French judoka Teddy Riner, right, and former French track star Marie-José Pérec watch the Olympic cauldron rise in a hot-air balloon after they lit it at the end of the opening ceremony in Paris on Friday, July 26. The first hot-air balloon flight was performed in France in 1783.
Updated 6:26 PM EDT, Fri July 26, 2024
For the first time in the history of the Summer Olympics, the opening ceremony took place outside of a stadium.
Athletes paraded down the Seine River on boats, passing some of Paris’ most iconic landmarks. Thousands of people watched from stands lining the river. There were also big screens set up across the city to allow as many fans as possible to watch the event.
The six-kilometer (roughly 3.7-mile) route ended in front of the famous Trocadéro, opposite the Eiffel Tower.
The ceremony closed with Celine Dion singing Edith Piaf’s “Hymne À L’Amour" from the first level of the Eiffel Tower.
The lit Olympic cauldron can be seen in the air through the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.
Canadian singer Celine Dion performs Edith Piaf’s “Hymne À L’Amour,” one of the French singer’s most well-known songs, on the Eiffel Tower at the end of the ceremony. It was her first performance since her diagnosis with stiff person syndrome.
The lit cauldron is seen from the Louvre.
People watch the opening ceremony from a bar in Paris.
Tennis star Rafael Nadal carries the Olympic flame aboard a boat with a few famous former Olympians: from left, Carl Lewis, Nadia Comăneci and Serena Williams.
Volunteers carry flags on the Jena Bridge, which crosses the Seine River in Paris.
The ceremony speeches were held in front of the Eiffel Tower following the Parade of Nations.
French soccer icon Zinedine Zidane, right, hands off the Olympic torch to Rafael Nadal, the Spanish tennis star who has won two Olympic gold medals and a record 14 French Opens. The torch passed to various athletes before ending up with Riner and Pérec.
French President Emmanuel Macron attends the opening ceremony.
Flashes of lights illuminate the Eiffel Tower.
Floriane Issert, a noncommissioned officer of the National Gendarmerie, presents the Olympic flag at the Trocadéro.
Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris organizing committee, speaks during the opening ceremony. On the left is Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee.
Issert wore the Olympic flag as she rode a metal horse aboard a boat that traveled down the Seine River.
US flag bearers LeBron James and Coco Gauff travel with other American athletes during the Parade of Nations.
The ceremony depicted scenes from the French Revolution. Here, smoke billows near windows at the Conciergerie, the site where Marie Antoinette, the last French queen prior to the revolution, was imprisoned.
French athletes wave flags as they travel down the Seine during the Parade of Nations.
The flag of St. Kitts and Nevis is reflected in the glasses of a spectator.
This aerial photo shows the Notre Dame cathedral as boats pass by on the Seine. As part of the ceremony, the bells of Notre Dame rang for the first time since the iconic cathedral was gutted by fire in 2019. It is 90% restored.
British athletes walk near the Eiffel Tower. A steady rain fell during much of the ceremony.
Olympians from the United States travel down the Seine.
A torch bearer runs atop the Musee d'Orsay during the opening ceremony.
Spectators watch Israeli athletes during the Parade of Nations.
Performers take part in the opening ceremony.
Palestinian athletes wave flags during the Parade of Nations.
French mezzo-soprano opera singer Axelle Saint-Cirel performs "La Marseillaise," France's national anthem, on the roof of the Grand Palais.
Fans watch the ceremony near the Seine River.
Dancers perform on a roof during the opening ceremony.
Australian athletes hang out on their boat together during the opening ceremony.
Planes perform over the Seine River during the ceremony. A shape of a heart was made in the sky.
Libyan athletes participate in the Parade of Nations. Some nations shared the same boat.
A performer sits on a bridge at the start of the ceremony.
North Korean athletes wave during the Parade of Nations. North Korea was barred from competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing as part of its punishment for its “unilateral decision” to drop out of the Summer Games in Tokyo in 2021.
Jill Biden, the first lady of the United States, attends the opening ceremony.
Lady Gaga performs during the ceremony. She had a fresh take on the song “Mon truc en plumes” by iconic French artist Zizi Jeanmaire.
German basketball player Satou Sabally takes a selfie with other athletes on a boat during the Parade of Nations.
The colors of the French national flag are seen at the start of the ceremony.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at center in the blue jacket, watches the ceremony from the stands.
Brazilian athletes wave flags as they travel along the Seine River.
Athletes from Greece lead the traditional Parade of Nations.
Parisians wait inside their apartment to watch the parade from a window.
Entertainers Cynthia Erivo, center left, and Ariana Grande arrive for the opening ceremony.
People stand on balconies in Paris to watch the ceremony.
French President Emmanuel Macron looks on before the ceremony.
Ukrainian athletes stand on a boat ahead of the Parade of Nations.
Security officers patrol Paris by boat before the start of the ceremony.
Spectators wait for the ceremony to start.
Law enforcement officers keep watch in Paris.
Travellers from Sydney wait outside the Gare Montparnasse train station on Friday. Just hours before the opening ceremony, France’s high-speed train lines were targeted by several “malicious” acts, including arson, in what has been described as “coordinated sabotage” to disrupt travel ahead of the Games. An estimated 800,000 travelers could be affected over the weekend.
