Paris 2024: A dazzling start to the Summer Olympics

For months leading up to the 2024 Summer Olympics, doubts loomed over Paris’ ability to host such a grand event. The city’s residents had even threatened to protest by defecating in the Seine River, the site of the opening ceremony, due to its polluted waters. As the opening day approached, the situation seemed to worsen with arson attacks on France’s high-speed rail trains and thunderstorms casting a shadow over the city. Yet, when the ceremony finally began, it transported audiences into a whimsical and engaging four-hour showcase, celebrating Paris’ stunning architecture and music while welcoming top athletes from around the world.

A torch’s journey through Paris

The ceremony kicked off with French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane jogging through the streets, carrying the lighted torch. He descended into the Paris Metro and emerged on the Seine via sailboat, creating a breathtaking display of blue, white, and red above the river.

For the first time in modern history, the ceremony took place outside a stadium. As the torch’s journey began, French President Emmanuel Macron and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach embraced and waved at the crowds. Following this, 85 boats carrying 205 Olympic teams arrived in mostly alphabetical order, waving flags and cheering while donning rain ponchos as their boats glided toward the Eiffel Tower.

Cultural performances and musical tributes

Ceremony director Thomas Jolly broke the monotony of the two-and-a-half-hour boat processional with vibrant cultural performances. The entertainment began with Lady Gaga paying tribute to French icon Zizi Jeanmaire. Dressed in black and surrounded by dazzling pink feathers, she delivered a high-energy performance of “Mon Truc en Plumes.” This was followed by a variety of dance and musical presentations, including a Marie Antoinette-themed “Les Miz” remix by metal band Gojira and opera singer Marina Viotti at the Conciergerie along the Seine. Later, R&B singer Aya Nakamura, draped in gold, performed her hit song “Pookie.”

Commentary and unexpected moments

While the ceremony was mostly smooth, there were a few snags. Announcers Kelly Clarkson, Peyton Manning, and Mike Tirico provided commentary on the delegations and performances, but their chatter often felt unnecessary, detracting from the event’s majestic nature. Another rough patch occurred when the “Despicable Me” Minions took over the celebration. Despite their French creator, Pierre Coffin, the video felt odd and out of place.

As Team USA and its 594 competitors were among the last delegations to join the parade, commentators Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Snoop Dogg, and Maria Taylor engaged in small talk with Olympians like basketball star Steph Curry, who is experiencing his first and likely only Olympics. These segments flowed well, despite the ceremony’s overall length. The commentators also chatted with Team USA flagbearers, basketball icon LeBron James and tennis champion Coco Gauff, who, at 20, is the youngest flagbearer in history.

A celebration of female historical figures

The ceremony paid special tribute to female historical figures in Paris. A masked figure in medieval garb held the lighted silver torch, scaling buildings and using a zip line to traverse the city. They made stops at places like LVMH (an Olympics sponsor) to showcase Louis Vuitton’s signature trunk and brought the paintings of the Louvre to life. The bells at Notre Dame rang for the first time since a fire in 2019 destroyed a large part of the church, adding a moving touch to the event.

A glittering finale

As night fell and the rain picked up, the athletes’ and crowd’s exuberance never wavered. The boat parade concluded with the Eiffel Tower in full glittering sparkle. The lights on the tower dimmed as Juliette Armanet and Sofiane Pamart performed John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Shortly after, a silver-clad figure carrying the Olympic flag arrived on a mechanical horse, galloping down the river as the flag protocol commenced inside the temporary stadium set up on the Trocadero.

The extravaganza concluded with speeches from Tony Estanguet, the President of Paris 2024, and IOC President Bach, followed by Macron officially opening the games. The ceremony’s crowning jewel was Zidane passing the torch to Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal, who rode a boat down the Seine with international Olympians Serena Williams, Carl Lewis, and Nadia Comăneci. French tennis legend Amélie Mauresmo then ran with the torch through the streets and into the Louvre, where she handed it to basketball icon Tony Parker and other French athletes who lit the hot air balloon Olympic cauldron. As the flames rose, the balloon lifted, and cameras revealed a diamond-cloaked, emotional Celine Dion singing Edith Piaf’s “Hymne A L’Amour” from the Eiffel Tower.

To end with Dion, performing for the first time since her diagnosis with Stiff Person Syndrome in December 2022, felt life-affirming. Though France was at the helm, this was truly a global event. It was a welcoming and refreshing return for the Olympics, which had been pummeled in 2021 and 2022 by the coronavirus pandemic. Now, it seems the games are ready to move forward. Despite the chaos of the world, the opening ceremony was a heartfelt example of inclusivity and joy.