the Seine, renaissance-adorned breakdancing and BMX sports dancers celebrated the street side of the games. Following that, Parisian rapper Rim’K sang with a fashion show on the Pont de Concorde. Then, a piano in flames played by Sofian Pamart accompanied singer Juliette Armanet, who sang John Lennon’s ”Imagine.” by John Lennon.
Celine Dion sang the final number, Edith Piaf’s Hymne à l’amour, underneath the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower. Her voice echoed throughout Paris. This was the first stage performance since 2020 for Dion, who has been battling stiff-person syndrome, and was a memorable end to the evening.