Paris 2024 begins Friday and the French — the people who produce the world’s most delicious cheese, finest haute couture and countless other exquisite creations — are about to deliver what may be the most unique opening ceremony in the history of the Olympic Games.
Instead of a customary event inside a stadium, the opening ceremony will be a one-of-a-kind waterborne pageant on the River Seine, using the famously photogenic city as a rolling backdrop. Thousands of athletes from around the world will travel by boat in a floating parade through the heart of Paris at sunset, beginning at the Austerlitz Bridge and past landmarks like the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral. The boats will be equipped with cameras so viewers will be able to see athletes up close as they float down the Seine. The route will move west for just under four miles, ending at the Trocaderó, where the rest of the ceremony will take place in front of the Eiffel Tower.
The ambitious ceremony, devised by theater director Thomas Jolly, has a reported budget of $150 million. Little has been revealed about what the ceremony will include, though it will feature 12 scenes inspired by French history. Both Lady Gaga and Celine Dion have been spotted in Paris this week, prompting speculation that they will perform at the event, but their participation has not been confirmed. The unprecedented nature of the event has sparked concerns about everything from security and the weather to the level of fecal matter in the Seine. Earlier this week, hundreds of dancers threatened to disrupt the ceremony if their pay demands were not met, but the strike action was ultimately called off.
If all goes according to plan, the ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. Eastern/10:30 a.m. Pacific. American audiences can watch live on NBC or Peacock. The ceremony will be hosted by NBC commentator Mike Tirico, singer Kelly Clarkson and former NFL player Peyton Manning — all three of whom are decidedly not French.
Join Times writers Mary McNamara and Meredith Blake as they weigh in on the audacious spectacle.