Paris 2024 kicks off on Friday and the French — the people who produce the world’s most delicious cheese, the finest haute couture and countless other exquisite creations — are about to deliver what may be the most unique opening ceremony in Olympic history.
Instead of a traditional event inside a stadium, the opening ceremony will be a one-of-a-kind water parade on the River Seine, using the famously photogenic city as a backdrop. Thousands of athletes from around the world will travel by boat on a floating parade through the heart of Paris at sunset, starting at the Austerlitz Bridge and passing iconic landmarks including the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral. The boats will be equipped with cameras so spectators can watch the 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 remainder of the ceremony will take place in front of the Eiffel Tower.
The ambitious ceremony, devised by theatre director Thomas Jolly, has a budget of $150 million. Not much has been revealed about what the ceremony will include, although it will feature 12 scenes inspired by French history. Both Lady Gaga and Celine Dion have been spotted in Paris this week, prompting speculation about their possible performance at the event, but their participation has not been confirmed. The unprecedented nature of the event has raised concerns about everything from security and 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 was eventually called off.
The ceremony is already underway and American audiences will be able to watch it 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 distinctly not French.
Join Times writers Mary McNamara and Meredith Blake as they assess this bold show.
11:17 am From Les Miz to heavy metal at the Conciergerie, where Marie Antoinette was held prisoner before her death, as indicated by the figures of women in the windows, all dressed in red and holding their wig-wearing heads. —MM
11:15 am This segment is called “Freedom” and it begins with… a death metal concert? — MB
11:14 am It's hard to keep track of everything that's going on and the NBC commentators aren't helping. A big dance number on the right bank. A guy doing a solo dance number high above the river on a platform that looks like a green screen. But back to the torchbearer and now, finally, an evocation of Les Miz! WHO IS THE TORCHBEARER? —MM
11:14 am First appearance of Michael Phelps and his man bun! — MB
11:13 am I honestly didn't expect luggage to play such a big role in this event. — MB
11:12 am I must say that whoever is carrying the torch right now is very cool and I love the costume. I will now run to the Mint where the medals were made. —MM
11:08 am Now, a group of dancers on scaffolding at Notre Dame pay tribute to those who worked to rebuild it. The torch is now being carried through a Louis Vuitton workshop. —MM
11:06 am Following a team of cancan dancers dressed in pink! — MB
11:05 am The torch is now on a zipline. —MM
11:05 am NBC shows an interview with Simone Biles' family. She won't be participating in the ceremony because she has to rest, but Snoop Dogg is here! — MB
Greek team at the Seine.
(Ricardo Mazalán / Associated Press)
11:04 am It's very chaotic, with the torch doing parkour over Paris and all the boats filling the Seine. Pink seems to be the predominant colour among the crowds lining the banks and I swear I just saw someone in a Joan of Arc costume. Is it possible? —MM
11am As much as I love the novelty of this ceremony, I also feel strangely disoriented about what is happening at each location. I need a little red dot to track the progress of the parade on a map of the Seine. Please help ignorant Americans process this spectacle! — MB
11am According to NBC, Gaga was singing “Mon Truc En Plume,” a tribute to French dancer and actress Zizi Jeanmaire. —MM
10:57 am Gaga emerges from behind pink feather fans to sing “Mon Truc en Plumes” (My Thing With Feathers) on a staircase leading down to the Seine. I'm guessing this is the smallest (and also the largest) stage she's played on in a long time. MEGABYTE
10:50 am: As noted by NBC, which is publishing [Singing in French] Instead of, you know, a translation. I'm pretty sure they could have gotten the lyrics. —MM
10:50 am A look at Team USA in their Ralph Lauren blazers. Looking forward to Canada in Lululemon. But first, Lady Gaga! —MM
10:49 am And now we have our first real performance, and it's Lady Gaga! Singing in French, no less. — MB
10:47 am Sorry, that was “And so it was.” Don't misunderstand. — MB
10:46 am Meredith, I was really struck by the “Sex and the City” reference! —MM
