Paris Olympics kicks off with lavish boat parade, musical performances

PARIS — After a global pandemic and in the shadow of at least three ongoing wars, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games kicked off Friday with a spectacular open-air opening ceremony that aimed to provide relief, positivity and perhaps even unity in a world riven by tension.

The ambitious celebration was unlike any other in the 128-year history of the modern Olympiad. Instead of parading inside a stadium, around 10,500 athletes sailed in a 3.5-mile flotilla of 94 boats down Paris’ iconic Seine River. The uniformed athletes cheered and waved to spectators, keeping the mood boisterous despite the rainy skies.

The ceremony featured a series of high-energy song-and-dance acts, including a cabaret medley from Lady Gaga (who belted out the 1960s-era tune “Mon Truc En Plumes”), a performance from Mali-born French pop star Aya Nakamura, and a tribute to “Les Misérables.” Meanwhile, a hooded and masked figure darted across the rooftops of Paris with the Olympic torch in tow.

Following the procession of boats, flagbearers from every competing nation lined up at the foot of the Eiffel Tower for an orchestral rendition of the Olympic anthem, the raising of the Olympic flag, and the lighting of the massive Olympic cauldron.

The final musical number of the ceremony came from Céline Dion, who performed “Hymne A L’Amour,” a song made famous by the legendary French singer Édith Piaf. It was Dion’s first public performance since she announced her diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome in 2022.

Tony Estanguet, the president of the Paris 2024 committee and a three-time canoe slalom gold medalist, addressed the athletes in introductory remarks and praised them for their dedication.

“Dear athletes, we can’t wait to live it all with you,” Estanguet said. “The joy, the tears, and the love that you will put in each moment. Thank you so much for being here. You made it. Bravo. I know what it means. I know what it took. I know the paths you have followed to be here.”