10:46 am It's been less than 15 minutes and we've already heard about the E. coli levels in the Seine. Thanks, Mike Tirico. — MB
10:45 am Albania is to be admired for sending eight athletes. Germany is right behind with 463. —MM
10:44 am Well, Mary, that's one more bridge than I can name. Is that the one with all the locks? Or the one Carrie dumped Big's ashes on? Maybe we should pull out Google Maps and do some guesswork. — MB
10:43 am The first national delegations have arrived by boat. I'm suddenly very curious to know how it is decided which country gets which boat and who ends up with the biggest shipwreck. We'll see. — MB
10:42 am Meredith, the only bridge in Paris I can name is the super fancy Pont Alexandre III. Can you do better or should I start Googling while the teams start to cruise the Seine? —MM
Smoke in the colours of the French flag rises in Paris during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
(Luca Bruno / Associated Press)
10:41 am Now the children are on the Seine, the hooded rower remains a mystery, but the ceremony has now begun with an explosion of red, white and blue smoke. —MM
10:40 am I hope this means there will be a Jean-Luc Godard production. — MB
10:40 am I almost made a joke earlier about whether there would be an “Amelie” tribute at this ceremony and, lo and behold, it all starts with a short film in which Jamel Debbouze, the French-Moroccan actor you might remember as “that ‘Amelie’ guy,” passes the torch to legendary footballer Zinedine Zidane. — MB
10:37 am This Olympic torch is going full Hollywood. First, a James Bond-style race through squares and cafes, and now, kids underground in a mysterious boat with alligators? —MM
10:33 am We may never forget the sight of the beach volleyball court set up in front of the Eiffel Tower. For Parisians who have not yet overcome the Louvre Pyramid, this must be too much. —MM
10:30 am Watching the trailer for the opening ceremony, I learn that lifeboats will be on hand to rescue any athletes who fall into the Seine. I can't wait to see how this all plays out. As James Cameron might say, there are few jobs in showbiz harder than filming something on the water, on a boat. Now try doing it live! As Marie Kondo said, “I'm so excited because I love clutter.” — MB
10:19 am I am very grateful that the train attacks caused no deaths or injuries, but let us observe a minute of silence for those Parisians who, like millions of their fellow citizens, are trying to leave the city and are stuck in train stations. —MM
10:18 am Introducing Peacock's Golden Zone, Scott Hanson had the first American horror utterance of Good morning. We hope there will be many more, as all the commentators discuss the names of the most emblematic Parisian monuments. —MM
10:15 am Hi Meredith! I’m so excited to be live-streaming the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics with you. Some of the games have already started – the US women’s soccer team scored their first win yesterday. In preparation for the start of the ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Paris time, 10:30 a.m. Pacific time, several stars including John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (in her “Wicked” colors of green and pink) have been walking the red carpet. But for me, the real start of the Olympics is the appearance of Mary Carillo, who just gave us a little tutorial on raising snails, which are high in protein! Let the games begin! —Maria McNamara
10:15 am Good morning, Mary! Or should I say Good morning? The Olympics are about to begin and I’m on a couch in New York City wearing my best Old Navy sportswear. Thousands of miles away in Paris, there are thousands of athletes dressed in corporate-sponsored national outfits about to board a few hundred boats for what could be the craziest, but potentially fantastic, opening ceremony in recent times. As I’ve read about artistic director Thomas Jolly’s ambitious plans for the event over the past few days, I’ve become increasingly concerned about the weather forecast for today in Paris. (Thankfully, it appears to have stopped raining.) More worrying are the seemingly coordinated attacks on the various high-speed rail lines, which have snarled traffic across the country and will no doubt add further tension to an event already fraught with uncertainty. All we really know about the ceremony is that it will use the city of Paris as a backdrop to depict a dozen scenes from French history. What that might actually entail – a cameo by René Descartes? – is anyone’s guess. Maria, what will you be looking for in today’s coverage? — Meredith Blake
